LAS PINAS CITY — University of Perpetual Help System Dalta announces its 20-man pool for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 101 men’s basketball tournament which is set to open on Oct. 1, 2025 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
Altas head coach Olsen Racela said the roster is led by team captain John Cedrick Abis, who was recently drafted as the No. 23 pick of the PBA Draft by the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings.
Also in the team are holdovers John Paul Boral, Jearico Nuñez, Shawn Orgo, Angelo Gelsano, Mark Derick Gojo Cruz and Emman Pizarro.
The 20-man pool of the University of Perpetual Help NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball team PHOTO BY DENNIS ABRINA
They will be joined by transferees Patrick Sleat and Kevin Guibao from Far Eastern University, LA Casinillo from National University, JM Talabut, Josh Alcantara and Allen Maglupay from University of the East and brothers Kenji Duremdez and Kylle Magdangal from University of Santo Tomas. They are all cleared to play this season after going through a one-year residence period.
Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Completing the pool are Aries Borja, JD Pagulayan, Jan Roluna, Jericho Cristino and Kelsey Baldoria who led the Junior Altas to the NCAA crown last season. They are eligible to play right away because they graduated from the same school.
“The five rookies have shown good performance in practice and in their games, I see a bright future for the team in our program,” said Racela, referring to five players from the Junior Altas team.
“We play in as many games as we can, invitational tournaments like in Cebu and Tacloban and FilOil. It is very crucial for us, for chemistry, It is also like team building to us, In the past, we were not invited to these leagues. Now, it’s better for us, that is our goal.”
Racela said the coaching staff will come up with the final 18-man roster before the opening of the season.
“My aim here is to see their rotation. I’m still experimenting, at the same time, I see their game,” he said.
Team manager Anton Tamayo, meanwhile, has high hopes for the team with Racela at the helm.
Last season, the Altas finished at 7th place with a 7-11 record. This time they are aiming to score more wins and make the Final Four.
The Altas will play their first game against the San Sebastian Stags Oct. 3 at the FilOil Arena in San Juan.