NCAA coaches: Abando and company make Letran team to beat in coming years

MANILA, Philippines – Does the addition of Rhenz Abando and two other former University of Santo Tomas players turn reigning NCAA champion Letran to a potential dynasty? As far as several rival coaches are concerned, the Knights did.

“Great additions to Letran,” said Perpetual coach Frankie Lim referring to Abando, who have reportedly committed to the Knights along with Brent Paraiso and Ira Bataller.

“Makes them the team to beat in the coming years. It’s like a selection of two great teams. They are already strong and have become stronger because of their very deep bench,” he added.

“I congratulate them, it fortifies their line up,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez, whose squad had already lost starting guard Evan Nelle to La Salle.

Emilio Aguinaldo mentor Oliver Bunyi agrees.

“It’s going to be tougher for us to beat the defending champs,” said Bunyi, whose two games ended in losses after blowing double-digit leads.

Abando, Paraiso and Bataller, who bolted out of UST after the school got embroiled in a messy government protocol violation issue, thus joined an already stacked roster headed by Fran Yu, Larry Muyang, Christian Fajarito and Jeo Ambohot among others.

Lyceum of the Philippines’ Topex Robinson and Jose Rizal’s Louie Gonzales, for their part, the new additions would spice up the league even more.

“That will be great for Letran and NCAA and this is going to be a great challenge for us,” said Robinson.

“They will add flavor to the NCAA and I am looking forward to more players transferring in the first all-Filipino season,” said Gonzales.