NCAA finalists duel in Filoil caging

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda and Letran square off today in a duel of last year’s NCAA finalists while reigning UAAP champion La Salle battles defending titlist University of the East in a pair of explosive matches kicking off the ninth Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup at The Arena in San Juan.

The Red Lions, coming off a two-week training in Lithuania, take on the Knights at 2 p.m. while the Warriors, who ruled last year’s staging of the annual event featuring the country’s top collegiate teams, tangle with the Archers at 4 p.m.

Although San Beda will miss Rome De La Rosa who has graduated, head coach Boyet Fernandez remains hopeful that Javee Mocon, a star with their junior champions, will step up to fill the void together with another former Red Cub Ranbill Tongco.

Fernandez is also expected to lean on ace playmaker Baser Amer, Ryusei Koga and Ivan Ludovice as they face the Knights, who have lost key players, including last year’s NCAA MVP Raymond Almazan, power forward Jonathan Belorio, and point guard Franz Dysam.

UE, meanwhile, will be without familiar faces in skipper Adrian Santos, JR Sumido, Ralf Olivares, JM Noble, Jai Flores, and Lord Casajeros, who have all graduated, as well as head coach Boysie Zamar.

But new head coach Derrick Pumaren will have 6-6 Cameroonian center Moustaph Arafat to back up Charles Mammie and a host of locals ready to slug it out with the Archers.

La Salle has lost LA Revilla to the pros but remains a tough team with talented newcomers like Abu Tratter, Julian Sargent, Terrence Mustre and Prince Rivero expected to complement the games of its veterans.

Other matches on tap in the opener are the San Sebastian-University of the Philippines clash at 9:30 a.m. and the Far Eastern U and Mapua duel at 11:15 a.m.

Tickets to the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup are available at all SM TicketNet outlets as well as at the game venue.

The event is sponsored by Filoil, Flying V, Total, Hanes, Timex, Starmobile, San Miguel Corporation, Meralco, BDO, Silverworks, Gatorade, Gerry’s Grill, Reyes Barbecue, LGR, Brothers Burger, BPI, PBCom, Molten, CDO, Bayo, Douwe Egberts, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oxycan, Red Logo, and Bacchus.