The National University Bulldogs are looking forward to defending their crown in the Fil-oil Flying V Premier Cup, which tips off on April 13 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
NU will be fielding a deep lineup that according to their head coach, Eric Altamirano, might match last year's 12-deep rotation that made it to the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
The Bulldogs will lose Henry Betayene due to injury, as well as Ajeet Singh and Jul-Ashri Ignacio, but coming in to replace them are JJ Alejandro (erstwhile from Mapua and sat out last season) and Alfredo Arogo. Arogo will form a triple-tower combination with incumbent big man Emmanuel Mbe and Troy Rosario. Supplementing that big man depth are forwards Glenn Khobuntin and Kyle Neypes.
In spite of all these additions, the team will still be under the leadership of two-time UAAP MVP Ray Parks. Although recently suffering a hand injury, he is expected to be ready for the start of the tournament. He notes that the team is a year older and wiser, and with their shortcomings last year, they are hungrier for championships.
Noting that all teams have made their own respective upgrades this season, Coach E expects a tough tournament, with all the teams to be undertaking similar approaches. In their case, the Bulldogs are looking to get their new guys more exposure in order for them to be accustomed to playing with the veterans, as well as working on their team play and execution. He may be unsure about how things will turn out for NU in the Premier Cup, but he hopes that they would still be playing until June.
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