2PM – Mall of Asia Arena
Previous Encounter:
UAAP Season 74: 1st Round – DLSU def. UP 79-67/ 2nd Round – DLSU def. UP 73-72
For the De La Salle Green Archers, the similarities between the two years that they missed the semis are striking – 0-2 season start, played well in the middle part of the first round, one win in the second round, finished the season at 6th place with a 5-9 record and opened the following season against UP.
After an impressive performance in the summer tournaments, the Archers are expected to make some major headway this UAAP season after failing to make it to the final four in two of the last three years.
The Fighting Maroons on the other hand have been a hard-luck team for the past several years, winning just 8 games in 5 seasons. We really don’t see very much of a change for UP this season either.
Pregame Points
La Salle dominating the inside – It was reported earlier in the week that UP bigmen Alinko Mbah and Chris Ball were dropped from the roster. It that is the case, expect the Archers to take the ball inside, exploiting the Maroons’ depleted frontline.
It’s going to be physical – If their preseason encounter was any indication, this game is going to be intense. The Archers should maintain their composure and play smart.
Jeron Teng – The rookie has been remarkable during the preseason and is expected to continue his stellar play in his first UAAP game.
Arnold Van Opstal – He never played a single game in the preseason due to injury so it is interesting to see how his game has developed under the new coaching staff.
A new era in La Salle basketball officially starts today. It’s going to be exciting. Go Archers!