The University of the Visayas Green Lancers have fueled themselves up with the fire from their unceremonious semifinal exit in the Cesafi wars last year, to somehow get even better on many fronts. In spite the loss of two top guys in point guard extraordinaire, Harold Cincoflores and big man supreme, Edrian Lao (both are now playing for the Cagayan Rising Suns in the PBA D-League), the Green Lancers have remained to be the elite team in Cebu, given their depth and cohesion from years of battling and playing alongside one another.
Taking the mantle of point guard from Cincoflores is tough lefty, John Abad, who is being joined on that front by the returning Eman Calo, who is back with the squad after a brief stint with the University of the East Red Warriors, and veteran Phil Mercader The marked development of powerful forward, Wowie Escosio, is a thing to behold as well as he assumes the position left behind by Lao. The rise of lithe center Andrew Avillanoza along with the steady improvement of Chris Perolino, Raffy Octobre, Vincent Mendoza, Rene Saycon ensures that the Lancers will be back atop of the league, much as they have done so in nine of the league’s first 10 years.
The boys over at the University of San Jose-Recoletos also figure to be in the running especially after handing UV their only defeat in the Partner’s Cup this year. Much like the Lancers, the Jaguars run on a steady diet of old reliables and up-and-coming young guns such as veterans Popoy Sulaiman, Miguel Tabaloc, Banjo Capilar and Jayson Olbedado along with sophomore sensation James Regalado. As always, USJ-R’s toughest weapon remains to be their frenetic defense and impeccable outside shooting which they displayed to the hilt in their two games against the Lancers this season.
In the absence of several of the usual powerhouses in the Cesafi Partner’s Cup, two teams have taken the cue to ascend the ranks. These are the Cebu Institute of Technology-University Wildcats and the University of Southern Philippines Foundation Panthers. Of the two, the Wildcats appear to have found the recipe for present and future success as they have built the team around two young studs in streaky wingman, Floyd Taboada and lanky forward, Allen Dimco.
Taboada recently validated his claim as CIT-U’s next big thing as he scored 30 points against the Panthers in their semifinal game last Thursday. With an offensive arsenal that is as unpredictable as it is efficient, Taboada is poised to take the Wildcats to new heights along with Dimco, who last year, showed flashes of brilliance with his accuracy from the outside and in.
CIT-U has also benefited from the improved leadership skills of guard Axel Rabaya, along with the rise of John Graf as one of the league’s deadliest snipers from the outside. CIT-U has also acquired some new pieces that have so far, paid dividends, in former Emilio Aguinaldo College ace Vincent Menguito and Jestoni Baclaan.
USPF on the other hand, has kept the core of James Ferraren, Fritz Dajalos and Joseph Sedurifa together for another run. What the Panthers largely lack in manpower, they make up for in tenacity and heart, attributes that they put on display in their upset win over the Jaguars this year. The lack of an efficient floor leader though, with the loss of veteran guard Randy Avila, appears to be hurting USPF especially in closing out tight games.
Finally, rounding out the quintet of teams playing in the Partner’s Cup, is the reigning back-to-back champions, University of Cebu Webmasters. The mighty have indeed fallen from grace and what a great fall it has been for the once untouchables, mainly because of the graduation of prized center, 6-foot-10 June Mar Fajardo. While the Pinamungahan-native is grazing steadily on the pastures of semi-pro ball, the Webmasters are struggling to find their footing with an inexperienced crew left to be led by only one man, the indispensable Brian Heruela. As history can attest, one man cannot do the job alone and UC is tasked to find the right pieces in order to make a respectable title defense in the Cesafi this year.
There are of course, some diamonds in the rough for this rag-tag bunch in Noel Francisco and Francis Tamsi, a pair of tall shooting guards, who at times, have lit up the scoreboard for the Webmasters.
Jonas Rey N. Panerio
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