Chito Victolero will be putting a special premium on defense when he calls the shots for Mapua University in Season 102 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament.

The 50-year-old Victolero, whose recent coaching stint was with Magnolia in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) last year, said that he wants to lay the groundwork first before aiming for bigger goals.

A proud Mapua alumnus, it will be Victolero’s second tour of duty with the Cardinals after leading them to solid finishes from 2009 to 2012.

“Since day one — even when I was coaching in college until the PBA — I’ve always had a defensive mindset, so we will try to become one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA,” Victolero said during his interview at “Off the Court,” the weekly online sports show of DAILY TRIBUNE last Thursday.

“That’s our goal, but it’s not something that will happen overnight. It’s a process. Offensively, we want good ball movement and a fast-paced offense and hopefully I can implement everything within the next five months before the opening of the NCAA.”

Under Randy Alcantara, who is also a former Mapua star, the Cardinals had some measure of success when they won Season 100 after a 33-year title drought. But despite the return of star playmaker Clint Escamis, the Cardinals were dethroned in Season 101 after suffering a crushing loss to College of Saint Benilde in a three-game quarterfinal series.

Now, with Escamis no longer in the mix, Victolero doesn’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on his boys as he wants to lay down the foundation first while staying competitive.\