There hasn’t been a repeat champion in UAAP basketball since the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ three‑peat under Tab Baldwin from Season 80 through 82. The La Salle Green Archers will try to be the first to win back‑to‑back titles in Season 89, which is set to tip off on Sunday, September 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
And, this early, La Salle fans should be excited. According to team captain Earl Abadam, the Taft faithful can expect that the Green Archers will be up for the challenge, and that he, personally, will be embracing more of a leadership role as the team aims to win back‑to‑back titles.
Abadam, La Salle Up for Daunting Task
Speaking to reporters during the UAAP Season 89 presser on Tuesday, Abadam shared that the Green Archers have already prepared themselves mentally to be “up for the challenge” in hopes of getting back to the top.
“As a team, we have a renewed team mindset knowing that since we’ve lost some key players, we know that we have to step up in terms of how we gel and how we play on the court,” Abadam said. “So, we know that it’s going to be a challenge, but we know that we’re up to whatever this season gives us.”
La Salle, in the offseason, lost Mike Phillips, Kean Baclaan, Rhyle Melencio, and EJ Gollena. Gollena was the Green Archers’ team captain last season.
Abadam is taking Gollena’s spot this season, and he’s hoping the team’s younger players can draw inspiration and learn from him.
“I’d say my leadership. Being a team captain, I would say leading by example in how I approach practice,” he said. “I hope that the younger members of the team are able to carry that all the way when the time comes.”
Repeating as champions will definitely be a challenge for La Salle. But with a lineup still loaded with talent—Abadam, Jacob Cortez, Luis Pablo, and Mason Amos are all back—and a Gilas Youth standout in Joaquin Tovera added to the mix, the Green Archers just might have what it takes to go back‑to‑back.
