UAAP: Defending champs Ateneo sets up showdown with emerging UST

By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

COMING off two impressive wins from title contenders Adamson Soaring Falcons and their rival De La Salle Green Archers, the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles will be tested big time as they take on the young, emerging, and undefeated UST Growling Tigers today, 10:30 a.m.

Currently on a roll, the Growling Tigers defeated the UE Red Warriors in their opening match, and then upset the powerhouse UP Fighting Maroons in their last outing.

This time, the young and hungry boys of coach Aldin Ayo will take on their biggest task of season 82 as they look to hand the defending champs their first loss.

The veteran Ateneo team took out Adamson and De La Salle easily, as the boys in blue showed familiarity and near-perfect execution of coach Tab Baldwin’s system that took them to back to back championships.

On the other hand, the young core of the Growling Tigers is slowly building up its’ reputation as one of the best in the history of UAAP.

Mark Nonoy, CJ Cansino, and Rhenz Abando are looking like standout stars early into the season, as they torched a veteran UE team and blew out a title contender team in UP.

The clashing styles of the two teams will be fun to watch, as the fast-paced Ayo system will try to disrupt the free-flowing half-court sets of the Baldwin system.