Nine teams begin their respective quests to earn spots in the October Classic when Season 86 of the NCAA opens on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.
San Sebastian, San Beda and Jose Rizal University are tipped to become the seeded teams for the Top 3 spots while the remaining six teams will jockey for position for the No.4 spot. Expect a free-for-all battle among Mapua, Perpetual Help, Arellano, St. Benilde, Letran and Emilio Aguinaldo for that last Final Four berth.
The Stags, the defending champions, are highly-favored to win a second straight crown but are expected to face stiff opposition from either deposed titlists Red Lions – with their retooled line-up – and the Heavy Bombers – who parade a new coach out to give the squad a refreshing look this season.
But the six other squads have revamped their respective rosters, hoping to pull off surprises against their much heralded counterparts.
GMANews.TV rated the teams based on ranking last season, their present roster and preseason preparation.
1 . San Sebastian College-Recoletos – Lucky at 13?
After winning their 12th NCAA title by dethroning San Beda last year, will luck continue to side with the Stags when they shoot for their 13th crown as the host of Season 86?
But without their top gun, Lucky 13 won't come as a sure thing for the Recto-based dribblers.
Main gunner Jimbo Aquino will not be returning for the Stags as he already used his playing years. But the Stags will parade a nearly intact crew and they have every reason to be optimistic by stepping up and filling in the void left by the 2009 Finals MVP.
Now the remaining Stags, led by the energetic Calvin Abueva, must work as a team in order to achieve their goal of remaining on top. He can expect a lot of support from crafty playmaker Pamboy Raymundo, bigmen Gilbert Bulawan and Ian Sangalang, Aquino clone Ronald Pascual and hardworking forwards Dave Najorda and Gilbert Bulawan.
2. San Beda College – Out to regain its throne.
On paper, San Beda appears to be ready to reclaim the NCAA throne.
Denied of a historic four-peat and a 15th title overall by San Sebastian, the Lions looked hungrier this season.
And the Lions quickly bolstered their pack. Already teeming with talent with holdovers Sudan Daniel, Rome Dela Rosa and Dave Marcelo in tow, the squad got an additional boost when it added Filipino-Australian twins Anthony and David Semerad, both 6-foot-5 players, who have shown tremendous upside.
Add Borgie Hermida, Garvo Lanete, Jake Pascual, Melo Lim, Anjo Caram, Michole Sorela and former national youth standouts JP Mendoza and Kyle Pascual into that mix and you have a Lions squad ready to devour its prey.
3. Jose Rizal University – New hope.
With new coach Vergel Meneses at the helm, the Heavy Bombers found a leader who knows what winning is.
Meneses, a former Heavy Bomber himself and one of Philippine Basketball Association's 25 Greatest Players, will take over a team that has a lot of potential but always finding itself at the short end as the season winds up.
No team is definitely hungrier than the Heavy Bombers, whose last taste of a championship was in 1972 at the time when Philip Cezar and Chris Calilan were the star of the squad. Will Meneses become the man who would lead the squad end its 37 years of frustration?
Gone is last year's regular season MVP John Wilson, who opted to skip his final playing year. This means that the Heavy Bombers will have a new scorer and leader.
Meneses will bank on JRU locals JR Bulangis, John Lopez and JR Kabigting along with the Cameroonian duo of Joe Etame and John Njei in their bid of earning a modest Final Four finish -- and possibly a chance to sneak their way to the finals.
Etame and Njei, however, won’t be allowed to play on the court at the same time as the league has a rule that teams must use one foreign cager at a time.
4. University of Perpetual Help System DALTA – A silver year without a title.
That's been the fate of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA since it joined the NCAA in 1984.
But signs are very encouraging for the Altas, who are expected to rise few notches higher this season from their previous finishes.
Help finally arrived on the Las Piñas-based squad as George Allen, Marlon Gomez, Jaycee Asuncion, Harold Sumera and Jett Vidal, members of the Philippine Christian University Dolphins squad, will now be suiting up for the Altas team of Boris Aldeguer.
Aldeguer could only hope their arrival would change the complexion of the team and improve on their ninth place finish last season.
The entry of the five former Dolphins will more than make up for the loss of nine players from the Altas’ 2009 roster. They will join holdovers Chrisper Elopre, Jayson Salvado and Raffy Ynion. Its souped-up lineup gave some of the NCAA coaches reasons in picking Perpetual as a team that can match up with the Top 3 squads – San Sebastian, San Beda and JRU – and possibly making it to the Top Four.
5. Mapua Institue of Technology – Tournament darkhorse.
Aside from Perpetual, Mapua is another team that has the tools to compete in its bid to make it to the semifinals. But aside from aiming for a Final Four berth, the Cardinals are out to regain their old fighting form since winning back-to-back crowns in 1990 and 1991.
And one good sign for the Cardinals is the return of Jonathan Banal, who is tasked to play a key role in changing the fortunes of the Intramuros-based cagers. The team wants to improve on its sixth place finish last year.
Mapua coach Chito Victolero will have Banal and Allan Mangahas to man Mapua’s backcourt and stable things up offensively for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals’ backcourt have become deeper with the return of Banal, who will most likely get support coming from veterans TG Guillermo, Mark Acosta and Jason Pascual, all part of the team that reached the quarterfinal round of the FilOil Flying V Preseason Tournament and finished second behind two-time defending UAAP champion Ateneo in the 16th Fr. Martin's Summer Cup.
6. Colegio de San Juan de Letran – Rebuilding stage.
Louie Alas and his Letran Knights are consistent fixtures in the NCAA Final Four.
And it's quite ironic to see the squad languishing elsewhere the lower half of the ranking.
With a lot of newcomers and a bunch of inexperienced players forming up the squad, it's definitely obvious that the Knights are on a rebuilding stage.
Gone are scoring leader RJ Jazul and veteran big man Rey Guevarra.
Alas' bright spot in offense can only be found in Kevin Alas, Jam Cortes and JP Belencio.
Physically, they're ready, according to the multi-titled coach. But their mental toughness will be definitely put to a test. Alas is hoping their 10-day stint against collegiate teams from Cebu will be enough to toughen up his wards come the bigger battles.
7. Emilio Aguinaldo College – Final 4 or bust.
Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) coach Nomar Isla wants nothing more than a semifinals stint for his Generals in their first full season as a probationary member of the oldest collegiate league in the country.
And Isla has all the reasons to aim for that hard-to-earn semis spot, especially with his squad now become deeper -- and more talented.
Last season was a disastrous campaign for the Generals, who could only afford to rotate seven from their 13-man squad.
Aside from retaining the services of PBL veterans Claude Cubo – his leading frontliner - main scorer Argel Mendoza and brothers Lowell and Russell Yaya, Isla was able to tab promising rookies Milan Vargas, John Jamon and John Dominique Monteclaros to make his squad not just an entertaining team, but knows how to win.
8. Arellano University – Isaac’s return
The return of coach Leo Isaac, the architect of Arellano University’s back-to-back NCRAA crowns and three straight Fr. Martin’s titles, to a Chiefs’ squad that has decimated in terms of talent, is certainly a welcome development for the Legard-based cagers.
Arellano lost eight players, including its top gun, Gio Ciacruz. The team will have to find ways of winning behind the members of its Team B squad.
Ciriacruz's departure serves as a reality check for the Chiefs that they cannot anymore rely on anyone, but everyone. While the Chiefs suddenly found themselves on a rebuilding stage, they will be playing this season with nothing to lose.
Ciriacruz’ brother, Isiah, and promising scorer Andrian Celada, lead four other holdovers from last year’s squad that finished fifth with an 8-10 record.
Leonard Anquilo will provide leadership to rookies Rocky Acidre, Neri Advincula, John Karlo Casiño, Prince Caperal, Ronnel del Rosario, Gerald Lapuz, Christian Palma, Drake Santos and Vergel Zulueta.
9. College of St. Benilde – Taillenders?
College of St. Benilde, a school that won an NCAA crown two years after joining the league, is also on the road to rebuild its team after the exodus of eight of its veteran players.
The Blazers, who joined the league in 1998 and won the crown in 2000, have only modest goals this season with Carlo Lastimosa – nephew of PBA great Jojo Lastimosa of the Alaska Aces – emerging as the new leader of this young squad.
With old reliable Anjelo Montecastro, David Urra and Jacob Manlapaz, already gone, Lastimosa will try to keep a hold of a squad that wants nothing but to improve game by game. Others who won't be returning for the Blazers' squad are Chuck Dalanon, Ilie Johnston, Jeff Morial, Jorey Tajonera and Aaron Umlas.
The Blazers, however, have promising new recruits in Tim McCoy and Luis Sinco, who are tasked to do more than get accustomed to the team in their rookie season. They are expected to get their share of good minutes.
The Blazers also have holdovers Mc Abolucion, RJ Argamino, Mark de Guzman, Ian dela Paz, Robbie Mañalac, Jan Tan and Alex Wong.
Rey Joble, GMA News.TV
Subject: Take Your Pick: Who Are Contenders, Pretenders For Season 86 
Sun Jun 27, 2010 9:35 am
