By MARK REY MONTEJO
University of Perpetual Help System Dalta remains upbeat that its young squad is still capable of producing big wins when it defends its crown in the NCAA Season 101 juniors basketball which fires off Oct. 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Though they have only six holdovers from last year’s winning team plus 12 new faces, the Junior Altas still expressed confidence of performing well even without key players, including Season 101 and Finals MVP Lebron Jhames Daep.
Daep opted to continue his collegiate career at La Salle University in the UAAP while Icee Callangan, and JD Pagulayan, Aries Borja, Jan Roluna, Kelsey Baldoria moved up to Perpetual senior team.
Without Daep and company, much of the burden of defending the crown now falls on Louie Rosales, team captain Lance Nitura, Jim Corpuz, Renzo Zanoria, Ezekiel Zamoras, Kurt Patalinhug and Kurt Velasquez.
Head coach Joph Cleopas is also banking on his rookies – all ready to take responsibility and shine given the much-needed time to showcase their stuff.
And they’re all motivated to defend their title at all cost, saying it took them 39 years to win their historic first in the grand old league.
Reinforcing the youthful Perpetual side are freshmen in Rayven Restificar, Brent Rosales and Jones Ferrer, Hanz Llupar, Jude Binagatan, Daniel Dulanas CeeJay Castillejo, Manu Ignacio, Arkin Cristobal, Emmanuel Villaruel and Vandolf Urdaneta.
The Las Piñas-based crew begins its quest against San Sebastian on Oct. 3, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
With Daep taking charge, Perpetual crushed La Salle-Greenhills, 101-67, in a do-or-die showdown in a best-of-three finals series last April.
