If there was one thing that dominated the headlines of DLSU’s offseason, it would be questions. Questions about whether or not the sudden departure and injuries to certain players would still give them enough tools to contend for a championship. Questions on whether head coach Juno Sauler’s sudden appointment would throw them off their course. Questions on which Green Archer Team would show up: the one that came up with five straight victories or the one that won one of its last four games, capped off by a painful loss to the San Beda Red Lions. Perhaps, by Saturday’s end, some of these questions could be answered.
As the bright lights of the UAAP draw closer, no team has been put under the public microscope more than the DLSU Green Archers. A sudden coaching change and surprising departures have thrust the Green Archers into the spotlight for various reasons and “championship contenders” has not been one of them recently.
UST, La Salle’s first foe, has had its own fair share of questions with the UAAP less than a week away. Losing to the Green Archers in their opening match in the Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Premiere Cup, the Growling Tigers never really got into a rhythm as the likes of Kevin Ferrer recovered from injuries while others, such as Aljon Mariano, had commitments in the PBA D-League. They capped off their preseason with a stunning semifinal loss to the same team that eliminated DLSU and the eventual champions, the UE Red Warriors.
One thing that the UAAP provides for both teams is a clean slate and what happens in the summer cup stays in the summer cup. In fact, despite NU’s solid showing in the past two Fil-Oil tournaments, those performances never translated into championships in the UAAP. Ateneo on the other hand, were never really themselves these past two Filoil summers yet their streak of five straight championships remains intact.
From their only encounter in Fil-Oil, DLSU came from behind to beat UST, which was coincidentally the opening game for both sides in the tournament. Jeric Teng led the Growling Tigers with 31 points, showcasing a complete repertoire of moves with drives to the basket, turnaround jump shots, and timely three pointers. Aljon Mariano added 28 points but other than that, no other player scored more than three points.
The Green Archers on the other hand, had all hands on deck and they flaunted their depth. Jason Perkins had his coming out party, punching in 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, both of which were a product of his signature motor. Sophomore Gabby Reyes chipped in 13 points and demonstrated the hustle, energy, and athleticism that made him a sought after recruit upon his graduation from DLSZ.
Fast forward to two months later and few days before the UAAP opening, you have two different teams that have gone through their fair share of trouble over the summer. For the Taft-based squad, a season ending ACL injury to Yutien Andrada and the departure of key players has brought down the Green Archers’ lineup to 13. Add Sauler’s sudden promotion and you have a squad that’s quite different from the one that had every Lasallian going giddy with excitement and had foes shaking in their seats during their five game preseason winning streak.
As the first battle with UST approaches, all we can do is wait. Fans and armchair analysts alike can only imagine dream predictions on which school will come out on top. Expect an interesting matchup between the Teng brothers as Jeron has finally got a season under his belt while Jeric is eager to go for that championship to cap off his career in the UAAP. Right now, the only thing that’s definite is that only one of them will come out with a win after the game.
