San Beda Reloads for Another Title Defense 

San Beda may have lost several key pieces from its championship team, but the Red Lions have already shown that they remain a force to be reckoned with heading into Season 102.

The Red Lions took down UAAP heavyweights La Salle and UP in the FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup, beating the Green Archers, 64-59, in the quarterfinals before routing the Fighting Maroons, 93-72, in the semifinals. Both La Salle and UP came into the tournament as proven programs loaded with high-level collegiate talent, making San Beda’s wins an early statement that the Red Lions can still compete with the country’s top teams.

San Beda eventually fell to JRU in the Finals, but its run to the championship series showed that the defending NCAA champions still have plenty of firepower despite the changes to their roster.

That is important considering just how much the Red Lions lost from last season’s title-winning squad.

San Beda captured its 24th NCAA championship last season after sweeping longtime rival Letran in the Finals. But several of the players who helped deliver that title are no longer around.

Janti Miller, who averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 rebounds and earned a spot on the NCAA Mythical Team, moved to La Salle. Team captain Yukien Andrada is now in the PBA, while Finals MVP Bryan Sajonia and Joe Celzo have also moved on. Nygel Gonzales, meanwhile, will miss Season 102 after suffering a torn ACL.

That leaves the Red Lions with major holes to fill, but they have also brought in players with the experience and talent to help reshape the team.

Aldous Torculas gives San Beda a proven champion after spending three seasons with UP and being part of the Fighting Maroons’ UAAP Season 87 championship team. Daniel Marcelo is another notable addition, joining Torculas as one of the key transferees expected to help fill the gaps left by San Beda’s departed stars.

The Red Lions also added Andrei Ugaddan and Dominic Sarigumba, while several holdovers return with more experience after last season’s championship run. Among them is Jomel Puno, who decided to stay with San Beda for another season.

The new-look San Beda already showed what it can do in FilOil, finishing the elimination round at 7-2 before making its way to the Finals.

The challenge now is doing it again when the games start to count.

San Beda enters Season 102 not only as the defending champion, but as a team trying to prove that its championship pedigree can survive the departure of several of its biggest names.