MANILA, Philippines – The Mapua Cardinals are teeming with homegrown pride. Like their previous head coach Fortunato “Atoy” Co who has given way for Randy Alcantara, himself a member of the Cardinals’ storied title teams of the 1990s.
Alcantara, a two-time NCAA Juniors champion coach, recently guided the San Juan Knights to a Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Datu Cup trophy at the expense of the Davao Occidental Tigers.
Unlike the Knights, who are composed of former and semi-pro players, with the Cardinals, he will have a wholly homegrown squad that he looks to mold into eventual NCAA seniors champions. The Cardinals’ last NCAA senior crown was during 1992 back when Alcantara was playing for then coach and former star, Joel Banal.
The current crop of Cardinals is stocked with members from its NCAA Juniors title team of 2016 and 2018. There is Warren Bonifacio, Eric Jabel, Paolo Hernandez, Joaquin Garcia, Jasper Salenga and Briedyn Smith. Other former Red Robins in the squad are Noah Lugo, Eric Jabel and Justin Serrano.
Other veterans on the squad are JP Nieles, Laurenz Victoria, rapidly improving center Christian Buñag and Arvin Gamboa.
Mapua is in Group B along with Adamson, College of St. Benilde, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Letran, Lyceum of the Philippines, Far Eastern University and National University.
The team plays its first match of the tournament at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, May 6, against Centro Escolar University at the Filoil flying V Centre in San Juan.
CEU last played in the tournament in 2015 where they made the semifinals under former head coach Edgar Macaraya, who is now calling the shots for San Sebastian.