With Studio 23 at the helm and tournament direction handled by the Asian Basketball Academy-Philippines, this year’s edition is touted to top all the previous seasons of the country’s premier varsity basketball league.
Host and last season’s runner-up Far Eastern University will tackle University of Santo Tomas in the 4 p.m. main game, following the 1 p.m. opening show and the University of the Philippines-Adamson University tussle at 2 p.m.
Action in the junior division starts tomorrow with archrivals La Salle and Ateneo facing each other at 1 p.m. also at the Araneta Coliseum. The women’s division kicks off on Tuesday at the UST gym. An early clash of archrivals Green Archers and Blue Eagles will be the featured encounter tomorrow.
The Tamaraws are determined to topple the Archers, champions in the last three years, despite the loss of top guns Edwin Bacani and Celino Cruz.
"I got a commitment from my players that this won’t be another fight-for-second season," said coach Coy Banal. "My players are confident we can win the title this year and they will brandish a high level of confidence to enhance our bid."
To help the Tamaraws achieve their goal, Banal has tapped the services of his former wards at the Philippine School of Business and Arts -- 5-11 Dennis Miranda and 6-4 Mark Isip.
FEU won over UST in their two encounters last season, both in the eliminations, 65-54 and 61-57.
The Tigers, on the other hand, will be hard-pressed to duplicate their glory years which saw them keep the UAAP crown from 1993 to 1996.
Coach Aric del Rosario has lost center Marvin Ortiguerra to the pros and decided to let go of Kenneth Co, Melchor Latoreno, Cyrus Baguio and Gilbert Lao. Pointguard Arnie Tuadles Jr. is also out of the team as he stopped going to practice for unknown reasons.
Co didn’t make the cut because of academic deficiencies while Latoreno and Lao opted to prioritize their commercial teams.
"Gusto kong gawing aral sa mga bata ang ginawa ko. Mamili sila kung ano ba ang gusto nila, mag-aral o maglaro," said del Rosario in reference to his players who are playing in the PBL.
The Tigers, who have always entered the Final Four since the format was introduced in 1994, will be bannered by Derick Huabalde, Nino Gelig, Alwin Espiritu, Warren de Guzman and Dondon Villamin.
The Maroons, meanwhile, will bank on newly-acquired Kenneth Robin, a 6-4 find from Don Bosco Cebu, to better their sixth place finish last season. UP has prevailed in their last 10 meeting versus Adamson dating back to the 1996 season.
The Falcons, winless in all 14 outings last year and have won just twice in 42 UAAP games in the last three years, are not expected to figure any better as their Stalwarts Joshua Ramirez, Emil Malana, Bruce Lee, Chris Eusebio and Noel Eusebio have graduated.
Adamson is also on a 20-game losing streak, their last victory recorded over FEU, 89-81, on Aug. 19, 1999.