STREAKING University of the Philippines (UP), flush with confidence after taking down top-seeded Far Eastern University (FEU), look to score another victory in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup.
But not if the 5-1 (won-lost) San Sebastian Golden Stags can help it.
The two sides collide at 1:30 p.m. today at the Filoil Flying V Centre with the Fighting Maroons, under second-year Head Coach Bo Perasol, looking better than ever with the key additions and a deeper veteran squad.
The Fighting Maroons look to have the advantage against the Stags because of Mali center Ibrahim Quattara as San Sebastian has always fielded an all-Filipino crew.
The Stags seemed to have grasped the intricacies of the system installed by second-year coach and former star player Edgar Macaraya.
Leading the way for San Sebastian are do-it-all forwards Michael Calisaan and Jerick Fabian with huge contributions by point guard Ryan Costelo and shooting guard Regille Ilagan.
“We are a smaller team,” Macaraya noted. “So we have to try and do our best to win the battle of the rebounds to give ourselves a fighting chance.”
In the day’s other big match up, FEU, which bounced back from their loss to UP by taking down highly fancied Adamson University via a rout, battles a tough Emilio Aguinaldo College at 3:15 p.m.
FEU has looked sharper than last year with a combination of their dribble-drive offense that was previously installed by former Head Coach Nash Racela and the systemic triangle offense that older brother, Olsen, now the head tactician, has injected into the team.
The Tamaraws have also been bolstered by its two Filipinos of North American lineage in point guard Jasper Parker and RJ Ramirez as well as two key transferees in Hubert Cani and Arvin Tolentino.
EAC is without center Laminou Hamadou but will have the talented Sidney Onwubere and tough-as-nails point guard Francis Munsayac to lead the statement-conscious Generals.
In other matches, the 3-0 Ateneo Blue Eaglets battle La Salle Greenhills in the lone juniors match at 9 a.m. while the Arellano University Chiefs try to stay alive for a quarterfinals berth against the downtrodden Mapua Cardinals who have vastly underperformed without reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Player Allwell Oraeme and shifty point guard Darrell Menina.
Both teams square off at 11:15 a.m. Letran and UE close out the day with a dust up at 5pm.