Reigning champion San Beda University stays resolute in its campaign to retain the crown in NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball, despite facing major roster adjustments following the departure of several key players.
The Red Lions, guided by head coach Yuri Escueta, will kick off their title defense on Sunday, September 13, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
To offset the loss of core contributors Yukien Andrada, Bryan Sajonia, Nygel Gonzales, Joe Celzo, and Agjanti Miller, the squad will feature seven fresh additions to complement its returning core.
“Together with holdovers and new players namin, hopefully, they can step up and ma-fill ‘yong void dahil sa mga nawalang key players namin from last season,” Escueta shared during the league’s press conference on Monday, August 31.
Escueta acknowledged the immense difficulty of securing back-to-back titles given the significant squad turnover, yet reaffirmed the team’s relentless ambition.
“We are expecting a tough challenge. It’s hard to go back-to-back if you lose key players for different reasons… of course, ganun pa rin ‘yong goal namin, to win the championship again,” he said.
The Red Lions lost Andrada, Sajonia, and Celzo to the PBA, while Gonzales is out for the season recovering from an ACL injury. Meanwhile, Miller transferred to De La Salle University, echoing Jacob Cortez’s move in Season 99.
Addressing the arduous path ahead, Escueta stressed internal growth and a steady, step-by-step approach.
“Just like last year, we’re going to take it one game at a time, and will focus lang muna on ourselves,” Escueta added. “Tignan natin kung papaano maglalaro ‘tong mga holdovers natin pati mga bago. We’ll try our best na ‘yon nga, ma-defend ‘tong title.”
Veteran Jomel Puno will lead San Beda in his final collegiate playing year. The Red Lions headline Group A alongside Benilde, Jose Rizal University, Lyceum, and Mapua, while Group B features Arellano, Emilio Aguinaldo College, San Sebastian, Perpetual, and last season’s runner-up Letran.
The tournament retains last year’s format, granting the top three teams per group automatic quarterfinal slots, while the remaining squads battle through the play-in stage.
Fans can watch all games live and free across Cignal platforms, including the One Sports YouTube channel and Cignal Play app, alongside select RPTV broadcasts on Mondays and Thursdays and dedicated coverage on the new NCAA NXT Channel 264 HD.