Cards, Lions headline NCAA opening bill

MANILA, Philippines — Mapua, one of the favorites to challenge defending champion Letran for the title, clashes with a San Beda team brandishing a newbie coach in today’s opener of the 98th NCAA basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Cardinals have been installed as one of the teams to beat this season after retaining practically the same core that made history last year when it made the finals for the first time in more than three decades.

While it lost to Letran in the finale and failed to end a three-decade drought, Mapua’s hunger to end the dry spell has remained.

“We hope to use the experience from last season this season. We’re hungrier now,” said Mapua coach Randy Alcantara, whose core includes grizzled team captain Warren Bonifacio.

San Beda has also kept its core but tapped a new mentor in 37-year-old Yuri Escueta, who succeeded Boyet Fernandez, now team consultant.

And Escueta, who played high school ball for the Cubs before suiting up for the Ateneo Eagles in college, is out to prove his worth.

“I will do my best to make the San Beda community proud,” said Escueta.

Host Emilio Aguinaldo College, for its part, tackles Arellano University at 3:30 p.m. to usher in the season with a theme “Achieve Greatness Everyday.”

The main game is set at 6 p.m.

The Chiefs took over the Knights as a last-minute replacement after four of the latter’s players tested positive for COVID-19 that forced the whole squad in isolation.

Letran will get to debut this season against Jose Rizal U on Sept. 14 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

It was an unfortunate thing for a Letran team out for a three-peat feat.

Unlike last season, the Knights were no longer the heavy favorites to win it all after losing two key pieces—former skipper Jeo Ambohot (turned pro in the PBA) and last season’s Rookie MVP Renz Abando (turned pro abroad).

The league has reverted to its old double-round robin format from last season’s pandemic-shortened single-round.

It also did away with the novel “play-in” format implemented a season back.