The UAAP season is a week away, and the excitement surrounding the season rises each day that we come closer to June 29, the opening of Season 76.
I will start my coverage for the season by generating what I think are the most important question/s that surround each team as of this writing. For the next few days, I will be writing a preview for each team, and I will base the previews from the questions that I will generate. Before the previews though, I will post my preview and prediction for the upcoming MVP race. Let's get it started!
UP Fighting Maroons: How will their newcomers impact the team?
Truth is, among all the teams, UP has been the most under the radar, in a sense. Probably the most intriguing thing that we heard from the team is them getting to recruit Andre Paras, the son of Benjie Paras. Other than that, nothing has been too noteworthy for the Iskolars. UP is parading 8 new comers into it's team (at least based on the preseason line ups). Those 8 are Andre Paras as stated earlier, Xavier standout and former Youth Team Members Kyles Lao, Atenean turned Iskolar Kyle Suarez, Jason Ligad from St. Jude, Andres Desiderio, 6'5 center Andrew Harris, West Negros University transferee Agu Amar and Kim Sinco from UPIS.
For sure, not much will be expected from this squad, as the team is in it's rebuilding mode after losing 8 players from last year's roster, most notably scorer Mike Silungan. It will be interesting to see how the newcomers will provide for the team, as most of them will have heavy responsibilities for their first year in the UAAP.
UE Red Warriors: Are they for real?
Coming into the Filoil tournament, the hype surrounding the UE Red Warriors wasn't as significant to that compared to Ateneo two years ago and to NU last year. After the Filoil tournament however, that has all changed, albeit not as drastic as compared to the Bulldogs last year. For the Finals of the preseason tournament, they beat a loaded NU Bulldogs squad 81 - 68. Roi Sumang put on a show, cementing his place as not only one of the top point guards in the league, but as one of the top players in the league. Charles Mammie also proved to be a monster in the inside, grabbing TWENTY ONE REBOUNDS, yes TWENTY ONE, against an athletic NU front line featuring Emmanuel Mbe, Alfred Aroga and Jeth Troy Rosario. Crazy. Doubt still surrounds this group of up and coming players. Despite all this though, we should remember that this is just the preseason.
Now, is UE the real deal? Or, will they end up just like the NU Bulldogs last year; over hyped and overrated?
Adamson Soaring Falcons: Can Jericho Cruz lead this team and cement his status as a top guard?
Entering into the preseason, the hype surrounding the Falcons wasn't as evident compared to the UE Red Warriors, although they were previewed as dark horses for the upcoming UAAP season. Truth be told, they are until now. If you think about it, the structure of the roster of Adamson and UE are actually quite similar, so expect the two to engage in some epic battles this year (Especially that INTRIGUING Sewa - Mammie match up). Leading the charge of the Falcons is 3rd year super scorer Jericho Cruz. Last year, he had the opportunity to lead the back court of Adamson after Alex Nuyles injured his ACL, and we saw flashes of brilliance from this up and coming star. He has proven himself to be a reliable scorer, and he has cemented that status even more after the preseason tournaments.
Question now is, with him being arguably their top player, can he lead Adamson to the Final Four, and if possible, the Finals? You may argue that Roider Cabrera is the leader of this team as he is the veteran, but Cruz will still have tons of pressure of him coming into the season. Plus, can he cement his status in the league as a top guard and not just a hotshot streaky shooter?
FEU Tamaraws: Can they avoid off court altercations and controversies by co - existing for the sake of a championship?
The FEU Tamaraws have long been a controversial team, and last year's version was arguably their most controversial yet. From players going the extra mile with their physicality, to players who love spitting on national television, and to coaches who wants to brawl with a player's dad. It was crazy. This year is turning out to be quite controversial as well, and that's a pretty bad start for a team who is looking to change it's tag as a team with amazing individual talent, but as a team, they don't function well. It all started when Anthony Hargrove was caught for drugs, and it has even ended up to Terrence Romeo getting suspended for a while. You can add Russell Escoto's ACL to their list of problems.
Can FEU get their heads in the game? Or will they let all of these problems interfere with their dreams of a championship?
DLSU Green Archers: Can they get out of this SMC Coaching Rigodon?
It was smooth sailing for the La Salle Green Archers for the preseason. They were 5 - 0, and they looked unstoppable. They lost a close game against UE, but that wasn't much of a reason to worry, it was just one game after all, and it was just the preseason. They blew out Letran the next game, then... Ateneo came. Things just went upside down for the Archers when they met the Blue Eagles. They were supposed to cook the Blue Eagles in this game. They not only the size advantage, but also the roster advantage. The opposite happened though. It was The Phenom who cooked DLSU in this game. So much flaws were exposed. From Jeron Teng's lack of a jump shot to their knack of taking too much threes, it was just too much. Things got worse after the San Beda game. To explain, well, they blew a 10 point lead during the final minutes of that game. Then, Coach Gee was replaced. It turns out it was because he was headed to arguably the most controversial team in the PBA right now. We all know how things have been for SMC, the sponsors of Petron, San Mig Coffee and Ginebra, and it looks like La Salle is stuck in the middle of it.
Can they get out of this SMC Coaching Rigodon? Or will the interaction and controversy with their sponsors' PBA teams prove too much for the emotions of this deep La Salle squad?
NU Bulldogs: Can they finally get over the hump and win a title?
It's pretty much just like last year, although not exactly the ending to the preseason that they would've wanted. They lost to the UE Red Warriors, yes, but NU is still being viewed as prime contenders for the title this year, and for good reason. They are parading a solid front line in Emmanuel Mbe, versatile forward Alfred Aroga, and high flying Jeth Troy Rosario. They also have Gelo Alolino who is turning out to be a reliable play maker. Oh, and that Parks guy who's probably the LeBron James of the Philippines. NU's line up is even more loaded compared to last year, plus, the hold overs from last year have more experience now of playing with each other. No excuses anymore. A championship is the only option. Anything less will be considered a disappointment.
Can NU finally get over the hump and win a title? Or, will they fold again in the real stage, the UAAP?
UST Growling Tigers: Who will be their primary playmaker and most importantly, their leader?
Just like last year during the preseason, no one is viewing UST as a perennial contender. And in all honesty, for good reason. They lost arguably the man who led UST to the Finals last year. No, it isn't Karim Abdul, Aljon Mariano or even Jeric Teng. In my opinion, it was Jeric Fortuna, their elite point guard. Without his playmaking and leadership, UST wouldn't have had the composure to be able to withstand the pressures of having to beat NU, and to repeat 2006. Sure they lost the Finals, but they lost with grace, all because of one man. And now he's gone.
For the leadership side of things, Jeric Teng is expected to be the man to lead this team to the promised land. But can he replicate the things the other Jeric did for UST?
Their problem in the 1 position is tougher to solve though. Tata Bautista and Edward Dacuioag both showed flashes of brilliance during the preseason, but neither one showed consistency during the tournament. Tata is more of a spot up shooter, while Edward's playmaking skills aren't exactly topnotch.
Who will be their primary playmaker and their leader? Will it be Teng? Dacuiaog or Bautista?
Ateneo Blue Eagles: Can Kiefer Ravena lead Ateneo to the Sixth?
Despite the promising preseason stint that the Eagles had, they still aren't being viewed as contenders for the title and as sad as it is, it's actually true.
They don't have a primary post scorer. In their 5 championship teams, they have always had a post scorer (71 - 72 Rabeh, 73 Chua, 74 - 75 Slaughter), and for this year, the closest thing they have to a post scorer is a certain Phenom. Injuries are hobbling the team. Kris Porter is out for the year (who in my opinion could have been the post scorer for the Eagles), Erram still has knee problems, and Capacio isn't even sure yet. This line up is quite reminiscent of the Season 73 line up. There are three differences though. Coach Bo is the coach now, no longer Norman Black. The path for the title this year is WAY tougher compared to Season 73. And this year, they have Kiefer Ravena. No explanations needed. His Kobe - esque jumpers can explain it all. He is easily the most skilled player in the league (SKILLED, not the BEST there is a difference), and he has a new transition buddy in Chris Newsome.
Can Kiefer's supreme play lead Ateneo to their sixth title? Or will the injuries and their lack of a front court end this epic dynasty started by Coach Norman?
The next part of my preview and predictions for Season 76 will consist of my predictions for the upcoming MVP race this year. The team by team previews and predictions will follow afterwards.
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