Key losses: John Amores, Jason Celis
Key holdovers: Ry Dela Rosa, Agem Miranda, Joshua Guiab, Marwin Dionisio
Season 98 record: 7-11 (7th)
Chemistry will be the key for host Jose Rizal University when the team starts afresh in the NCAA Season 99 men's basketball tournament.
The Heavy Bombers will deploy a nearly untouched roster as only two players left the squad, with John Amores moving on to the professional ranks and Jason Celis deciding to seek opportunities outside the NCAA.
This leaves a core led by team captain and graduating Ry Dela Rosa, who is eager to bring 'honor and pride' to the school, especially in its hosting year.
"It's good. We had preseason tournaments where we kinda worked and built our chemistry," Dela Rosa told GMA Integrated News in an interview.
Also still in the fold are Agem Miranda, Ryan Arenal, Marwin Dionisio, Joshua Guiab, Jonathan Medina, William Sy, and JL Delos Santos, who was selected by Converge in the recently-held PBA Draft.
They will also welcome Shawn Argente, Mart Barrera, Marj De Leon, Sidney Mosqueda, Theo Pabico, Patrick Ramos, and Vince Sarmiento.
With chemistry and the talent set to be brought by the new faces, the Heavy Bombers are looking to bounce back from a tough season last year, which saw them face a number of challenges, including the incident involving Amores and the rescheduling of some of JRU's games after several players contracted COVID-19 in the middle of the season.
But Dela Rosa stressed what happened last season is now a thing of the past, saying it does not define them as a team and as individuals.
"It means a lot because it's my last year and we're gonna be the hosts. It's gonna be big for me and I would say, just moving forward the goal is just to win," he added.
"We want to bring honor and pride to the school and just be better than how we were last season. That season, it doesn't define who we believe we are."
With Dela Rosa taking on the leadership role, Miranda, Guiab, and Dionisio—the three leading scorers last season—are expected to show the way once again for the Louie Gonzales-mentored crew.
Miranda averaged 10.5 points, 3.83 rebounds, and 2.22 assists while bruiser Guiab had 9.82 markers, 7.82 boards, and 1.53 dimes.
Dionisio, meanwhile, showed he can go head-to-head with other big men as he put together 9.24 points, 5.24 rebounds, and 1.35 assists.
NCAA Season 99 opens on September 24. Watch the games live on GTV.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
