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It’s easy to define what a dynasty is in sports.
NCAA Season 98. Letran Knights vs Benilde Blazers, NCAA Finals, Game 1, December 4, 2022. Photo: Angela Davocol
It all began with a change to the team’s coaching staff and team management.
In 2019, Bonnie Tan – the Knights’ team manager – was named head coach of the team. Tan was a Chinese Filipino coach who previously had experience as head coach of the Lyceum of the Philippines University from 2003 to 2014, and as team manager in the PBA.
His ascension to Letran’s coaching post also coincided with the entry of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) as the school’s backer, with SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua joining as Letran’s Special Assistant to the Rector for Sports Development.
Tan started planting seeds of the future dynasty in 2019, but it didn’t look anything close to easy in the beginning. The Muralla-based squad built a good team, but was not the team the beat in Season 95.
The Knights leaned on a gutsy unit that included Jerrick Balanza, Bonbon Batiller, Ato Ular, Larry Muyang, point guard Fran Yu, and big man Jeo Ambohot. But off the bench, they had players like Allen Mina, King Caralipio, Louie Sangalang, Tommy Olivario, Kurt Reyson, and Paolo Javillonar, many of them early in their careers, with little idea still of what they would build in the future.
That squad was far from dominant, though, absorbing six losses in the elimination round. With losses to Tan’s former team LPU, powerhouse San Sebastian College-Recoletos, and rival San Beda University, Letran reached the Final Four in third place with a 12-6 slate.
The Knights had to climb their way up – almost literally – as they faced rematches with the Stags and then the Pirates in the knockout stepladder playoffs en route to the NCAA S95 Finals.
Their ultimate test came after that.
In the title series, the Knights were pitted against the perennial favorite Red Lions, who had pulled off an impressive sweep of the eliminations. Behind Season MVP Calvin Oftana, explosive backcourt stars Evan Nelle and James Kwekuteye, and big man Donald Tankoua, San Beda was looking for a record-setting sixth straight championship.
But showing their grit, Letran split the first two games of the series with their storied rival to force a decider in which anything and everything could happen – and it did.
Entering the final game, the mood was light at the camp of the Knights.
“Even if natalo kami sa Game Two, ang gaan ng feeling namin kasi alam namin we have got nothing to lose. We were just having fun kasi no one, including us, expected us to be in the finals in the first place,” Tan told GMA News Online in an interview.
“Pero ang mindset namin at the time was ibigay pa rin namin ‘yung best namin kasi nakarating na kami sa point na ‘yun eh and we knew we can go all the way.”
NCAA Season 95. Letran Knights vs San Beda Red Lions. Photo: Zeke Alonzo.
That confidence grew even more as the game wound down to the last minute of a tight and competitive Game 3.
But despite Letran’s efforts, San Beda was intent on holding on to their crown.
San Beda guard Nelle, sporting his familiar red bandana, fired back-to-back long triples to bring the Mendiola crew back to within two points, 81-79, deficit with barely 12 seconds left in the game clock.
“Sabi ko bakit ang haba ata nung game. Kasi kahit anong gawin namin, hindi bumibigay ‘yung San Beda. Kakaiba ‘yung Nelle, hindi ko alam paano niya napapasok ‘yung malalayong tira na ‘yun eh,” Tan added.
Nelle held the fate of the game in his hands one last time as the game clock dwindled down, but he saw a potential overtime-forcing jumper get deflected by Letran’s Balanza in the dying seconds.
That ensured the Knights made history in front of a crowd of over 19,000 who flocked to the Mall of Asia Arena on November 19, 2019.
“Until ‘yung moment na panalo na kami, hindi pa rin ako makapag-celebrate kasi hindi ko sure if totoo na ba talaga.”
“Kami talaga ‘yung underdogs ‘non kasi biruin mo wala kaming imports nung time na ‘yun and lahat ng materyales meron ‘yung San Beda eh. Sabi ko tapusin natin nang maayos kasi alam ko tayo ‘yung sisilat e.”
It was a historic feat for Letran, and one that was worth taking the time to savor and celebrate.
Naturally, the idea of a back-to-back the following season was floated, but the Knights didn’t want to think too much about it, especially with the core of Balanza, Batiller, Muyang, and Ular all moving in due to graduation.
Tan, though, always knew the potential was there.
“Hindi namin agad inisip ‘yung back-to-back [titles] kasi kumbaga sine-savor muna namin ‘yung championship... Ang tagal [bago ulit nakuha ng school] e. Pero alam ko kaya namin. Paghihirapan nga lang.”
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Letran coach Bonnie Tan
Things changed during a two-year lull brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the break, Letran was able to secure the commitment of prized transferees Rhenz Abando and Brent Paraiso, who served their residencies during the break, making them both eligible for the NCAA’s return in Season 97.
The two joined a star-studded cast that already included Season 95 Finals MVP Yu, the promising 6-foot-7 big man Ambohot, and several returning shock-troopers from the championship run.
Unlike in the previous campaign, Letran marched into Season 97 as the heavy favorite right from the get-go.
And that season’s dream roster didn’t disappoint, sweeping the elimination round with a dominant 9-0 slate behind an awe-inspiring Rookie-MVP campaign and highlight-reel from the blue chip talent Abando.
In the Final Four, Letran dealt a game University of Perpetual Help System DALTA squad a sorry semifinal defeat to arrange a title showdown against a Mapua University squad on a Cinderella run, determined to end a long championship drought.
The dominant Knights swept their way to a second consecutive title, though the result masked what was actually a difficult preparation period for the team.
“Maraming nagsabi na kami nga ‘yung favorite dahil sa mga recruits namin pero hindi nila alam marami rin kaming pinagdaanan nung before ng season na ‘yun.”
With the pandemic restrictions still in place, the Knights were actually left without their own facility as the construction of their own court at Letran was temporarily stopped.
As a result, Tan had to figure out solutions, which he found after reaching out to his old friend, UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde, to ask if they could use the Fighting Maroons’ training facilities.
“Minsan sa quadrangle ng Letran kami nagpa-practice. Semento ‘yun e, tapos may mga kalawang pa ‘yung weights so ang hirap talaga,” Tan recalled.
“Buti nagawan natin ng paraan kasi three weeks lang kami nag-prepare for Season 97 kaya hindi namin napapansin na nasu-sweep na pala namin.”
Despite the early struggles, Letran turned in one of the most impressive performances in school history to deliver their 19th title in the seniors ranks.
That set the stage for a potential three-peat, an accomplishment that was a long time coming for Letran.
The three-peat was an important milestone in Letran history.
From 1982 to 1984, Letran Knights icon Samboy Lim led the team to three straight basketball titles in one of the important periods of the school’s sporting history.
But since then, the accomplishment proved elusive for the school.
Letran had chances to cop the feat twice in the past, but was unable to take it all the way after back-to-back titles in '86 and '87 and another in '98 and '99.
The stage was set, but the Knights weren’t too keen on thinking about it, especially after a tough offseason that not only saw veterans Ambohot, Mina, and Christian Fajarito move on to the PBA, but also the unexpected exit of star player Abando after only one year after he decided to turn pro and join the Korean Basketball League.
“Siguro bawat isa sa amin naisip ‘yan (three-peat) pero as a team hindi namin masyado pinaguusapan kasi for me, bumalik kami sa pagiging underdogs na naman namin kasi ang daming nawala,” Tan shared.
“And ‘yung mga nawala hindi biro. ‘Yung Abando is MVP while ‘yung Ambohot Finals MVP. So mahirap ilagay agad ‘yung mindset sa three-peat.”
The coach also felt that three-peat expectations would just be added pressure to the team, though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Kami, one game at a time lang,” said Tan. “But we welcomed that pressure.”
NCAA Season 98. Letran Knights at the Season 98 Opening Ceremony. Photo: Angela Davocol
Despite the roster exits, Letran had a formidable squad returning.
Yu, the former Finals MVP, returned as team captain and court general. Players like Caralipio, Brent Paraiso, Louie Sangalang, and Kurt Reyson came back ready to take on larger roles. Veteran Tommy Olivario also returned as a steadying presence for the team.
They also brought in some promising young players like Kobe Monje, Kevin Santos, and Rafael Go to play significant roles.
“Ako firm believer talaga ako na our team should not just be about sa mga stars namin. Hindi kami mananalo if isa or dalawa or tatlo lang ang gagawa,” Tan added.
“It has to be everybody.”
It was not an easy road for the Knights despite their depth and chemistry, however, as they struggled with on-court incidents that brought them to the attention of the league officials multiple times.
Paraiso and Sangalang were both suspended two games in the elimination round, while three players, including Yu, were suspended for at least one game in the Finals. Paraiso and Pao Javillonar were also reprimanded by the commissioner during the final series.
“Hanggang ngayon iniisip ko ‘yan. Hindi ko pa rin makakalimutan. There were a lot of intrigues, a lot of drama and minsan parang hindi na basketball ‘yung topic. I can say na nakaapekto talaga siya sa isip ng mga bata,” Tan said.
But he stressed: “They made us stronger.”
The biggest loss maybe, was the ejection and suspension of Yu. The Tondo-born guard had a productive season, averaging 10.81 points, 4.38 rebounds, and a team-best 1.95 steals.
But a disqualifying foul in Game 2 put an abrupt end to the graduating guard’s collegiate career, leaving him on the sidelines for the do-or-die Game 3 of the title series against De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
NCAA Season 98. Letran Knights vs Benilde Blazers, NCAA Finals, Game 2, December 11, 2022. Photo: Angela Davocol
“Siguro naman napatunayan ko na kaya kong maglaro. Pangit lang talaga ‘yung nangyaring exit... Life goes on.”
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Letran point guard Fran Yu after Game 3 of the NCAA Season 98 Finals
In the season’s biggest moments, though, the now-seasoned Knights, hardened by years of championship experience, proved that Yu could count on his teammates as much as they counted on him.
Caralipio, who had been part of the team for all three titles, was able to spread his wings to eventually claim the Season 98 Finals MVP plum after churning our 20 points to punctuate his final collegiate playing year.
Paraiso, who came into his own after the exit of Abando, provided a big boost with 16 points as well.
Sangalang was outstanding in the first two games of the NCAA Finals and shone brightly on the defensive end in the clincher as they limited Season 98 MVP Will Gozum of Benilde to 10 points in the rubber match.
And Olivario, the veteran who was tasked to fill in for the leadership void in the absence of their captain Yu, provided the presence beyond the stat sheet as he closed out his college stint with a fourth NCAA title.
Beyond the veterans, young guns like Monje and Go provided timely contributions in Game 3 while scorer Reyson looks poised to become one of the team leaders in his fourth year next season alongside Javillonar.
With players up and down the roster stepping up at the right moment, Tan feels justified in his belief that this three-peat team was a special one.
“I think what made this team special is that the bonding of our players and the daily healthy competition during our practice sessions made our team more up to the challenge,” Tan added.
“Everyone is willing to learn, veterans helping out rookies, rookies manning up to defend and go up against veterans. All of them wanted to win. All of them wanted one goal, which is to become champions.”
It may have been years in the making, but this Letran team finally accomplished what past squads could only dream about.
The three-peat dream: completed. And that assures this unlikely Letran dynasty goes down as one of the school’s all-time greats.
Editing by Mikkel Bolante.
