Games today:

(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion)

2 p.m. — FEU vs Ateneo

4:30 p.m. — Adamson vs La Salle

Gaining redemption and overcoming the massive expectations will be the battle cry when De La Salle University kicks off its campaign against Adamson University in Season 88 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at the Quadricentennial Pavilion inside the University of Santo Tomas campus.

Action starts at 4:30 p.m. following the 2 p.m. encounter between Far Eastern University and Ateneo de Manila University in the opening playdate of the country’s most prestigious collegiate league.

The Green Archers will be marching into the season as overwhelming favorites.

Although their leader in Kevin Quiambao and key rotation players in Joshua David, CJ Austria, Henry Agunanne and Raven Gonzales are all gone, the Green Archers replaced them with a star-studded cast that is capable of erecting yet another collegiate dynasty.

Gilas Pilipinas standout Mason Amos will be making his La Salle debut after a solid rookie season with rival Ateneo while fellow transferees Kean Baclaan and Jacob Cortez will also be seeing action after serving their one-year residency.

They will be backed by former high school sensations like Luis Pablo and Guillan Quines from La Salle Greenhills, Lebron Jhames Daep from University of Perpetual Help System Dalta and Rhyle Melencio from La Salle Zobel with 6-foot-9 Nigerian Bright Nwanko serving as foreign student-athlete.

Mike Phillips will now be serving as the leader together with holdovers JC Macalag, Vhoris Marasigan, Doy Dungo, EJ Gollena and a healthy Earl Abadam.

But La Salle coach Topex Robinson stressed that having a powerhouse roster is a double-edged sword as it also puts massive expectations on his shoulders.

“Nobody could replace KQ (Quiambao) but having a new team with a different mindset, a different face, it gives us a better chance of competing at the highest level here come Season 88,” said Robinson, whose squad is also looking to gain redemption after bowing to University of the Philippines in dramatic fashion last season.

“But what worries me is being complacent. Once we think we’re better than everybody, that we’re not gonna challenge ourselves to be the best version that we can be.”

“So I’m always making sure to keep them grounded. Having a super talented team is also a recipe for disaster.”

Getting a first crack at this mighty La Salle squad will be Adamson — a young, hungry squad that is looking to make an impact in the seasons to come.

Adamson coach Nash Racela admitted that they may not be the most talented or the most hyped but their hard work and belief in the system could give them a major boost, helping them to spring some surprises against heavyweight squads like La Salle.

“I think we’ll still have the same approach this year,” said Racela, who is now counting on the very young core of Cedrick Manzano, Matthew Montebon, Matty Erolon and AJ Fransman to carry the cudgels.

“All of my players are young. If our opponents bullied us, we’ll get exposed. But that’s our responsibility as coaches to really prepare and protect them. That’s going to be a lot of teaching and learning from them.”

Aside from the holdovers, Racela will also be banking on new additions like former Baby Falcon Earl Medina, Allen Perez, Jireh Tumaneng and Kobe Demisana.