Jose Rizal University (JRU) may be one of the hottest teams heading into Season 102 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament, but head coach Nani Epondulan is making sure that they do not get carried away by the hype.

Entering his second year with the Heavy Bombers, Epondulan has deliberately kept his young squad grounded as they shoot for the title they last tasted when legendary Philp Cezar was still playing in 1972.

Epondulan said complacency is their biggest opponent.

“I don’t open social media because I want to focus on the season. I just want them to focus on the people we work with,” said Epondulan, who won the Most Valuable Player plum when he was still playing for the Heavy Bombers in Season 77 in 2001.

“I instilled in my players that we’re not strong, that we’re still underdogs, so they don’t get complacent. That’s also my advice to the players, that they don’t believe what they read because they exaggerate.”

The Heavy Bombers are doing a great job in their preparation as they look to improve their 6-7 win-loss record last season and make their first Final Four appearance since 2017.

Sophomores Chris Hubilla and Lawrence Mangubat, who won an NCAA title with Mapua University in 2024, are expected to lead JRU alongside holdovers Sean Salvador and Allan Laurenaria.

The Bombers also sent a strong message during the offseason when they stunned reigning NCAA champion San Beda University in a best-of-three championship series to capture the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup title last July.

Still, Epondulan remains cautious, insisting that past success does not automatically mean his players are ready for everything the NCAA season will throw at them.

“They are still just sophomores. Even though they were champions in Mapua, they were still rookies back then. Now, they are just sophomores,” Epondulan said.

“We’re still working on maturity, on situations and how to handle pressure. With the help of the leaders of my team, everyone is following.”