GONE are the days wherein improvement for each UAAP squad hinged on just player acquisition and recruitment in the preseason.
Bulking up the team’s coaching staff is also vital right now – and it seems to be a winning formula evident when La Salle won it all last year after adding veteran coaches Caloy Garcia and Mon Jose to join new shot-caller Topex Robinson.
Overseas trips to train with international squads and coaches are also pretty much a must now for most teams, with six of eight UAAP teams all going abroad to prepare for the coming Season 87 men’s basketball tournament tipping off on September 7.
READ: Battle of Katipunan between UP, Ateneo opens UAAP Season 87
With that said, let’s take a look at how teams built up during the offseason, from overseas trips to coaching additions.
Fighting Maroons go around the world while adding Egay Macaraya
Of all UAAP teams, it was Season 86 runner-up University of the Philippines which really went above and beyond when it comes to preseason preparations.
Coming off a heartbreaking Game 3 loss to the Green Archers in Season 86, coach Goldwin Monteverde added former CEU and San Sebastian tactician Egay Macaraya, while visiting three countries in preparation for their bid to get over the hump.
Macaraya’s addition will certainly be a huge boost for the Fighting Maroons, with the veteran mentor adding fire to the already-stacked State U coaching staff.
The Fighting Maroons then had fruitful stints in Serbia, Korea, and Taiwan. Unfortunately, it was also in Korea where tragedy struck with the passing of coach Monteverde’s parents.
READ: After 'Mother Lily's' passing, the show must go on for UP coach Goldwin Monteverde
With their mentor grieving, the entire UP squad rallied around their soft-spoken mentor by being at their best despite the situation.
“I guess they helped me in a way na kahit wala ako doon, they really practiced hard and every game, they played it 100 percent pa rin,” Monteverde said.
“In that way, naipakita nila sa akin na they have my back, na coach kahit wala ka dito, alam namin yung goal nang bawat isa sa amin.”
Ateneo gains confidence in Australia, Taiwan stints with Louie Alas
Ateneo may have been the biggest losers when it comes to player movement after losing Gilas Pilipinas big Mason Amos to archrival La Salle, no less, but the Blue Eagles might have also had the biggest addition when it comes to their coaching staff.
Three-time NCAA champion coach Louie Alas will join the brilliant Tab Baldwin’s coaching staff, with the former Letran and Phoenix coach’s defensive philosophy and “40 minutes of hell” brand of basketball being Ateneo’s biggest gain.
Furthermore, they showed signs of life with their overseas trips following fruitless stints in the Filoil Preseason and PinoyLiga here in the Philippines.
Ateneo started building momentum in Australia before going undefeated in their mini-tournament in Taiwan, giving Baldwin the confidence about this young squad entering the tournament.
“I’m excited about what’s happened over the last month or so. We’ve played better,” Baldwin said.
“We’re coming into the UAAP I think as prohibitive underdogs, but certainly, we don’t feel like we’re going out on the court without a chance.”
NU hopes fruitful Korea trip leads to breakthrough
Expect National U to have some Korean flair entering the new season on the heels a very productive Korea trip where the Bulldogs worked with former Korean men’s national basketball team coach Choo Il-Seung.
That relationship continued even after the Bulldogs returned to the Philippines, with Choo – also a former KBL coach for Sono SG – visited their camp and stayed for the week to continue helping out.
With the addition of some “Korean basketball” philosophy into coach Jeff Napa’s tough and grinding system, things are only looking up for the Bulldogs who have long been a solid squad, but have failed to advance to the finals over the past few years.
UST, UE eye better outings with busy preseason
Like National U, University of Santo Tomas also flew out to Korea to prepare and jell more as a team, and it was the perfect time for veteran coaches in former UAAP champion coach Juno Sauler and multi-titled PBA assistant Peter Martin to integrate themselves with the team.
Sauler, ironically, won his lone UAAP championship against Pido Jarencio's Growling Tigers back in 2013, while Martin adds a winning mindset on the bench after being part of San Miguel’s dynastic run in the PBA over the past decade.
UE was pretty solid last year, and coach Jack Santiago pounced on that momentum by bringing the Red Warriors to Taiwan where they faced fellow UAAP team Ateneo, alongside some of the top universities in that country.
Adamson stays put, FEU hires a legend
Of the six teams, only Adamson and FEU didn’t fly abroad – but that doesn’t mean the Tamaraws stayed put for the offseason.
The proud squad from Morayta hired the services of legendary PBA import and current Gilas assistant Sean Chambers to lead the young Tamaraw squad in the upcoming cage wars.
But more so than his accolades as a player and his familiarity with Philippine basketball, it’s his newfound calling in teaching that will be his main asset.
Chambers became a teacher and an administrator in a middle high school after his illustrious career with Alaska.
“I put high expectations on myself as well. But what I do think what I bring is like, it's not so much of me being a player per se, but it's more about I believe myself being an educator for the last 17 years,” Chambers said.
“Being an administrator at a middle school has helped me to be a better teacher. So now I'm able to not only speak about the game, but I can also teach the game in a way where everybody can understand it and give us all a chance to be successful.”
The Soaring Falcons, on the other hand, will be banking on continuity with coach Nash Racela and his trusty assistants in Ryan Betia, Gilbert Lao, and Rommel Adducul, while focusing on pocket tournaments here in the country.
La Salle dominates in Japan, but it’s not its biggest flex
La Salle only went abroad once for this preseason, dominating colleges in the World University Basketball Series – but that was just one of the few impressive things they’ve done in the offseason.
What made the Green Archers as fearsome as ever is how they competed against some PBA teams, even beating pro squads like Converge and Phoenix in the Kadayawan Invitational in Davao last June.
Will that be enough for the Green Archers to retain? We’ll find out soon enough.
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