Eagles see tough drive for five

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo looks to soar to a “five-peat” but expects a tough grind against challengers hell-bent on spoiling their bid for yet another UAAP Season 75 men’s basketball trophy.

“We’re looking forward to a good year,” Ateneo coach Norman Black said during the launch of the UAAP’s diamond season at the spanking new Mall of Asia Arena yesterday.

“Of course, we’re trying to accomplish something that’s never been done recently, win five straight championships, but we know it’s gonna be difficult.”

He said the Eagles lost three key players in the four-peat-winning squad – Emman Monfort, Kirk Long and Bacon Austria and without them, “our perimeter will be tested.”

But Ateneo will still have at its disposal behemoth Greg Slaughter, spitfire Kiefer Ravena, and reliable Nico Salva again as well as the returning Ryan Buenafe, whom Black said is back to his playing weight.

“I believe any team can beat any team on any night this season,” said Black, on his last year as AdMU head coach.

Expectations are also high on host team National U, which ruled the Filoil Pre-Season tourney; Far Eastern, which beefed in the frontline; Santo Tomas, which will parade an intact lineup along with the two returning veterans; and La Salle, which tabbed blue chip rookie Jeron Teng under a new coaching staff led by Gee Abanilla.

“We had a good summer. I just hope we can carry that over to the UAAP, which is a different league, said NU mentor Eric Altamirano, who will bank on Bobby Ray Parks and Emmanuel Mbe. “I think each team has the same amount of chance of winning.”

“Our goals for the season is really modest - reach the Final Four again. If we can do that, we’d be very happy,” said Abanilla, who took over from Dindo Pumaren. “I think it’s an open race, anybody can beat anybody but Ateneo is strong and also NU.”

UST’s Pido Jarencio was at his usual joker self in assessing the Tigers, who will welcome back Clark Bautista and Aljon Mariano to team up with old hands Jeric Fortuna, Jeric Teng, Kevin Ferrer and Karim Abdul.

“Maganda ang gym namin so dapat maganda rin ang performance namin (Our newly built school gym is good so our performance this season should also be good),” said Jarencio.

“We have three rookies, four comebacking players and the rest are veterans. Bahala na kayo mag-isip. Basta kami, basta nasa lupa ang tigre, matapang, deadly (Make your own assessments but all I can say is if the tiger’s on the prowl, we’re deadly),” he added.

FEU, runner-up in the past two seasons, lost five players to graduation but will still have RR Garcia, Terrence Romeo and Michael Tolomia at the backcourt and hulking Anthony Hargrove and Arvie Bringas to man the slot along with Russel Escoto and Christian Sentcheu.

UP, according to coach Ricky Dandan, carry modest goals this season. The same assessment of UE’s Jerry Codiñera.