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San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta. Photo from NCAA Philippines/Facebook.

Article (news)

Romwel Anzures

ABS-CBN News

<div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1725360814710IMG_4838.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta. Photo from NCAA Philippines/Facebook."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta. <em>Photo from NCAA Philippines/Facebook.</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — San Beda University is out to defend the NCAA men&#x27;s basketball championship against tougher competition in the league&#x27;s 100th season.</p><p>The Red Lions outlasted Mapua University in the past year to bring home the title back to Mendiola, but head coach Yuri Escueta admits that retaining the crown will not be as easy as it looks for his squad.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/17/23/san-beda-edges-mapua-to-reclaim-ncaa-basketball-crown">READ: San Beda edges Mapua to reclaim NCAA basketball crown</a></div><p>&quot;Unang una, ‘di ko na nga naaalala na kami yung nag champion last year, nakalimutan na namin yun,&quot; he said during the league&#x27;s media conference on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. </p><p>&quot;We have targets at our backs. Ever since naman nung [dumating] ako sa San Beda, or kahit nung wala pa ako dito, San Beda always had their targets at the backs so it&#x27;s not new to us. But again, we did win a championship last year, we know how teams will always go hard against us, and it&#x27;s a privilege for us that teams respect yung team namin,&quot; he added.</p><p>Tagged as the favorites by his rival coaches, other squads like the Cardinals, College of St. Benilde, Emilio Aguinaldo College, and Colegio de San Juan de Letran have retooled their rosters in preparation for the Red Lions in the NCAA&#x27;s centennial year which has the theme &quot;Siglo Uno: Inspiring Legacies.&quot;</p><p>Escueta is banking on the likes of James Payosing, Yuki Andrada, and Jommel Puno to hold the fort as they deal with the exit of Jacob Cortez, Peter Alfaro, and JV Gallego. </p><p>&quot;I wouldn&#x27;t say na ganon kabigat yung responsibility nila, but in terms of leadership, yun yung mas kailangan ko from them,&quot; he explained. &quot;Yung be able to lead and be an example for the new guys, yun yung mas ine-expect ko from them, hindi yung load ng scoring and rebounding.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Malaking bagay din yung [RC and Richi] Calimag, Bryan Sajonia, and Penny Estacio, especially with Jacob leaving, and Peter and Gallego graduating,&quot; he added</p><p>Andrada and Season 99 Finals MVP Payosing are expected to step up as leaders this year for the Red Lions, aside from their roles on the court.</p><p>&quot;We know naman Yuki is a leader. Even last year, he showed signs of leadership already. He learned well from the players who graduated like sina Peter, sina JV so I&#x27;m very confident that he&#x27;s gonna lead our team,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Hopefully, James plays the same role he played last year kasi okay na ako doon sa role na nilaro nya. Yun nga, naging finals MVP pa. Or if he can play a bigger role, hopefully, he does in terms of not just scoring and rebounding,&quot; added the TNT Tropang Giga assistant.</p><p>Also helping their cause, said Escueta, is their nine-month preparation for their title defense.</p><p>&quot;Kahit sino pwede kang talunin so we can&#x27;t take anything for granted. We were able to prepare ng halos isang taon, which we needed kasi bago yung team ko this year, bago yung San Beda. Anim lang ang natira from last year&#x27;s team, so yun yung challenges sa akin, to be able to assimilate the new guys into the old guys,&quot; he pointed out.</p><p>For now, the Red Lions are turning their focus on Lyceum of the Philippines University which they will be facing on Saturday, September 7, 2:30 p.m., at the same Pasay bayside arena after the 12:00 p.m. opening ceremonies. </p><p>&quot;Every time naman na kalaban mo yung Lyceum kailangan ready ka. katulad ng sabi ko, coach Gilbert [Malabanan] always prepares well. He coaches his team also well, he prepares his team well. It&#x27;s going to be a challenge for us. Hopefully, yung challenge na yun, maharap namin ng tama.&quot;</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Fcqud4nLX8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>San Beda University is out to defend the NCAA men’s basketball championship against tougher competition in the league’s 100th season.</p>

San Beda University is out to defend the NCAA men’s basketball championship against tougher competition in the league’s 100th season.

Roaring in Siglo Uno: San Beda primed to defend men’s basketball title in NCAA 100

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Roaring in Siglo Uno: San Beda primed to defend men’s basketball title in NCAA 100

Romwel Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 03, 2024 07:29 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 03, 2024 07:34 PM PHT

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