AFTER more than two years of absence, UAAP men's basketball action is finally back.
And with the resumption of games also the subplots and you bet Spin.ph has done the honors of marking the dates and particular games all college hoop fans should look forward to.
UAAP schedule
March 26, Saturday
Talk about coming back with a bang.
The first gameday of UAAP Season 84 is certainly a must-watch with six of the eight teams parading new head coaches in their season debut.
Of course, much of the focus will be on the action on the court.
Gilas Pilipinas stud RJ Abarrientos renews his partnership with L-Jay Gonzales as Far Eastern University opens its campaign against a new-look University of Santo Tomas under coach Jinino Manansala at 10 a.m.
Adamson coach Nash Racela and National University coach Jeff Napa face off at 1 p.m., before a retooled University of the Philippines behind coach Goldwin Monteverde gets its baptism of fire versus defending champion Ateneo at 4 p.m.
La Salle coach Derrick Pumaren will also face the last UAAP school he handled when the Green Archers play the University of the East, now under coach Jack Santiago, at 7 p.m.
March 29, Tuesday
Backcourt partners at Gilas Pilipinas, SJ Belangel and RJ Abarrientos face off for the first time in the seniors level when Ateneo and FEU lock horns at 1 p.m.
CJ Cansino also finds himself on the other side when he leads UP in its duel against his old alma mater UST at 7 p.m.
On the flipside, Jordi Gomez de Liano also meets his old peers in Diliman in this nightcap game.
March 31, Thursday
No question, the duel between FEU and La Salle at 1 p.m. is a certified banger as it presents the first head-to-head matchup between Green Archers' backcourt duo of Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy against the Tamaraws' Abarrientos-Gonzales combo.
All eyes, though, will be on the 4 p.m. game between NU and UP.
It's an interesting subplot with former Bullpups standouts Carl Tamayo, Gerry Abadiano, and Terrence Fortea, as well as Monteverde, facing off a determined and scorned NU side under Napa.
April 2, Saturday
The much awaited rivalry game between the Blue Eagles and Green Archers will take the primetime billing at 7 p.m. when the two schools face each other for the first time in more than two years.
Gilas peers Ange Kouame and Justine Baltazar will get reacquainted a little less than a year after forging a bond in the leadup to the national team's run at the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Clark.
This also presents a prime opportunity for bluechip additions like Ateneo's Chris Koon and La Salle's Michael Phillips to ball out in this clash between archrivals.
Also worth mentioning, La Salle coach Derrick Pumaren, then calling the shots for Centro Escolar University, was the last coach to inflict a loss on Ateneo mentor Tab Baldwin when they met at the 2019 PBA D-League Aspirants' Cup Finals before the Blue Eagles went on to complete the perfect 14-0 campaign in UAAP Season 82.
April 5, Tuesday
The Ildefonso brothers Dave and Shaun take center stage when they face off in the Ateneo-NU match at 7 p.m.
For Dave, it's a chance to show that he has made the right decision of heading back to the Blue Eagles nest while his older brother Shaun is determined to carry the load for the Bulldogs.
April 7, Thursday
UP center Malick Diouf reacquaints himself with the first coach to guide him in the country when the Fighting Maroons face off against Derrick Pumaren's La Salle at 10 a.m.
Aside from that, Joel Cagulangan surely wants to get one over his old side after finding himself out of the rotation back in his time with the Green Archers.
The main billing, however, will be the Racela-versus-Racela clash as Olsen's FEU takes on Nash's Adamson at 7 p.m. in their first faceoff after years of teaming up on the bench at Morayta.
April 9, Saturday
Ending the first round will be the finals rematch between Ateneo and UST at 4 p.m.
Odds certainly will be stacked against the Growling Tigers with an entirely brand-new squad taking on a largely intact and even fortified Blue Eagles side.
UP and FEU cap off the first sets of games at 7 p.m. where former Gilas Pilipinas Youth peers Tamayo, Abadiano, and Fortea take on old friend Xyrus Torres.
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.
