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NCAA: New coaches look to make mark in Season 95

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/07/02/ncaa.jpg"/><figcaption>There will be 5 new coaches in the NCAA this season. Richard Esguerra, <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/ncaa/basketball/photos">ABS-CBN Sports</a></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – The sidelines of the NCAA men&#x27;s basketball tournament will look quite different in Season 95, as five teams made coaching changes during the offseason.Hosts Arellano University will now be handled by Cholo Martin. Meanwhile, former De La Salle University head coach Louie Gonzales took over Jose Rizal University (JRU) from Vergel Meneses. Also making a change is Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), which tapped Oliver Bunyi to replace Ariel Sison. Bonnie Tan is now the head coach of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, after the abrupt departure of Jeff Napa. Meanwhile, Mapua University called on Randy Alcantara to take over the post vacated by Atoy Co.The changes made by the NCAA teams certainly caught the attention of the defending champions.&quot;Lahat naman ng teams, nag-beef up, including the coaches,&quot; said San Beda University coach Boyet Fernandez, whose Red Lions are eyeing a fourth straight title.The new coaches, for their part, are simply hoping for good starts in their campaigns.&quot;It&#x27;s quite difficult to work from the ground up,&quot; admitted Bunyi, who takes over an EAC team that won only four games last year. &quot;But I&#x27;m very fortunate that my players are embracing what we are trying to tell them.&quot;&quot;We have to play according to what we have right now,&quot; he added. &quot;The system is built around trust and responsibility, and we are quite confident that we&#x27;ll be giving all the teams a good fight.&quot;Gonzales, who called the shots for La Salle in the UAAP Season 81 tournament, is in charge of a rebuilding JRU squad that features plenty of rookies.&quot;When we started, kung sino ang inabot ko na mga players, sila na rin. Sila rin &#x27;yung mga eligible eh,&quot; he said, adding that he had only five holdovers from last season&#x27;s squad, and 10 rookies.&quot;To me naman, it&#x27;s an opportunity,&quot; said Gonzales. &quot;Since we&#x27;re building it from the ground, gusto ko rin ituloy &#x27;yung programa na iniwan ni Coach Vergel.&quot;Tan, for his part, is no stranger to the NCAA as he previously coached Lyceum. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/ncaa/news/2019/01/22/ncaa-letran-staying-house-bonnie-tan-new-coach-52453">READ: Letran staying in-house with Bonnie Tan as new head coach</a></li></ul>&quot;Coach Jeff (Napa) left talented players sa team,&quot; said Tan. &quot;Balanse (ang team). I have a great team stepping up, so expect a good game from Letran.&quot;Martin, meanwhile, said his adjustment has been smooth so far.&quot;Pasalamat ako sa management ng Arellano,&quot; he said. &quot;Dumating ako, maraming players. So nag-start ako ng maaga, nakapag-tayo ng team… I have enough players to form a competitive team this year.&quot;Also experiencing a smooth transition is Alcantara, who has been long part of Co&#x27;s coaching staff in the Mapua seniors team aside from building a powerhouse program in the juniors division.&quot;Yung transition sa team sa akin, medyo madali,&quot; he said. &quot;Plus, &#x27;yung mga players ko ngayon, nine of them ay from juniors, so alam na nila ang gusto kong mangyari, ang style ko.&quot;&quot;Medyo hindi naman ako masyadong nahihirapan,&quot; he added.Tan and the Knights, and Martin and the Chiefs will be tested immediately on opening day as they take on separate opponents.Letran will face off against last season&#x27;s losing finalists, Lyceum – Tan&#x27;s former team – while the host school will battle defending champion San Beda.The 95th season of the NCAA opens on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

The sidelines of the NCAA men's basketball tournament will look quite different in Season 95, as five teams made coaching changes during the offseason.

The sidelines of the NCAA men's basketball tournament will look quite different in Season 95, as five teams made coaching changes during the offseason.

NCAA: New coaches look to make mark in Season 95

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NCAA: New coaches look to make mark in Season 95

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 02, 2019 01:25 PM PHT

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NCAA Season 95

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