Quezon city: De La Salle University kicks off its title defense against National University in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Sunday. The Green Archers battle the Bulldogs at 2:30 p.m.
According to Philippines News Agency, La Salle, as the No. 4 seed, beat NU twice in the Final Four en route to its 11th title overall last year at the expense of University of the Philippines. Jacob Cortez, Mason Amos, Earl Abadam, and JC Macalalag, all in their final playing year, will spearhead La Salle.
"Being the defending champions, we understand that expectations will always be there. We embrace that. We also know teams are going to bring their best against us, and that's something we should be excited about," coach Topex Robinson, on his fourth season with the Green Archers, said in a news release. "For us, it's really about staying in the moment. Not getting too high, not getting too low. Trusting each other, doing our jobs, and playing the way we know we're capable of playing. We don't need to be perfect. We just need to be present, connected, and committed to what we do."
Despite the graduation of Jake Figueroa, the Bulldogs remain formidable with PJ Palacielo, Reinhard Jumamoy, Paul Francisco, and Malian Mo Diassana, who is back after sustaining an ACL injury to his left knee two years ago. "NU has always been a tough matchup for us. They're big, they're physical and we know they're going to challenge us in a lot of ways. But at the end of the day, we can't be too concerned about the things we cannot control. Our focus is on us, how we execute, how we compete, and how we stay together, especially when things get tough," Robinson said.
Meanwhile, UP tackles University of Santo Tomas at 6 p.m. "Opening games always come with excitement and nerves. Can we stay composed? Can we execute? Can we defend consistently? And when things don't go our way, how do we respond? Looking forward to how we start things off this Sunday," UP coach Goldwin Monteverde said. In his sixth season, Monteverde shares the distinction as the league's longest-tenured coach with Adamson University's Nash Racela.
The Fighting Maroons will be bannered by Noy Remogat, Gani Stevens, Jacob Bayla, and Nigerian Francis Nnoruka, along with transferees Veejay Pre and James Payosing. "We want to be tough, disciplined, and smart. That's something we've been emphasizing throughout the preseason. We want teams to feel us when they play against us. We're not there yet, but that's the standard we're trying to build every day," Monteverde said.
Kristian Porter debuts with the Growling Tigers, bannered by sophomore Collins Akowe, Amiel Acido, Gelo Crisostomo, and Mark Llemit. Host Far Eastern University, which has failed to reach the semis in the last four seasons, takes on Adamson University at noon. Meanwhile, reigning champion National University Nazareth University and De La Salle-Zobel meet at 9 a.m. in the U16 division. NU and DLSZ are tied for the lead with FEU-Diliman at 2-0.
