MANILA, Philippines — Defending champion and Season 102 host San Beda University enters its campaign under heightened pressure as the Red Lions aim to retain their crown while delivering a memorable hosting stint for the Mendiola community.
Despite the departure of key veterans, Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta remains undaunted by the challenge.
“Every season, our goal is the championship,” Escueta told reporters during Monday's press conference at the Mall of Asia Arena. “We have new players, and every season it’s like we lost key players, but it’s about making all the pieces work together.” San Beda finds itself in Pool A alongside Jose Rizal University (JRU), Lyceum of the Philippines University, Mapúa University, and the College of Saint Benilde. Pool B comprises Arellano University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Emilio Aguinaldo College, San Sebastian College-Recoletos, and the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.
While Pool A has been dubbed the “Pool of Death” due to the historic competitiveness of its teams, Escueta insists the bracket assignment changes nothing for his squad.
“We take it one game at a time. In the NCAA, every team has a chance to beat anyone,” Escueta noted. “We first focus on ourselves, then prepare for our opponents when the time comes.” Among their pool mates, Escueta highlighted the JRU Heavy Bombers as a particularly dangerous threat following strong pre-season showings.
“We saw how JRU played; we faced them in the finals of the FilOil EcoOil Pre-Season Cup and in Asia Basket,” Escueta said. “This season, JRU is really a strong team.” The Red Lions will navigate Season 102 with a revamped lineup following the departure of former team captain Yukien Andrada, Bryan Sajonia, and Joe Celzo to the professional ranks, as well as Filipino-American guard Janti Miller, who transferred to De La Salle University.
NCAA Season 102 retains the pool play format from Season 101, ushering in a new broadcast partnership with Cignal. Under a slight adjustment to the format, the fourth-placed teams from each pool will hold a twice-to-beat advantage in the play-in round.
