Early collision: Ateneo-La Salle

Collegiate rivals Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University clash in an early face off between the country’s bitter foes in college basketball Sunday in Season 82 UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

The defending champion Blue Eagles get the first taste of the retooled Green Archers, who brought in three one-and-done Fil-Am players to help the Taft-based team reclaim its lost glory in the league.

Game time is at 4 in the afternoon with Ateneo seeking a share of the lead in the team standings.

The Blue Eagles clipped the Soaring Falcons of Adamson University, 70-52, for their opening-game victory and head coach Tab Baldwin said it’s now behind them as their focus is on mysterious La Salle squad.

“It’s pleasing to get the win. And now, Sunday, we forget who we play. We’ll have a big, big stadium and you know La Salle’s got a big mission in front of them,” Baldwin said.

“They’ve seen us now, we haven’t seen them, that presents some problems but we have a game under our belt,” the American-Kiwi mentor added.

The Green Archers are now under new coach in Gian Nazario while Jermaine Byrd is the team’s active consultant and is in fact running the practices of the green and white team.

Justine Baltazar, Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio will be the cornerstones of La Salle’s campaign this season while Keyshawn Evans, Jamie Orme and James Laput are the team’s one-and-done Archers who will try to put the team back in the playoffs.

According the league insiders, the six-foot guard Evans, who played for Illinois State, is the most impressive among the three and drawing comparisons from Ginebra guard Stanley Pringle.

The six-foot-seven Orme suited up for Highline Community College before spending his final two years with Portland State while Laput is a towering six-foot-nine center and played for Young Harris College, a Division II school in US.

“It’ll be fun, we’ll be ready. I’m sure they will be ready. And we’ll go for Round Two,” Baldwin said.