UAAP S76 preview: Bulldogs, Warriors aim for Finals berths, Tigers plot return, Maroons begin rebuild

The 76th season of the UAAP begins on Saturday, with teams reloading for another campaign in the collegiate wars. Part two of our two-part preview shines the spotlight on NU, UE, UST, and UP.

[Part one with ADMU, DLSU, FEU and AdU can be read here]


National University Bulldogs

Season 75 record: 9-5, third place

Key losses: Ajeet Singh (SG), Jul-Ashri Ignacio (SF), Henri Betayene (C)

Key additions: Alfred Aroga (C), JJ Alejandro (PG)

Season 75 moment: NU made the Final Four for the first time since 2011. Despite tough losses, including a tough double-overtime defeat to La Salle and a crushing at the hands of Ateneo in the first round, the Bulldogs hung tough to show the rest of the league that they have indeed arrived.

Season 76 situation: The Bulldogs are touted as a contender after returning with a virtually-intact line-up, bolstered by quality addition in Aroga and Alejandro. Aroga is a 6’8” Cameroonian who plays fast and loose inside. He’s unpredictable, but has more offensive flair than starting center Emmanuel Mbe, and is even more of a handful to guard. Alejandro meanwhile is a three-point specialist from the RP Youth Team ranks, and should help spread the floor for Ray Ray Parks.

But with a more seasoned team comes greater expectations for Parks and the rest of the NU Bulldogs organization. Parks’ talents are beyond question, but what remains to be seen is whether his supporting cast can step up to the plate. During their FilOil Finals loss, their role players in Mbe, Aroga, Rosario, Alolino and Villamor couldn’t press on when Parks fouled out in the fourth quarter. Possibly for the first time in his career, those living in the two-time MVP’s shadow will be thrust into the harsh spotlight.


University of the East Red Warriors

Season 75 record: 3-11, seventh place

Key losses: Gene Belleza (SG)

Key additions: Gino Jumao-as (transferee, SG), Lord Casajeros (returnee, SG), JM Noble (returnee, SG)

Season 75 moment: Coach Boysie Zamar took over the team right before the second round, ending Jerry Codinera’s one and a half year tenure with the team. Zamar gave senior Gene Belleza a chance at a meaningful last few games, and the Warriors played with a different energy, enough to force several close matches. The most memorable of course was Chris Javier’s three-pointer, to nick the defending champions at the buzzer, just days after he had done a similar feat against UP.

Season 76 situation: The UE Red Warriors hadn’t been in the UAAP Final Four since 2009, back when names like Paul Lee, Elmer Espiritu and Pari Llagas dominated the floor. The Warriors had been limping ever since, but that stretch looks like it’ll stop now. Credit is due to two things: Sierra Leonean Charles Mammie’s intimidating presence on defense, and Zamar’s ability to get his players to believe in defense, teamwork and themselves again.

Many people (myself included) are picking UE as darkhorse candidates to make the Final Four this year. But is UE a Finals contender? Their FilOil Cup run says maybe, although we have to remember that a lot of things (Parks and Mbe fouling out, successful trapping schemes and the statement games from role players) went right for them to dethrone the NU Bulldogs as preseason champs. Consistency is the name of the game for nearly everyone who isn’t an elite point guard named Roi Sumang, from Chris Javier to JR Sumido. But anything can happen on the floor, and as long as UE remembers what it’s capable of, there’s no knowing where they’re going to stop.


University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers

Season 75 record: 10-4, second place

Key losses: Jeric Fortuna (PG), Melo Afuang (PF)

Key additions: Jeepy Faundo (C), Jun Macasaet (C), Brian So (SF),  Jamil Sherrif (returnee, PG), Edcor Marata (PG), Kent Lao (SF)

Season 75 moment: UST looked every bit a contender last year, bagging impressive victories against DLSU, NU and Ateneo. With the sizzling trio of Jeric Teng, Aljon Mariano and Karim Abdul, the Tigers were fighting until the very end, when they just came up short in the Finals, losing in two games against the defending champs.

Season 76 situation: Lost in the preseason fever is the fact that UST’s line-up remains largely the same. Like FEU’s coach Racela, Pido Jarencio might have treated the preseason the lightest among all the coaches, by allowing key rotation players like Kevin Ferrer and Clark Bautista to dabble in the PBA D-League, while tinkering with the rest of his bench. Add to that Karim Abdul was recovering from an injury, and it’s unsurprising that the Tigers finished fourth in the FilOil Cup after a 4-4 elimination record.

Kevin Ferrer, Paolo Pe and Clark Bautista round out the usual suspects for the Tigers, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. Sure, Fortuna’s departure is a loss, but the Tigers are gambling that the sum of his contributions can be replaced by Jamil Sherrif, Edcor Marata and Ed Daquioag. If those trio can play with better poise over the course of the season, then the league and its fans have another team to worry about.


University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons

Season 75 record: 1-13, eighth place

Key losses: Mark Lopez (SG), Alvin Padilla (SF), Jett Manuel (SG), Mike Silungan (SG), Jelo Montecastro (PG), Alinko Mbah (C)

Key additions: Sam Marata (transferee, SG), Kyles Lao (PG), Paul Desiderio (SG), Jason Ligad (PG/SG), Andrew Harris (C), Kyle Suarez (SG), Agustin Amar (SG), Andrei Paras (PF)

Season 75 moment: There was nothing that stood out positively as UP's season was defined by a lack of late-game poise. There were several times the Maroons could’ve closed out foes like FEU (twice), Adamson and NU. But they had problems a) executing plays, b) keeping their opponents off the free throw line, and/or c) making their own free throws.

Season 76 situation: Every year, Ricky Dandan promises that the Maroons will keep on fighting until the end. If their last few summer games are any indication, that might be the case. Former Archer Sam Marata will join Mikee Reyes and their key second year holdovers in Chris Ball, Henry Asilum and Raul Soyud as the Maroons’ main men this year. But the deck is stacked against the Maroons. Dandan has to baptize six players uninitiated in the style of the UAAP while working out how to stay competitive now and how to build for the future.

Fans are hoping that UP’s management gives Dandan a longer run and a chance to cultivate something in Diliman out of Lao, Paras and Desiderio, who are all prize recruits. Since they’re in the middle of a rehabilitation project, watching UP this year means one eye looking at the future ahead. Dandan and the Maroons get a bye for now, and stricter judgment ought to be reserved for expectations of better days in 2014. - AMD, GMA News