Comebacking Semerad twins boost San Beda in FilOil Cup

MANILA, Philippines -- The seventh season of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup tips off this next Saturday (April 13) at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan with an explosive triple header.

NCAA three-peat champions San Beda take on National University at 2pm while La Salle and UST collide at the 4pm match. Five-team UAAP champions Ateneo going up against guest team Southwestern University in the 6pm nightcap.

The Red Lions will have some familiar faces in Anthony and David Semerad who are back in San Beda following a botched transfer to Ateneo two seasons ago. They will also have a new head coach in Boyet Fernandez who recently steered Philippine Basketball Association D-League side NLex to their fourth consecutive title. Fernandez replaces Ronnie Magsanoc who in his first and only year of coaching his alma mater, steered the Mendiola-based club to the third title in its second wave of three consecutive NCAA titles in the last seven years.

The Semerad twins are expected to provide much needed experience and depth this coming college basketball season for Fernandez more so after the graduation of old reliables Jakes Pascual, Anjo Caram, and Melo Lim.

National University is without Choice Ignacio, Ajeet Singh, and Henri Betayene. The Bulldogs will be parading new Cameroonian forward center, Alfred Arogo who takes the injured Betayene’s slot in the rotation.

Title-hungry La Salle will showcase the heralded Kib Montalbo while UST returns a year older and year hungrier after being denied by Ateneo in the last UAAP season.

The new look Blue Eagles in the meantime will face Cebu-side Southwestern University Cobras and its imposing 6’10” center, Siewe Armel. Siewe replaced Ben Mbala who transferred to La Salle at the conclusion of the last school year.

Ateneo will be coached by former Powerade mentor Bo Perasol and will be led by Kiefer Ravena, Ryan Buenafe, and Juami Tiongson. The Blue Eagles are sorely lacking in the height department with the graduation of centers Greg Slaughter and Justin Chua as well as forwards Nico Salva, Oping Sumalinog, and Tonino Gonzaga.

In addition to the seniors and juniors divisions of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup, a women’s division will he also held for the first time. Participating teams include Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, Centro Escolar University, College of Saint Benilde, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, National University, University of the Philippines, and the University of Santo Tomas.