Warriors Look To Pull Off Huge Surprise

THREE of last year’s starters are gone and it is not surprising rival teams are not putting University of the East on top of their concerns.

But Paul Lee is expected to get the needed support from the returning James Martinez and the Warriors could still pull of some surprises in the 73rd University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

Coach Lawrence Chongson does not have solid recruits like the other schools and the Warriors will now be playing minus last year’s starters Pari Llagas, Elmer Espiritu and Rudy Lingganay.

“I don’t want to think and analyze that. Basta kami, laban lang parati,” said Chongson, who led the Warriors to the title series after beating the heavily favored Far Eastern University in the semifinals last season. Ateneo clinched the title. A key returnee to the UE fold is veteran point guard Martinez, who sat out the last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

His readiness will be tested when the Red Warriors begin their campaign against University of Santo Tomas at 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum. Like UE, the Growling Tigers of mentor Pido Jarencio are not ranked highly by their rivals.

UST, which won the crown in 2006 against Ateneo during Jarencio’s rookie year, are now without Dylan Ababou and Kazim Mirza and will be banking on guards Jeric Teng, Clark Bautista and Jeric Fortuna.

“Kung ranking pag-uusapan, sila na ang No. 1 to seven kami na lang eight. Suwerte daw ang eight sa Chinese,” said Jarencio, who has nine new players in his squad.

“Basically, it’s really a new team for me. Goal na lang namin ngayon is to have a chance to win every game,” the former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) guard added.

Host school La Salle and University of the Philippines collide in the opener at 2 p.m. right after the opening rites at 1 p.m.

The Green Archers of new coach Dindo Pumaren are looking to make a return to the semifinals after missing it for the first time since 1994, while the Fighting Maroons are considered as the dark horse for this tournament.

“Ateneo and FEU are already shoo-ins for the top two spots in the Final Four while the remaining two will be a wide-open race for the remaining six teams,” said UP mentor Aboy Castro.

Joel Orellana, Business Mirror