85th NCAA: New faces greet the league
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/25/2009 10:20 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
(First of a two-part series)
After a one-year wait, the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball war is here again with its Season 85 unfolding on Saturday before an expected overflowing crowd at the historic Araneta Coliseum.
This season, the oldest and one of the most prestigious leagues in the land will have a record 10 teams that should all the more add spice to what promises to be an exciting tournament already oozing with some interesting subplots.
The San Beda Lions, for one, lost Nigerian Sam Ekwe, Pong Escobal and Ogie Menor but made up for it with the arrival of 6’8” American Sudan Daniel to fill the huge void left by Ekwe.
Armed with the athleticism and sweet shooting hands, Daniel helped power the Mendiola-based squad to the Nike Summer League title and semifinal finish in the Filoil/Flying V MVP Cup that showed their readiness to go for a four-peat feat.
Jose Rizal, who came a win away from unseating San Beda, got stronger this season with the acquisition of another African import, 6’5” Joe Etame of Cameroon.
Etame, who will only see action in the first week of July, joins countryman Ntou Njei in providing some added muscle inside plus the defense to make life difficult for other big men.
There would also be four new faces after coaches Chito Victolero of Mapua, Richard del Rosario of College of St. Benilde, Boris Aldeguer of Perpetual Help and Renato “The Atom Bomb” Agustin succeeded Leo Isaac, Gie Abanilla, Arturo “Bai” Cristobal and Jorge Gallent, respectively.
The three guest teams—Arellano University, Angeles University Foundation and Emilio Aguinaldo College—should also stir some interests as they bring in their own brand of play that worked wonders in their respective leagues before getting the once-in-a-lifetime chance to play in the NCAA.
And with or without the swine flu or Influenza (H1N1) virus scare, these 10 teams are all out to do battle in what promises to be a war of attrition.
Now let’s take a closer look at each squads starting on the three guest teams and the last two placers last seasons.
The Generals are in command
EAC has topped nearly every tournament it joined outside the Big Leagues like the NCAA.
And after getting temporary entry to what its top officials say as their “dream league,” the Generals are out to make the most out of their debut stint.
The Generals have reigned supreme in leagues like the UCAA and the NCRAA in the past and their experience there should put them in good stead when they plung into action into a bigger, tougher stage like the NCAA.
First things first though, EAC would like to shed its reputation as a one-man team built around the prolific Ronjay Buenafe, now plying his trade in the pros.
“I must admit that EAC is best remembered for one of our alumnus, Ronjay Buenafe,” said EAC’s athletic director coach Nomar Isla. “But we’re not a Ronjay Buenafe team alone, we also have some tools to beat the big boys.”
Isla was probably referring to leader Argell Mendoza and an equally hardworking cast that included Yaya brothers Lowell and Russell, Claude Cubo and 6’6” Ruel Jabaybay.
And though Isla knows their journey in Season 85 is laced with some treacherous paths, the Generals would not back down to any challenge.
“We’re a fighting team, we will not give up no matter what,” said the diminutive but big-hearted Isla, whose assistants include former PBA star Gerry Esplana.
The Chiefs bring winning tradition
Like EAC, Arellano U is no pushover.
In fact, some coaches of the other teams think the Chiefs are the strongest of the three guest teams seeing action this season.
For one, the Legarda-based dribblers have topped the Fr. Martin Summer Cup the last three editions and ruled the same number of times.
And the Chiefs have brought along the bulk of the team that wrecked terror in those tournaments including the talented Ciriacruz siblings Isiah and Giorgio, who will be the focal point of their quest to make a good impression this year.
Interestingly, Arellano has in its fold the youngest coach—30-year-old Junjie Ablan—and the smallest player—5’2” Leonard Anquilo—this season.
Ablan, who assumed the coaching job after Arellano’s athletic director/coach Leo Isaac accepted the coaching job at Barako Bull in the PBA last year, said he is excited of the prospect of coaching against older, more experienced coaches in the league.
“It’s an honor to coach against these great coaches, I’m nervous and excited this season,” said Ablan.
Anquillo, for its part, is no joke, nor merely an attraction in a carnival full of freaks.
In fact, the diminutive but lightning-quick Anquillo happens to be the Chiefs starting guard.
He has the ability to dribble past his taller defender with his amazing quickness, make the three-point shots and, most importantly, create situations for his teammates.
“He’s our starting guard,” said a proud Ablan.
The Great Danes could be great
If there are qualities that best describe Angeles U Foundation is its determination and resiliency.
How can you mistake the Great Danes’ desire when just going to a game either at the Big Dome or at The Arena in San Juan City, would take them nearly two hours to travel from Pampanga to Manila and the same number of hours of travel per game.
That’s tiring for a team playing a minimum of 18 elimination round games.
But ask Eric Gascon about it and he’ll tell you they don’t mind.
“Playing makes for all the travel, playing in a league as big as the NCAA makes it all the more worthwhile,” said Gascon, once a former Far Eastern hotshot and PBA player, in Filipino.
The Great Danes will parade only one player at 6’5” in Donald Kenneth Calma but will make up for it with hard work.
“We’re not as tall as the other teams but my players are hard workers,” said Gascon.
The Altas have a new coach at last
A new coach could be what Perpetual Help needed in changing its sagging fortunes.
The Altas, who finished dead last with a 2-12 (win-loss) slate last year, tapped the youthful Boris Aldeguer to replace long-time mentor Arturo “Bai” Cristobal with hopes of ending their frustration as the only school that has yet to win a title.
And Aldeguer hopes to bring the same winning formula that gave La Salle-Zobel several UAAP high school championships.
But Aldeguer knows this year is just a start of a major build-up towards achieving that goal.
“It’s not easy to do that, we have to start somewhere,” said Aldeguer, who also recalled his the hard years when he was still starting in La Salle.
And this somewhere is this season as he hopes to utilize the remaining veterans Nat Salanga and Raffy Ynion, who would basically comprise the Altas’ frontline.
“I have a few players left from last year but I have confidence in these players, I have faith in them,” said Aldeguer.
Comments