Bombers, Altas lean on strong preseason for NCAA 90

MANILA, Philippines – Jose Rizal and Perpetual Help hope to ride high on their solid preseason performance as they eye bigger things in the 90th NCAA basketball tournament unfurling on June 28 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The Bombers and the Altas are two teams with the next best performance of the summer leading into the NCAA cage wars, with the former barging into the quarterfinals of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup last month and the latter topping the Fr. Martin Summer Cup just last week.

San Beda, of course, was the best-placed NCAA team in Filoil after finishing second to eventual winner La Salle.

Jose Rizal and Perpetual Help also own the distinction of being the only teams who dealt La Salle, the reigning UAAP and PCCL champion, its only losses in Filoil.

Coaches Vergel Meneses of Jose Rizal and Aric del Rosario of Perpetual Help both said it’s too early to celebrate.

"Nothing to celebrate about," said Meneses.

"Iba yung preseason at NCAA. Hindi pa nagsisimula ang laban (The pre-season and the NCAA are two different things. The fight hasn't started)," said Del Rosario.

Ola Adeogun, title favorite San Beda's Nigerian import, disagrees.

"Based on what I saw in the preseason, Jose Rizal and Perpetual are teams to watch out for this NCAA because they really played well," he said.

Jose Rizal will be relying on returnees Michael Mabulac and Philip Paniamogan, Perpetual Help transferee Jaycee John Asuncion and 6-7 Abdul Wahab Abdul Razak of Ghana to fill the vacuum left by starting guard John Pontejos, who was stricken out of the team.

For Perpetual, it will have to make do with returnees Justin Alano, Harold Arboleda, Earl Scotty Thompson, Joel Jolangcob and Juneric Baloria to fill the vacuum created by the departure of Nigerian scorer Nosa Omorogbe.

Del Rosario was particularly impressed by Baloria, who exploded for 41 points in a shock win over La Salle in Filoil.

"He's a better player now after last year's experience," said Del Rosario of Baloria.

Season 90 opens with five-peat-seeking San Beda battling Jose Rizal followed by last year's runner up Letran facing off with San Sebastian.