THE Mapua Cardinals are primed and ready for their title-retention bid in Season 101 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament.
The Cardinals, according to coach Randy Alcantara, have embraced the new tournament format with the same intensity that they had under the old system last year.
“May mga nawala sa team. May mga nag-step-up at magpapakita ng galing nila. Things will be the same under the new format, because we will be facing the same teams we faced last year,” said Alcantara.
After 25 years, competitions will veer away from the traditional double round-robin elimination format, with group games divided into two pools under the playoff-playin system.
The games officially begin on October 1, at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, with the Cardinals facing the Lyceum Philippines University Pirates at 2:30 p.m., and the College of St. Benilde Blazers, last year’s runner-up, taking on the San Beda University Red Lions at 5 p.m.
This season, the Mapúa Cardinals will be without seven senior players, Jeco Bancale, John Jabonete, Chris Hubilla, Lawrence Mangubat, Jahmir Eligado, Joaquin Garcia and Aaron Fermin.
Hubilla, Lawrence Mangubat, and Jahmir Eligado have transferred to Jose Rizal University, while Garcia and Fermin have used up their playing years.
New recruits from Letran in Basti Reyes and Daniel Padilla, along with University of Perpetual Help junior standout Icee Callangan, are with the squad, which will bank on their returning veterans, led by Clint Escamis, who is the reigning NCAA Finals MVP.
Other experienced cagers like JC Recto, Cyrus Cuenco, and Yam Concepcion are also around.
Melchor Divina, chairman of the NCAA management committee for Season 101, said the new format will undergo a three-year trial.
“We’ll continue, as of now, until Season 103, and after that we will decide if we will continue it,” said Divina.
