UP starts title defense bid against La Salle as UAAP Season 85 opens

The University of the Philippines will start its title defense bid against De La Salle University as the University Athletic Association of the Philippines opens its 85th season on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Despite being the defending champions, Fighting Maroons head coach Goldwyn Monteverde believes all teams gave their best in their preparation for the season.

"First, winning a championship last season doesn't mean this season, sigurado [na]," Monteverde said in a press conference on Thursday. "I think every team or every coach would really prepare to face yung magiging challenge for this season."

For them, Monteverde said, "When we play, we just make sure that we'll be ready and prepared."

The Diliman-based squad is one of the coaches' picks for the team to beat, along with World University Basketball champs Ateneo de Manila, which was also a finalist last season.

Others also chose De La Salle University as a team to beat after its championship run in the PBA D-League, and La Salle's Evan Nelle agreed to it.

"I really think we are the favorites because of the way we bonded, the way our preseason games concluded," Nelle said.

The Green Archers won the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup last August and were semifinalists in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason tournament.

"We really showed what we can do as a team and the bonding was really different from the bubble season," he added. "We're number one."

UP and La Salle will face each other at 4 pm, while Adamson University and the University of Santo Tomas will commence the basketball tournament at 2 pm.

—JMB, GMA News