Bombers, Altas upbeat on NCAA stints

MANILA, Philippines - Jose Rizal and Perpetual Help hope to ride on their impressive  pre-season performances as they seek to contend for Final Four berths in the 90th NCAA basketball tournament firing off June 28 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The Bombers made it to the quarterfinal round of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup last month while the Altas topped the Fr. Martin Summer Cup just last week. Jose Rizal and Perpetual also dealt reigning UAAP champion and PCCL titlist La Salle its only losses in the Filoil meet.

But coaches Vergel Meneses of Jose Rizal and Aric del Rosario of Perpetual Help have opted to downplay their respective teams’ pre-season stints.

”The pre-season and the NCAA are two different things. The battle has not yet begun,” said del Rosario.

Ola Adeogun, the five-peat seeking San Beda’s Nigerian import, disagrees.

“Based on what I saw in the pre-season, Jose Rizal and Perpetual are teams to watch because they really played well this summer,” said Adeogun.

San Beda was the best-placed NCAA team in the Filoil pre-season, finishing second to La Salle.

The Bombers will be relying on returnees Michael Mabulac and Philip Paniamogan while Perpetual Help will bank on transferee Jaycee John Asuncion and 6-7 Abdul Wahab Abdul Razak of Ghana.

Del Rosario will also pin his hopes on veterans Justin Alano, Harold Arboleda, Earl Scotty Thompson, Joel Jolangcob and Juneric 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.

San Beda will test Jose Rizal’s mettle right in the opening game with last year’s runner-up Letran facing off with San Sebastian in the other seniors contest.