NCAA kickstarts in centennial season with men’s basketball
Games Saturday
(MOA Arena)
12 p.m. — Opening Ceremonies
2:30 p.m. — San Beda vs LPU
5 p.m. — Mapua vs CSB
THE NATIONAL Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will celebrate its centennial season starting with its centerpiece basketball tournament that features host Lyceum of the Philippines (LPU) clashing with defending champion San Beda and title contenders Mapua against College of St. Benilde (CSB) colliding Saturday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
“As the youngest member of the NCAA, it’s our pride and honor at LPU to be host of Season 100,” said this year’s league president Roberto Laurel during yesterday’s media launch at the MOA Arena.
“Very prestigious para sa amin ito especially since the NCAA is now 100 years old, it only comes once in a century,” he added.
NCAA Management Committee Chair Herc Callanta, for his part, said they will enshrine this year the league’s 100 greatest achievers, not just in basketball, but all sports.
“Our opening ceremony would highlight notable achievers of the NCAA year 2000 upwards. For you to be enshrined to the 100 greatest athletes of the NCAA, you must have participated in the NCAA not later than that year,” he said.
It marked a historic time for the grand old league, which has existed and survived even the test of time, regardless of some wars and even infamous catastrophes like the COVID-19 pandemic.
And the reason for the NCAA’s longevity has been solely sourced from young student athletes dreaming big dreams.
This year, everything will start from basketball with San Beda drawing most of the attention after pulling off a championship to remember.
“Our goal is to try to win it again,” said San Beda coach Yuri Escueta, who steered his young Lions to the title a season ago when nobody expected it.
LPU, being te host, is expected to likewise go all out too for that title the school had dreamed of.
“Although it will not be easy, we’ll do our best to make the school proud,” said LPU mentor Gilbert Malabanan.
Also emerging as title contenders are last year’s runner up Mapua, which will practically bring back most of the core from a season back including reigning Most Valuable Player Clint Escamis, and College of St. Benilde mentored by Charles Tiu.
“We’ll try again this year,” said Mapua coach Randy Alcantara.
Meanwhile, Letran skipper Pao Javellonar was meted by the league a three-game suspension for playing in a league outside the NCAA with a PBA team playing on it.
Letran’s athletic moderator Fr. Vic Calvo, OP, said it is currently on appeal.
Mr. Callanta also announced it will no longer implement allowing its students license to play in the pros starting June 30.
“We are concerned in preserving the amateur status the NCAA would like to promote,” he said. — John Bryan Ulanday