San Beda looks to continue their title run

San Beda looks to continue their title run

by rick olivares

Are the 2010 NCAA Champions the best San Beda Red Lions team ever?

Measuring his words, fourth year head coach Frankie Lim, who played on the Red Lions 1977 and ’78 back-to-back champions, had this to say of his team that just accomplished an 18-0 season sweep en route to San Beda’s 15^th NCAA crown: “The results will tell you. I have five new guys on my team (Anthony and David Semerad, Kyle Pascual, Jaypee Mendoza, and Mar Villahermosa) who are a part of my rotation, and siguro in the next few years, there will be more to come.”

San Beda not only set the record for the most wins in a season but also snapped a three finals-losing streak to San Sebastian. The Red Lions lost in 1996, 1997, and in 2009. Their Game Two 85-70 victory over the erstwhile defending champion Stags erased the bitter memory of their finals loss in Season 85 that ended any chance at four straight titles.

Their 18 straight wins also eclipsed the 15-game win streak that was pulled off by last year’s Stags team.

While other Bedan teams might make a case for their own greatness, Lim is looking beyond the great debate to next year’s title defense. “We have Baser Amer.” the three-time NCAA champion coach announced. “We have him. He’s going to play for us. I want Von Chavez. I want Chris Javier. I want (Alfonso) Gotladera. I want to see them in our practices.”

Amer, Chavez, Javier, and Gotladera led the Red Cubs to their 18^th Juniors title after they beat the San Sebastian Staglets with a two-game finals sweep of their own. Amer, the Davao City-native was adjudged the season and finals MVP for his sterling efforts. During the elimination round, the point guard averaged 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 11.7 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.

During the Juniors Finals, Amer hiked his production as he compiled averages of 19.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 13.0 assists, and 3.0 steals in two games. He is being tabbed by Lim to replace the graduating Borgie Hermida in the Red Lions roster.

Hermida, who won one title for the Red Cubs and four with the Red Lions leaves as the player with the most number of titles for San Beda. He is the only one graduating from the deep and talented roster that Lim has put together.

While Amer is staying put in Mendiola, word has it that San Sebastian’s multi-talented forward Gino Jumao-as is being recruited by Far Eastern University. Jumao-as also put up monster numbers for the first runners-up as he averaged 34.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

Although his high school coach, Raymond Valenzona would like to see him move up to the senior Stags, he is leaving it up to his prized forward to make the decision to where he would like to study and play in college. “As long as it is not an NCAA school it’s fine,” said Valenzona who played for FEU during his high school and college days. “But I hope that he goes to where he can be appreciated for what he can do and where he can get a good education.”