NCAA 95 Preview: San Sebastian Golden Stags

Key Losses: Michael Calisaan, Jerick Fabian
Additions: Rommel Calahat

MANILA, Philippines — When I think of these San Sebastian College Recoletos Golden Stags, I cannot help but wonder if this team would have won it all had everyone been in place last season.

The team lost a lot of players due to defection (allegedly due to not getting along with head coach Edgar Macaraya). The Lyceum Pirates look an awful lot like San Sebastian South in the recent years. There is their former head coach in Topex Robinson and assistant and former star Rommel Adducul. There was CJ Perez. And in uniform for this season are Jayson David, Rhanzelle Yong, Spencer Pretta, Jerwin Guinto, Renzo Navarro and Alvin Baetiong. Ryan Castelo left for the MPBL. 

Imagine if they all were in uniform last season alongside Michael Calisaan, Jerick Fabia, and current stars RK Ilagan, Allyn Bulanadi, JM Calma and Alvin Capobres.

All that is speculation at this point. But can we continue that? If this team only eschewed its misplaced pride and brought in an African player, they would have really contended for a title. They have Calma but he isn’t dominant. Jessie Sumoda showed a lot of game at the end of the Filoil tourney but the question is… is he the same after what happened? What happened? Er, if you don’t know then you don’t know.

Let’s take a look at this team.

This NCAA, they will finally play with a complete team. During the summer, for a long stretch, Capobres was out with an injury. Then Bulanadi dislocated his shoulder in the PBA D-League. Is he all healed up by now?

Macaraya hopes so because their fortunes rely on Ilagan, Capobres and Bulanadi to do a lot of things — bring up the ball, score, defend and rebound. Their small ball allows them to do that.

The Stags have to others to call upon. There’s Rommel Calahat and Kenneth Villapando. 

Calahat gave a good account for himself with Assumption Montessori of Davao (where he showed his wares in back-to-back NBTC campaigns) and is now with the Stags will be one of those do-it-all players… eventually. But for that kid, the time is now. They don’t have much of a bench so he will be given playing time. It is up to him to learn on the go.

Villapando reminds me of Letran’s Neil Guarin. Tall, lanky, can shoot, run and defend. He needs to bulk up, which will happen eventually, and be more consistent.

I like that forward Mario Bonleon has bulked up. He can play. He just needs his confidence going. If he can spell Bulanadi or Capobres, that will augur well for the Stags because he has the height to defend the three or four spot players plus he can shoot and attack the basket. It is the same for Ichie Altamirano. This kid is cut in the mold of a Capobres. If he can approximate the game of Alvin and stay out of foul trouble, he will help in the rotation.

Point guards Arjan Dela Cruz, Alex Desoyo and Michael Are — who isn’t playing like how he did during last year’s preseason and NCAA season — are also crucial. They need to pick up the slack from Ilagan and help their team with their leadership and scoring.

Realistically, San Sebastian has a chance to make it to the Final Four. It will be tough. If they had Lyceum’s depth, they should. But they don’t.

San Beda is a lock for a semis slot. Lyceum should be right there along with Letran, College of St. Benilde if they fulfill their potential, Mapua is good when they to play ball and not brawl. Emilio Aguinaldo College is much improved. Who knows how the Perpetual Help Altas are right now? 

If San Sebastian finishes in the top five, they will have overachieved. This is a team that has endured so much. If they make the Final Four, it will be close to winning a title. And that I guess is what this team is… coming close but so many buts and what ifs.

It is up to them to prove everyone including myself wrong.