TWO months after reclaiming the UAAP men’s basketball championship, University of the Philippines starts preparing for its title-retention bid as it makes its debut in the Pinoyliga Next Man cUP Saturday (Feb. 15) at the Enderun Colleges Gym in Taguig City.
UP takes on College of St. Benilde – another debuting team – in the opening game of a adruple header at 2 p.m.
San Sebastian College-Recoletos clashes against Inter-Scholastic Athletic Association champion St. Dominic College of Asia at 4 p.m., while NCAA champion Mapua tries to bounce back from its opening day loss when it collides with Ateneo at 6 p.m., before Enderun Colleges and Guang Ming College meet at 8 p.m.
UP won the men’s basketball title in the UAAP last December as it dethroned the Green Archers of De La Salle in a grueling three-game series. It was the team’s first title in three years after winning in 2021 but came up short in the finals the next two seasons.
The goal in the UAAP is to retain the championship, and preparation for the title campaign will be crucial, according to former Maroons mentor and current UP head of sports Bo Perasol.
“Itong mga tournaments na ito, kagaya nitong Pinoyliga Next Man cUP, hindi lang preparation ang iniisip natin dito. Ito ang magiging gauge or evaluation ng coaching staff sa mga players na puwedeng isama sa roster (for the UAAP). Kasi mag-i-iba ang dynamics ng team dahil dalawa ang nawala,” said Perasol.
“Unang-una nawalan kami kumbaga ng general in point guard JD Cagulangan, and nawala din yung poste ng team in Quentin Millora-Brown. Anong klaseng team ang bubuuin ng coaches and anong direction ng team when it comes sa complexion – very particular ang coaching staff dun,” he added.
Cagulangan, a savvy floor leader with high offensive skills, and 6-foot-10 center Millora-Brown played their final season with the Maroons, the latter being a ‘one-and-done’ case.
Perasol said there are some 22 members of the UP training pool eager to showcase their talent and prove their worth to be included in the main team for the coming season of the UAAP, including Seven Gagate, Josh Coronel, Noy Remogat and Fil-Am Miguel Yniguez.
CSB, on the other hand, will also try to improve its own roster for the coming basketball wars in the NCAA after falling short in Season 100 when it suffered a heartbreaking 0-2 sweep against the Mapua Cardinals in the best-of-three finals showdown also last December.
The Next Man cUP tournament will provide an opportunity for players like Shawn Umali, Raffy Celis and high-flying SJ Moore – a transferee from UST – to show they are ready to join and provide firepower to the main team of the Blazers in the NCAA.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
