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Mapua University in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball press conference. Photo by Angela Davocol/NCAA Philippines.

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788246251780IMG_0851.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Mapua University in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball press conference. Photo by Angela Davocol/NCAA Philippines.MANILA — After more than a decade in the professional ranks, Chito Victolero faces a different challenge in his return to Mapua University in NCAA Season 102: rebuilding a rookie-laden Cardinals squad while keeping its championship aspirations alive.</div>Set to feature newcomers Jamal Diaz, Froilan Reyes, Lance Nitura, Mico Pascual, and their other rookies,  Mapua will rely on Victolero’s guidance and the experience of its veterans as the Cardinals navigate a rebuilding phase without losing sight of their title ambitions.“It&#x27;s a rebuilding process for us,” said Victolero during the NCAA’s press conference on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. “Medyo malaking difference. You need a lot of teaching, a lot of patience. You need to motivate these players, guide them to be better players.&quot;Mapua is coming off a quarterfinals finish in NCAA Season 101, with the Clint Escamis-led Cardinals struggling to find their groove despite entering the season as defending champions.Now, Victolero will lean on holdovers Marc Cuenco, Cyrus Nitura, and Basti Reyes, among others, whom the former Magnolia Hotshots mentor sees as key in helping the young Cardinals embrace a mentality that “no one is above the system.”Victolero, however, knows that building that culture and turning it into a habit is easier said than done, especially when transitioning from the PBA to the collegiate ranks.“You need a lot for it to be a routine eh, maging habit,” said Victolero. “[Kailangan] turuan mo maging &#x27;yung tamang attitude, mabuo mo &#x27;yung character ng mga players.”Fortunately for Mapua, Victolero knows firsthand what it means to carry the Cardinals’ expectations, having played for the school during his collegiate years.“Our mantra is always just like Ginebra&#x27;s ‘never say die,’ we will fight until the end,” he said.Now, Victolero hopes to pass that same mentality to the new generation of Cardinals, carrying forward the culture he experienced during his own time at Mapua.“So &#x27;yun lang &#x27;yung maaasahan sa &#x27;min ng buong community ng Mapúa na we&#x27;re fighting until the end,” he said.For Victolero, the rebuilding process is also an opportunity to establish a new core for Mapua while remaining competitive.“We want to challenge our players this season,” he said. “Every league naman na sinasalihan ko, [the] goal is to win the championship.”

After more than a decade in the professional ranks, Chito Victolero faces a different challenge in his return to Mapua University in NCAA Season 102: rebuilding a rookie-laden Cardinals squad while keeping its championship aspirations alive.

After more than a decade in the professional ranks, Chito Victolero faces a different challenge in his return to Mapua University in NCAA Season 102: rebuilding a rookie-laden Cardinals squad while keeping its championship aspirations alive.

NCAA: Victolero embraces challenge of balancing Mapua’s rebuild, title hopes

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NCAA: Victolero embraces challenge of balancing Mapua’s rebuild, title hopes

Carl Adrian Cruz,

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern

Published September 02, 2026 01:50 PM PHT

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Basketball

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NCAA Season 102

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Mapua Cardinals

Chito Victolero

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