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Coaches pick Ateneo, UP as favorites in UAAP Season 84

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Center Ange Kouame (34) is expected to lead Ateneo" s="" charge="" for="" a="" fourth="" consecutive="" UAAP="" crown.="" File="" photo.="" Mark="" ABS-CBN="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/11/20/admu-ust-uaap-game-2-md-8.jpg"/><figcaption>Center Ange Kouame (34) is expected to lead Ateneo&#x27;s charge for a fourth consecutive UAAP crown. File photo. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines -- With the UAAP set to hold a men&#x27;s basketball tournament for the first time since 2019, a familiar team has emerged as favorites to win the crown.Coaches were unanimous in declaring the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles as the team to beat in the Season 84 men&#x27;s basketball tournament, which starts on Saturday in a bubble set-up at the Mall of Asia Arena.The Blue Eagles have won three consecutive men&#x27;s basketball crowns and will be bringing back a powerhouse lineup anchored by naturalized Filipino center Ange Kouame, new recruits Chris Koon and Gab Gomez, transferee Dave Ildefonso, and the comebacking Raffy Verano and Jolo Mendoza.Also getting votes from the coaches are the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, who will be parading a star-studded lineup as well as a new coach in Goldwyn Monteverde.Seeking a third straight trip to the Final 4, UP will be led by transferee CJ Cansino and high school standouts Carl Tamayo, Terrence Fortea, and Gerry Abadiano. Zavier Lucero, a Filipino-American forward from the California State University Maritime Academy, is expected to make an immediate impact for Monteverde&#x27;s squad.De La Salle University and Far Eastern University were also tabbed as contenders by the UAAP coaches.The Green Archers will now be led by coach Derrick Pumaren, with veteran Justine Baltazar serving as their ace player. La Salle bolstered their backcourt in the past couple of years, adding Evan Nelle from San Beda University and Mark Nonoy from the University of Santo Tomas.The Tamaraws, meanwhile, look to reap the benefits of their highly-touted juniors program as they add speedy guard RJ Abarrientos to the fold. They will also have the services of foreign student-athlete Emmanuel Ojuola for the upcoming season.Though his team once again enters as favorites, Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin sought to temper expectations, pointing to their less than ideal build-up to the season. Because of restrictions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, UAAP teams have had to train in bubble set-ups, and teams have been in camp only since January.&quot;Even though we&#x27;ve been in a bubble, it&#x27;s been an abbreviated build-up. I think only since January, and that&#x27;s a very short period of time to get these teams and players ready. I think that probably will be reflected in the performance of the teams,&quot; Baldwin said.&quot;Nonetheless, I think the excitement of everybody will counterbalance the fact that we might not be playing our best basketball,&quot; he added.The teams were also unable to play preseason contests, where coaches usually try to figure out their best combinations and substitution patterns. It remains to be seen how the players will respond to actual in-game competition after over two years of limited basketball activity.&quot;It&#x27;s a lot of unknowns as we start the season, and I think it&#x27;s a whole new experience for the teams and for the fans,&quot; said Baldwin. &quot;So, it will be exciting. &quot;I wish I could feel more comfortable going into the season about how the team will play, but I think we&#x27;ve got to get out there and experience our opponents, and everybody will have their own level of readiness at the beginning of the season,&quot; he added.&quot;I think as we go through the first couple of weeks in the first round, everybody will begin to settle into probably their own rhythm, and we&#x27;ll see probably better basketball, and hopefully it&#x27;ll stay competitive throughout the competition.&quot;The season opens on Saturday, March 26, with a four-game slate including the Battle of Katipunan between Ateneo and UP at 4 p.m.

With the UAAP set to hold a men's basketball tournament for the first time since 2019, a familiar team has emerged as favorites to win the crown.

Coaches pick Ateneo, UP as favorites in UAAP Season 84

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Coaches pick Ateneo, UP as favorites in UAAP Season 84

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 23, 2022 06:32 PM PHT

Read More:

UAAP

UAAP Season 84

UAAP basketball

Ateneo Blue Eagles

UP Fighting Maroons

FEU Tamaraws

De La Salle Green Archers

Tab Baldwin

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