BY Rickie Santos
RIGHT about now, all eight teams should be putting the finishing touches on their preparations with a little over three weeks to go before the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.
The question for this year - which hasn't changed in recent history - is are we about to hear the same story get told? Come December, will we again withness La Salle and the University of the Philippines square off for all the marbles?
Maybe.
The six other squads’ supporters, however, are adamant this season will be very exciting - even more than last year's ultracompetitive playoff race.
After all, preseason games have exposed quite a few vulnerabilities in the title favorites, giving other teams a chance to study and make adjustments in their playbooks, which they hope will result in a fresh and new championship showdown.
Key losses for last year's finalists
La Salle will be shooting for back-to-back titles - and their third in four seasons.
And with the Green Archers’ pedigree, they just may give Taft Ave. another celebration.
However, remember that three of coach Topex Robinson's stalwarts in Mike Phillips, Kean Baclaan, and EJ Gollena, all vital in dethroning UP and reclaiming the crown, will not be returning in green-and-white jerseys due to various reasons.
READ: Jacob Cortez vows to hold fort for 'in-transition' La Salle squad
Among the three, the biggest loss has to be 'Motor Mike.'
Without him, Luis Pablo should shoulder a heavier load, while former La Salle Green Hills running mate Seven Gagate is expected to stand tall once more. Mason Amos could also be pushed by Robinson to make his presence felt even more in and around the paint.
With their foreign student-athletes (FSA) sidelined due to injury, the frontcourt looks to be La Salle's Achilles' heel in its title defense.
That's not the case over in Diliman, where bigs Gani Stevens, Sean Alter, Migs Palanca, returning FSA Francis Nnoruka, second FSA 7-foot Dieonte Miles, and former Rookie of the Year Veejay Pre will all patrol the paint and take care of the glass.
For the nth season, UP will parade a stacked roster. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be sleepless nights for coach Goldwin Monteverde.
The Fighting Maroons seemingly suffered their most preseason defeats in recent history. More pointedly, they failed to bag a fourth straight Filoil Preseason trophy after they were downed by San Beda in the semifinals.
Their international games also proved to be a struggle, as State U absorbed multiple losses in Canada, China, and Korea - whether in tuneup games or tournaments.
READ: Remogat's hot hands not enough to keep UP in AUBL contention
And in playing against either collegiate or pro players, the maroon-and-green had a tough time battling against teams with good shooters - meaning Monteverde's staff should be ready with a plan to shore up their perimeter defense.
One more thing that may be a problem for UP is who takes over when Rey Remogat gets a breather or is having an off night. With no more Gerry Abadiano, Janjan Felicilda, and Terrence Fortea, the onus is now on first-year player Arvie Poyos to take charge as their lead guard's primary backup.
All told, UAAP Season 89 will see a new look and new challenges for both coaches Topex and Gold.
Making it to the Final Four remains a probability. But booking for a fourth straight finals duel is far from guaranteed.
If and when other contenders - whether it be dogged National U, dangerous University of Santo Tomas, charging Far Eastern University, or resurgent Ateneo - push the right buttons, get ready for a new narrative.
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.
