Game Friday
(MOA Arena, Pasay)
2 p.m. – La Salle-Greenhills vs Arellano (Jrs)
4 p.m. – Jose Rizal vs Mapua (Srs)
MANILA, Philippines – After dealing with injuries most of the elimination round, San Beda coach Jamike Jarin is happy with the knowledge that his team will go into the Final Four of the 91st NCAA basketball tournament a complete team.
"I'm very happy I have 15 players ready to play," said Jarin moments after he steered San Beda to the No. 1 seed for a record 10th straight season following an 82-78 victory over bitter rival Letran Tuesday at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.
"For the entire elimination, I never had that luxury. Come into playoff and come into the Final Four, we have a 15-man line-up and I'm happy and satisfied," he added.
Lions captain Baser Amer sat out for half of the season after dealing with hamstring and shoulder injuries while Nigerian Ola Adeogun started the season with injury issues as well and had to slice some minutes from his playing time to recover as the season progressed.
Dan Sara, the team's starting point guard, also missed a couple of weeks due to hamstring issues.
Thankfully, Jarin found a way to allot minutes to his other players and still managed to keep San Beda's tradition of making the playoff stage for 10 years in row.
And now the Lions have emerged the most dangerous team in the Final Four.
"It's the reason I have consistently used all my players every game, to keep them fresh come the big matches," said Jarin.
With its place in the Final Four already secured, Jarin would like to think of the present and how they will prepare against their next foe, which would be the loser of the Jose Rizal-Mapua playoff for the No. 3 seed on Friday at the MOA Arena.
"At least we were able to get the twice to beat advantage. I’m happy with the way we played in the elimination but that doesn't matter anymore. Now we're focusing on the games that we need to win," said Jarin.
Jarin said his team is ready to face either the Bombers or the Cardinals.
"I don’t have the luxury to pick who we gonna play but we're gonna be ready. We're going to prepare whoever we face," he said.
There was one player though that worries Jarin – Mapua's Nigerian import Allwell Oraeme.
"He's good, he's a problem and he's just going to be better," said Jarin of the 6-9, 19-year-old Oraeme, who is tipped to emerge the league's third rookie MVP after Phl Christian U's Gabby Espinas in 2004 and San Beda's Sam Ekwe in 2006.