Warriors installed solid pick

The 69th season of the UAAP basketball wars unfolds on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum with University of the East, not defending champion Far Eastern U, looming as the team to beat in a field without one of the league’s most glamorous squads and some of last year’s top players.

Three victories in pre-season tournaments have installed the Warriors the early pick among the competing teams and the Recto-based cagers hope to come out strong right in the opener when they play the Adamson Falcons at 2 p.m.

Ateneo, sans playmaker LA Tenorio and shot block artist Japeth Aguilar, takes on National U at 4 p.m.

Tenorio has played out his five years and is set to join the PBA rookie draft this August while the 6-foot-8 Aguilar has decided to leave the Eagles camp and try his luck in the United States.

The Tams, for their part, open defense of the crown they won over the La Salle Green Archers — suspended for the season — as they clash with the Warriors on Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. It will be followed by another seniors game pitting the Santo Tomas Tigers against the State U Maroons.

The Morayta-based cagers, also winners of the 2004 title, will be without Arwind Santos, Mark Isip, RJ Rizada, Emer Saldua and Alelu Flores, who have all graduated.

De La Salle will not be seeing action this year after it was suspended last April for fielding in two ineligible players during the 2004-2005 seasons.

The league, however, wants to put the issue to rest and concentrate on the task at hand.

"We don’t want to discuss issues concerning La Salle, we’ll just focus on this season," said UAAP president Luz Sta. Ana of this year’s host UE.

Given just a month to prepare, Sta. Ana said the opening ceremony, which will be highlighted by the attendance of some of its popular sports alumni, would still be something to watch out for.

Among the UE luminaries expected to grace Season 69’s inaugurals were basketball legend Robert Jaworski, Sr., Baby Dalupan, Jimmy Mariano and Filo Pumaren, father of coaches Derek, Franz and Dindo.

Elmer Yanga, who managed a team in the PBA for more than a decade, was named this year’s commissioner with Ato Badolato as his assistant.

"We’ll be just, fair and favor no one," said Yanga, referring to the officiating in the league.

Yanga said the league has tapped a pool of 36 referees from NABRO headed by Romy Omampo, the same group that officiated two years ago.

This season will also see the return of Joe Lipa, last year’s commissioner, to the Maroons’ fold and debuting coaches Pido Jarencio and Leo Austria.

Lipa was the same coach who steered UP to its one and only title exactly two decades ago while Jarencio, who played for the then Glowing Goldies in the 80s, and Austria will be the men at the helm for UST and Adamson, respectively.

The other coaches are Norman Black (Ateneo), Bert Flores (FEU), Dindo Pumaren (UE) and Manny Dandan (NU).

Except for Pumaren, all coaches agreed that UE, which topped three tournaments before this season, including the Fr. Martin’s Cup, is the team to beat this year.

"We don’t want to use it as gauge in how we would perform this year because actual UAAP games are far different from pre-season tournaments we won," said Pumaren.