The new UAAP season is just around the corner, and as always, teams are approaching the men's basketball Just... Upton Womens Jersey tournament with just the right mixture of hope, trepidation, and bravado.
Defending champions De La Salle University is still considered the favorite to rule in Season 80, but nipping at the Green Archers' heels are a bunch of teams who are all determined to seize the crown.
Chief among them is La Salle's archrival, Ateneo de Manila University, which is upbeat that its veteran core and celebrated htt... coach can get the job done in Season 80, after falling just short in Season 79.
When Alaska defeated San Miguel Beer in the PBA Governors' Cup on Saturday, it was exactly 5 months to the day it last won a game.
On April 2, Alaska started the Commissioner's Cup on fire, downing Rain Or Shine 105-102 and raising its record to 4-0.
Little did the Aces know that it would take some 20 weeks more or so before they would be back in the win column.
As bad as 14 straight losses look, Alaska was close in a lot of those setbacks, with 6 of those [url=http://www.officialindianstore.com/Jason_Kipnis_Jersey]Jason Kipnis Womens Jersey games decided by 5 points or fewer. If it weren't for injuries and a few breaks here or there, the skid wouldn't have lasted as long as it did.
The fact that the PBA schedule was stretched out multiple times to accommodate Gilas Pilipinas' stint in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association tournament in May and the FIBA Asia Cup last month made the tailspin look worse.
Alaska's slide is the longest this season, topping the 13 games NLEX lost in a row that bridged the Philippine [url=http://www.officialindianstore.com/Francisco_Lindor_Jersey]http://www.offic... Cup and the Commissioner's Cup. Kia currently holds the longest active losing streak at 9 straight, 8 of those this conference.
ABS-CBN News looks back at Alaska's drought to see what went wrong and how it lasted that long.
Host school Far Eastern University (FEU), for its part, started hostilities against La Salle early, as the two squads were involved in an infamous brawl in Davao last month that both teams hastily and emphatically downplayed in a preseason press conference.
Of course, up-and-coming squads like National University (NU), Adamson University, and University of the [img]http://www.texansonlineofficialstore.com/images/products/nike_nfl_jerseys/n... Philippines (UP) have all beefed up their rosters, with an eye towards making the leap towards the upper echelon of the UAAP.
Even teams that disappointed in Season 79 – University of the East (UE) and University of Santo Tomas (UST), in particular – are expected to put up a tougher fight this time around.
As UP coach Bo Perasol put it: "Wala akong nakikitang team na bibilangin mo na panalo."
In their own words, the UAAP coaches discuss their preparation, chances, and goals for the upcoming tournament.