THE San Beda Red Lions have been training in the United States and the feedback they have been getting is that the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates are not only deep and talented, but that they are also for real.
Furthermore, they are hearing comparisons to the 2015 Letran Knights team. That probably doesn’t please them, too, because they would like to blot that from their memory as Letran stopped them dead in their tracks for a “six-peat”.
The Red Lions take the measure of the Pirates when they battle today at 1:30 p.m. in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Pirates finished second to the last in the previous National Collegiate Athletic Association season with a 6-12 win-loss record. While the ninth-place finish didn’t begin to tell the whole story, Lyceum was more competitive last year in Topex Robinson’s second term at the helm.
With key additions CJ Perez, Ralph Tansingco and brothers Jayvee and Jaycee Marcelino, the Pirates have been more competitive and explosive.
San Beda is now led by Jayvee Mocon, the explosive Davon Potts, Robert Bolick, Donald Tankoua and Joe Presbitero.
In another key matchup, University of the Philippines (UP) looks to continue its winning ways to three games against an Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) at 3:15 p.m.
The Generals took down a previously undefeated Adamson University side in a pulsating 76-73 overtime win on Monday, behind the endgame heroics of Sidney Onwubere and Francis Munsayac.
UP, on the other hand, has benefited from the huge additions of point guard Jun Manzo, swingman Juani Gomez de Liano and center Ibrahim Quattara, giving them quality in those key positions.
EAC has a veteran crew led by Munsayac, Onwubere and Laminou Hamadou but an otherwise thin bench.
Former Adamson University shooter Jerome Garcia and tough forward Juju Bautista have been additions to Head Coach Ariel Sison’s squad.
In other matches, struggling University of Perpetual Help battles the University of the East at 11:15 a.m. and San Beda takes on Lyceum in a juniors match at 9:30 a.m.