By RICKIE SANTOS
COLLEGE basketball preseason hardcourt hostilities go on full throttle as the 17th FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup tournament opens on Saturday, May 11 in San Juan.
All the UAAP and NCAA school teams are entered, giving all players much-needed court time, from the veterans to the highly-touted blue chip recruits or to the Team B players who are trying to break into their schools’ Team A.
But what are things and who are the players to watch out for in the month-long meet?
Starting things off is UAAP reigning champion De La Salle. It’s nice to see how solid the Green Archers’ frontline truly is. Coach Topex Robinson can field UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao, Michael Phillips, Jonnel Policarpio, Raven Cortez and Earl Abadam. Throw in new Foreign Student Athlete (FSA) Henry Agunanne, a mobile 6-11 who can play ball. Other coaches can just salivate with DLSU’s big men.
It’s in the DLSU backcourt that questions may arise especially with the graduation of court generals par excellence Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy. Playmaking should not be a problem in the preseason jousts with new transferees Kean Baclaan and Jacob Cortez. However, they’re still in residency and coach Topex can only use them in the UAAP in Season 88.
Another team that has no problem taking in talented recruits is the University of the Philippines. Gani Stevens, Denzil Walker, and FSA Dikachi Udodo have been practicing with the Maroons for quite some time.
Jacob Bayla just committed to the Fighting Maroons the past weekend and he will still wind up his high school studies late this month before he can join UP. Transferees Rey Remogat and Miguel Yñiguez can play in the FilOil tourney but will sit out UAAP S87.
Three things coach Goldwin Monteverde must look into in the FilOil games. One, he must go back to the hoop wars with 3-point weapons. Two, how he can divide playing time for his oh-so-talented players. And three, make sure his Maroons will not complain.
Big shoes to fill for UP
Three, the giant shoes left by UAAP S85 MVP Malik Diouf will be hard to fill. Perhaps that’s why the Maroons have 4 FSAs in tow. But it’s interesting to see how 7-4 Jordan Wilmore moves.
Going to Katipunan neighbor Ateneo. All eyes of Blue Eagles fans will be on Jared Bahay. It may be unfair to the prized rookie every time someone says that Ateneo’s UAAP Final Four chances depend on him. And maybe also on coach Tab Baldwin, what with his rather weak team this year compared to his previous Ateneo teams.
Reigning NCAA champion San Beda will still be bannered by scorers Yukien Andrade and James Payosing. But a very valuable addition is rookie JC Bonzalida, a big man who was a vital piece in the Adamson Baby Falcons’ run to the UAAP juniors S86 throne. In the coming preseason matches, coach Yuri Escueta will look for someone to take over Jacob Cortez’s backcourt chores.
Mapua will again be in the thick of things. It will be interesting to see NCAA MVP Clint Escamis and incoming rookie Chris Hubilla form the Cardinals’ 1-2 punch. Coach Randy Alcantara hopes his squad will be ready to jump to the NCAA summit this year.
Fresh changes in some teams may affect the teams’ performance and title chances like San Miguel Corporation’s backing of University Santo Tomas, Pampanga Gov. Delta Pineda supporting Letran, the partnership of Olsen Racela and PBA MVP Scottie Thompson in University of Perpetual Help System, new head coach and many-time PBA champion Sean Chambers taking the reins at Far Eastern University.
These teams have been quite active in recruiting new weapons for the coming seasons both here and abroad.
For the next month, college basketball aficionados and ardent students of the sport will be on cloud nine.
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