MANILA, Philippines – A new chapter is being written in the NCAA. And the Letran Knights are the ones transcribing it.
Moments after they were crowned back-to-back champions, the fantastic boys from Muralla have unabashedly declared they would shoot for nothing less than a three-peat feat in Season 98 and extend their reign in the oldest collegiate league in the land.
And at the forefront of the campaign are no less than the men of the hour — reigning MVP Rhenz Abando and the cerebral Fran Yu.
“We’ll be back next year for that three-peat,” said Yu, who opted to say for one final season to chase that coveted third crown.
Both Abando and Yu were instrumental in the Knights’ immaculate season where they went 12 straight games without a single defeat.
The uncanny duo should and would remain in the pedestal next year as they spearhead an ambitious bid to establish a new order.
Or did they establish a dynasty already?
For the first time in the last 15 seasons, a school not named San Beda reigned supreme in the NCAA more than two straight times.
During that long span, San Beda has made the finals 14 seasons in row starting in 2006 and won 11 titles along the way.
A Calvin Abueva-paced San Sebastian and an Aldin Ayo-mentored Letran broke the order when it prevailed in 2009 and 2015, respectively, but the two never won it two in a row.
Until this league of extraordinary gentlemen came to fore in destroying the old order and forming a new one.