SET your calendars: We’re in for a wild ride this UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
UAAP schedule
University of the Philippines, the new king of the UAAP, starts its campaign in an unfamiliar situation with it being looked at as the top team to beat coming off its dream run in the past competition.
Ateneo has also retooled to put itself back at the top of the food chain, while La Salle has presented itself to be a formidable contender aiming to challenge for the crown.
National University, Adamson, and Far Eastern University are all aching to ride the highs from the wave of momentum they got in the preseason, while last season’s cellar dwellers University of Santo Tomas and University of the East are both raring to show improvements in their games.
With that being said, Spin.ph checked out the dates to fans should watch.
Oct. 1 (Saturday)
Let’s start with a bang at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Fighting Maroons, buoyed by Carl Tamayo and Zavier Lucero, start their title retention bid against the Michael Phillips and Kevin Quiambao-led Green Archers in what is shaping up to be a slam-bang affair at 4 p.m.
Bal David also makes his coaching debut for the Growling Tigers when they collide against the dangerous Soaring Falcons of coach Nash Racela at 2 p.m.
Oct. 2 (Sunday)
Opening weekend continues to sizzle up to the next day with the Blue Eagles and the Tamaraws renewing their rivalry at 4 p.m.
The Bulldogs and the Red Warriors also face off at 2 p.m. to open each other’s season.
Oct. 5 (Wednesday)
UP still remembers how Jerom Lastimosa emphatically ended its eight-game win streak last UAAP Season 84.
The Diliman peers sure have marked up this clash against Adamson at 1 p.m. as this is shaping up to be the most marquee among the games in the first quadruple-header of the season at Philsports Arena in Pasig.
Also set for this day are a pair of reunion matches, with Mark Nonoy, now in La Salle, facing UST at 4:30 p.m., and Dave Ildefonso, now the main man in Ateneo, taking on NU at 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 9 (Sunday)
It’s a rivalry as old as time as Ateneo and La Salle collide at 4:30 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ange Kouame’s mettle will be tested against a retoooled Green Archers frontcourt featuring Phillips, Quiambao, and Bright Nwankwo.
It will also be the first taste of the clash for Blue Eagles’ Kai Ballungay and Paul Garcia, as well as Quiambao.
But it’s not just that, with UST also eyeing this 1 p.m. game against NU as the Espana squad meets Kean Baclaan since bolting to Jhocson at the conclusion of the preseason tournaments.
Oct. 12 (Wednesday)
Talk about an emotionally charged day.
UP and NU, with all the history between personalities and coaches between the two teams, cross paths at 1 p.m. at Mall of Asia Arena.
It’s going to be an interesting duel for coaches Goldwin Monteverde and Jeff Napa especially with how their preseason duels turned out.
UST is also driven to get back at Ateneo after the 50-point mugging the Espana side incurred last season.
Brothers Nash and Olsen Racela, meanwhile, face off anew when FEU and Adamson lock horns at the 6:30 p.m. nightcap.
Oct. 16 (Sunday)
JD Cagulangan still remembers his amazing winner that ended a 36-year drought for UP.
He and the Fighting Maroons return to the very same Mall of Asia Arena as they face off against the Blue Eagle squad they vanquished to claim the throne.
UP and Ateneo joust for the first time since their amazing best-of-three championship series with coaches Monteverde and Tab Baldwin once again engaging in an interesting on-court chess match at 4:30 p.m.
In the day’s appetizer, last season’s bottom feeders UST and UE face off at 1 p.m. with the Growling Tigers’ Nic Cabanero and the Red Warriors’ Harvey Pagsanjan both determined to carry their squads to the victory.
Also, UST meets Fil-Am big man Gani Stevens for the first time since his brief preseason foray as he found a new home in UE.
Oct. 22 (Saturday)
Action heads up to Ynares Center in Antipolo for the final weekend of the first round.
There, Lastimosa will try to prove that he’s indeed the best point guard in college basketball today as Adamson takes on La Salle featuring Evan Nelle, Schonny Winston, and Nonoy at 4 p.m.
UP and UST box at 2 p.m. in another interesting faceoff between the State U and the catholic school.
Oct. 23 (Sunday)
Capping off the action in this weekend will be the 4 p.m. faceoff between a resurgent NU, led by young guns Steve Nash Enriquez and LA Casinillo, taking on FEU, still bannered by L-Jay Gonzales and Royce Alforque.
At 2 p.m. will be Ateneo taking on UE with coach Jack Santiago aching to get his shot at Baldwin after being suspended for all but four games last season.
Take a look at the full first-round schedule below.
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