Romwel Anzures

Basketball, NCAA, ABSSports, NCAA Season 102, NCAA Basketball,

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788176305821IMG_4071.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">San Beda University head coach Yuri Escueta against Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball Finals. <em>Angela Davocol/NCAA Philippines.</em></span></span></span>MANILA — In recent years, San Beda University has seen its biggest and brightest stars come and go in pursuit of other opportunities, but the Red Lions have still managed to maintain their place at the top of NCAA men’s basketball.</div><p>Now without main gunner Janti Miller, San Beda faces another test of that resilience as it tries to keep the crown in Mendiola in the upcoming NCAA Season 102, with head coach Yuri Escueta admitting that the title defense could be the toughest one yet.</p><p>“Kailangan naming paghandaan, double hard,” Escueta told ABS-CBN News during the NCAA press conference on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. “We have to expect other teams will play their best against us.”</p><p>Miller is just the latest star to depart the Red Lions’ den for a change of scenery over the past two seasons.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/1/17/-i-refuse-to-play-in-the-ncaa-janti-miller-leaves-san-beda-1104"><strong>READ: ‘I refuse to play in the NCAA’ — Janti Miller leaves San Beda</strong></a></div><p>Aside from the likes of Yuki Andrada, Bryan Sajonia, Peter Alfaro, Joe Celzo and other players who have already pursued professional careers, San Beda has also bid goodbye to stars such as Jacob Cortez and James Payosing.</p><p>Miller and Cortez are now in Taft Avenue with De La Salle University, while Payosing is set to make his UAAP debut in Season 89 with the University of the Philippines.</p><p>Yet San Beda has consistently found ways to fill the void left by its departing stars.</p><p>Time and again, the Red Lions have replenished their roster with talent, whether one-and-dones, transferees or true rookies, and Escueta is confident the program can do it again this year.</p><p>For the two-time NCAA champion coach, much of that success comes from the team’s upper management, led by main backer Manny V. Pangilinan and team manager Jude Roque.</p><p>“Swerte lang ako. I always say this, because of how Boss Jude recruits players for us,” said Escueta of a program that has brought in countless key players from both the local scene and the United States.</p><p>The most recent examples are Miller and Jomel Puno, while set to make their NCAA debuts this year are US recruits Dom Sarigumba and Kai Efron, rookies Maco Dabao and Andrei Ugaddan, and former UP forward Aldous Torculas.</p><p>While Miller and Puno’s entry into the Red Lions may have looked seamless, with both already helping San Beda win championships, Escueta said it takes a village to make the pieces fit.</p><p>“Hindi siya plug and play,” he stressed. “I have to give credit sa program namin, sa Team B. While they are doing their residency, Coach Andre Santos makes sure na whatever we’re running is the same, both on offense and defense.”</p><p>San Beda also held another camp in Spain for the second straight offseason, and Escueta hopes the experience will help the Red Lions as they navigate the loss of Miller and lead guard Nygel Gonzales, who is sidelined by injury.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2026/6/11/san-beda-s-nygel-gonzales-out-for-ncaa-season-102-due-to-acl-tear-1428"><strong>READ: Nygel Gonzales out for NCAA Season 102 due to ACL tear</strong></a></div><p>“Hopefully, Dom, Kai, our rookies, Aldous, and Dan Marcelo, will be able to step up also, like how these guys stepped up before,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Bigger targets than ever</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788176425361IMG_0917.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball press conference. <em>Angela Davocol/NCAA Philippines.</em></span></span></span>While San Beda has already geared up for its title retention bid, Escueta knows its counterparts are just as hungry to dethrone the Red Lions.</div><p>Jose Rizal University has been the biggest story of the offseason, with the Heavy Bombers turning themselves into a powerhouse led by Chris Hubilla and Lawrence Mangubat.</p><p>San Beda’s rival, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, is also a team to watch, with the Knights eager to recover from their Season 101 Finals heartbreak against the Red Lions.</p><p>Escueta is also wary of what happened when San Beda entered NCAA Season 100 in 2024 as the reigning champions. After ruling the previous season, the Red Lions settled for a Final Four finish.</p><p>With all these factors in play, Escueta has made his challenge to his wards straightforward, but one that cannot be taken lightly.</p><p>“That’s what happened noon. There were games that we lost against lower-ranked teams because we weren’t up to our standards,” he said. “So we’ll just take things patiently. We’ve been in this situation before, so we need to persevere through the pressure.”</p><p>“Ang beauty ng NCAA, kahit sino kalabanin mo, ‘di ka talaga pwede mag-relax. So challenging talaga ito for everyone, not only for us,” he added.</p><p>The Red Lions are up for a tough task in NCAA Season 102, as they belong to what is being dubbed the “Group of Death” in Group A alongside JRU, College of Saint Benilde, Mapua University and Lyceum of the Philippines University.</p><p>San Beda’s rival Letran, for its part, belongs to Group B alongside Arellano University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, University of Perpetual Help and San Sebastian College.</p><p>Escueta and his wards will open their campaign on Sunday, September 13, against Saint Benilde at 2 p.m. at the MOA Arena.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4eMOmD7cqVU?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>In recent years, San Beda University has seen its biggest and brightest stars come and go in pursuit of other opportunities, but the Red Lions have still managed to maintain their place at the top of NCAA men’s basketball.</p>

In recent years, San Beda University has seen its biggest and brightest stars come and go in pursuit of other opportunities, but the Red Lions have still managed to maintain their place at the top of NCAA men’s basketball.

NCAA: San Beda embracing adversity to defend crown, correct mistakes of past

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NCAA: San Beda embracing adversity to defend crown, correct mistakes of past

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 31, 2026 08:19 PM PHT

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Updated August 31, 2026 09:47 PM PHT

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Basketball

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Yuri Escueta

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