THE extended wait is finally over for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) with four teams that finished at the bottom half last year taking the floor on opening day on Saturday to kick off Season 78 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Season host University of the Philippines (UP) opens hostilities in the centerpiece men’s basketball against a similarly groping University of the East (UE) at 2 p.m. and University of Santo Tomas (UST) going up against Adamson University at 4 p.m.
All four missed last season’s semifinals, with UE winding up fifth with a 9-5 won-lost record, UST 5-9 and UP and Adamson University languishing at the bottom with 1-13 records.
But before the basketball tip-off, UP has prepared a traditional hourlong opening ceremony that borders on the theme “Tumitindig, Sumusulong.”
UP and Adamson University are parading new coaches—Rensy Bajar for the Fighting Maroons and Mike Fermin for the Soaring Falcons.
Bajar is a former guard at San Beda and played seven seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), while Fermin was one of Kenneth Duremdes’s assistants in Season 77.
“I am excited to face a legendary coach in Derrick Pumaren [UE]. He’s one of my idols in coaching,” said Bajar, who took over Rey Madrid. “This is our first step toward our journey. Our aim is to reach the Final Four but we will take it one game at a time.”
UE has a practically new squad with no foreign reinforcement. Pumaren said five of his players are no older than 17, saying he is handling a ‘high-school team.’
“Last year when we faced UP, we were favored. But I think UP is now the favorite and we’re the underdogs,” Pumaren said.
Growling Tigers Head Coach Bong de la Cruz is hoping that his players have gained valuable experience from last season. Kevin Ferrer is returning for the España-based team after missing some games in the eliminations due to a hand injury. He is playing his final tear along with Karim Abdul.
“Kami ng Adamson, pareho kaming galing sa ibaba last year and we both want to win our first game,” he added.
Fermin is a relative newcomer in the UAAP and he admitted he does not have the most talented roster this season.
“The players are upbeat. We’ll try to be competitive every game,” Fermin said. “
The heavyweights clash on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena with defending champion National University facing De La Salle at 2 p.m. and last season’s runner-up Far Eastern University battling Ateneo de Manila at 4 p.m.
Tickets for both games will be sold separately, according to the UAAP.