By Rick Olivares
THE Ateneo Blue Eagles face one stern test after another this weekend when they battle the reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion Letran Knights in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup on Thursday and undefeated De La Salle on Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
First off for the Blue Eagles (1-1) is Letran (2-2) which will face a familiar foe in CJ Perez, who will be making his tournament debut for Ateneo. Perez played for the San Sebastian Stags for two seasons before taking his talent to Loyola Heights.
The high-leaping Perez was part of former San Sebastian’s coach Topex Robinson’s first recruited batch of Stags following the graduation of their sainted trio of Calvin Abueva, Ronald Pascual and Ian Sangalang.
Perez, along with Jamil Ortuoste, Bradwyn Guinto and Leo De Vera, led San Sebastian to consecutive Final Four finishes in NCAA Seasons 88 and 89. Now the 22-year-old 6-foot-one swingman from Pangasinan is expected to give the Blue Eagles a massive lift with his all-around game and its go-to player following the graduation of Kiefer Ravena.
As a glimpse of Perez’s impact, he led Ateneo’s Team B to a Fr. Martin’s Cup and Milcu Got Skills championships.
Also making his return to the Ateneo line-up is second year point guard Hubert Cani. Like Perez, Cani had to take care of his academics before being cleared to play.
Tip off between Ateneo and Letran is at 5 p.m.
Next on deck for Ateneo are the red-hot Green Archers, who boast on an unblemished 4-0 record behind their solid one-two punch of Ben Mbala and Jeron Teng.
Sunday’s schedule has been adjusted with the explosive Letran-San Beda game at 2 p.m. and Ateneo-De La Salle tussle at 4 p.m. The Mapua-University of the East match is at 6 p.m. while the College of St. Benilde-Far Eastern University duel is still at 11:15 a.m.
In the other seniors matches on Thursday, Emilio Aguinaldo College looks to build on its huge win over University of the Philippines when it takes on winless St. Benilde at 1:30 p.m.
A pair of teams coming off losses, Mapua and San Beda square off at 3:15 p.m. Mapua. which lost to Adamson University, 85-81, will finally have a full crew as do-it-all center Allwell Oraeme returns to action after serving a one-game suspension for an altercation with De La Salle’s Kib Montalbo.
The Red Lions succumbed to their first loss in three outings against a red-hot De La Salle, 94-85.
Tickets to the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup matches could be purchased at the gate of the Filoil Flying V Centre or through Ticketnet.