For the first time since 1986, the UAAP men's basketball championship was brought back to Diliman. To celebrate the trophy's long-awaited, much-desired return, the University of the Philippines threw a street party last Saturday evening and there, a bonfire was lit, signaling the dawn of a new era for the Fighting Maroons, who can now, without a doubt, call themselves "Winning Maroons."
It was a big bash, most definitely, with generations of Iskolar ng Bayan coming together -- whether they come from the last time State U won it all or from the so-called "dark days" when the maroon and green recorded three winless and two one-win seasons, or whether they be fans of respectable rosters led by Paolo Mendoza and Marvin Cruz, or they be "Bo-lievers" who, well, believed when Paul Desiderio claimed, "Atin 'to, papasok 'to!"
Unlike other recent champions, however, the celebratory mood cannot and will not last long for UP, as sooner than later, they'll have to plan and prepare for their title defense for next season that, most probably, starts in September. And unlike Fighting Maroons in the last 36 years, they'll have to get used to having targets on their backs. Now, everybody's gunning for UP.
Here's what to expect from all eight teams in the shortened offseason and then Season 85 in just four months.
UP FIGHTING MAROONS (Season 84 result: champion)
Not only is UP the reigning and defending champion, they are also the presumptive team-to-beat, as they bring over the most loaded lineup into next season. The Fighting Maroons ended their title drought with three-quarters of their roster made up of first-year players, meaning they remain young as they try and go back-to-back.
Among their key contributors, only slashing guard Ricci Rivero is leaving. State U already has his ready-made replacement, however, in CJ Cansino who boasts of better shooting and playmaking. The only question is if Cansino's knee injury is just a sprain or a feared-to-be ACL tear. If not Cansino, the maroon and green still has more options in 3-and-D wings Harold Alarcon and James Spencer, who will welcome more responsibility.
The frontcourt will still be manned by Mythical selections Malick Diouf and Zavier Lucero and Rookie of the Year Carl Tamayo -- so, no problems whatsoever there.
Add Henry Galinato, the Filipino-American one-and-done forward, and Aldous Torculas, the athletic do-it-all wing from UPIS, and the rich only get richer. At point? Well, school hero JD Cagulangan remains and is still backstopped by Gerry Abadiano and Terrence Fortea. And calling the shots? Well, it's still Goldwin Monteverde, the one and only coach who has a winning record against Tab Baldwin.
ATENEO BLUE EAGLES (Season 84 result: runner-up)
Only two players from the first in Ateneo's three-peat will still wear blue and white next season: sharpshooting guard BJ Andrade and seldom-used wing Troy Mallillin. Of those who exited from the lineup that wound up runner-up to UP, Gian Mamuyac's two-way toughness as well as newfound leadership will be the toughest replace.
Add the loss of Raffy Verano's hustle and heart as well as Tyler Tio and Jolo Mendoza's knockdown shooting, and the Blue Eagles' "next man up" mentality will be put to the test yet again. At this point in time, though, Baldwin and his system aren't to be second-guessed.
With Season MVP Ange Kouame, primetime playmaker SJ Belangel, and super scorer Dave Ildefonso still in place, as well as continued development from youngsters Geo Chiu, Joshua Lazaro, and Forthsky Padrigao, Ateneo isn't going away anytime soon. And worse for opponents? For the first time in a long time, the Blue Eagles are hungry, the Blue Eagles are angry.
LA SALLE GREEN ARCHERS and FEU TAMARAWS (Season 84 result: Final Four teams)
Like the eventual champion and runner-up, the other two semifinalists are also well-set for next season.
La Salle, which took UP to a do-or-die match, will be missing the two-way impact of Justine Baltazar, but will just slot in onetime blue-chip recruits Kevin Quiambao, whose game is pretty much the same as the former Taft tower, and Jonnel Policarpio, who has been compared to a young Arwind Santos, in his place. Evan Nelle is still running the show for the Green Archers, while Mythical selection Mike Phillips may very well round out his game and transform into much more than a rebounding machine.
FEU finds itself in pretty much the same situation, with the three-headed monster that is L-Jay Gonzales, RJ Abarrientos, and Xyrus Torres still firing on all cylinders. The Tamaraws need a new post presence to replace Nigerian Emman Ojuola, but Morayta has a proven track record of unearthing and polishing talents to surprise just about everybody.
NATIONAL U BULLDOGS and ADAMSON SOARING FALCONS (Season 84 result: dark horses)
National U had a fiery first round before flaming out in the second. Adamson started slow and then picked up steam for a late playoff push. Both just missed out on the Final Four, and both just lost two stalwarts -- Shaun Ildefonso for the Bulldogs, and Keith Zaldivar for the Soaring Falcons.
Nonetheless, their top guns remain, and Mythical selection Jerom Lastimosa and ascending guard Joem Sabandal are ready and raring to pilot Adamson to another flight, while John Lloyd Clemente is eager to bounce back and go along with the rise of Mike Malonzo, Reyland Torres, and Janjan Felicilda for the Bulldogs' contention.
UST GROWLING TIGERS and UE RED WARRIORS (Season 84 result: rebuilding teams)
Two teams, one question: will there be a coaching change? UST's Jinino Manansala just saw all his assistants move on, while UE's Jack Santiago, technically, hasn't even been reinstated to his post yet after the school suspended him for an internal investigation.
Whoever will be sitting on the coaching chair, the Red Warriors seem to have a brighter future with the in-sync backcourt of Harvey Pagsanjan and Clint Escamis still having three seasons of eligibility together. The Growling Tigers, on the other hand, hope Paul Manalang and Sherwin Concepcion find much-needed help sooner than later.