In fact, it’s going to be a tough one that even coach Franz Pumaren doesn’t even know what to expect.
"If you’d scrutinize each lineup, then we’re one of the weakest. In fact, our goal here is just to compete," said Pumaren when asked to assess the Green Archers’ chances in the coming UAAP season.
Pumaren won four straight titles for La Salle starting in 1998 but was denied a record fifth when the Archers lost in a dramatic title showdown against archrival Ateneo last year.
This year, Pumaren is back with a team without old reliables Mike Cortez, now in the PBA, Adonis Sta. Maria and Willy Wilson. Left to carry the load are Mark Cardona, Carlo Sharma, Joseph Yeo, Tyrone Tang and BJ Manalo who’s expected to miss La Salle’s opening games due to injury.
"Talagang malaki ang nawala in terms of offense and experience. So, we just have to compensate it with hard work, aggressiveness and our trapping defense. Hopefully the young guys can adjust early," said Pumaren.
When he looks at his bench these days, Pumaren sees a bunch of rookies with names that doesn’t even ring a bell. Leading the group of rookies is 16-year-old JV Casio, a guard who joined the team after playing for the San Beda Red Cubs in the NCAA.
"If you’d compare this team with the previous teams at La Salle, this is the youngest. We have a 16-year-old who’s probably the youngest in collegiate basketball. And our oldest is probably Manny Ramos at 22," said Pumaren after his team whipped the Letran Knights in the Champions’ League last Saturday at the Makati Coliseum, 87-77.
"Looking at our lineup, we’re in a rebuilding process. More than half of my players are rookies," he added.
Casio, however, showed a lot of promise and had 20 points against the Knights while Tang, seldom used with Cortez playing the point, showed a lot of improvement as the team’s starting point guard.
"But again, this team is hungry and aggressive in playing defense. I think we’re in great shape in our trapping. The two point guards of Letran for a couple of times asked to be replaced. Napagod talaga. So, that’s what we’re trying to do — play 40 minutes of aggressive defense," added Pumaren, himself a former Green Archer.
The 2002 season was such a heartbreaker for La Salle, which won its first 13 games in the eliminations only to be denied a historic sweep by the Blue Eagles. In the finals, their fortunes didn’t change, losing the series, two games to one.
Pumaren, however, is hoping that the painful experiences of last year could serve them in good stead this year.
"We’ll use that as a rallying point, an incentive or an inspiration," he said. "Right now, my initial goal is just to be competitive in every game and later on, with a little luck, maybe we could make it to the semis. We just want to stay competitive this year," he said.