Veteran head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba huddles the Webmasters during practice at the Cebu City Sports Institute gym. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa
Cebu City, Philippines—Can the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters finally scale the mountain and reach the peak of the Cesafi men’s basketball tournament this season?
UC is definitely hungry for the championship after finishing in fourth place last season. The Webmasters have not held the title since 2011 — which was the very last season of reigning PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo in the Cesafi.
UC’s decorated head coach Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba is looking forward to turn things around with a squad that features 10 new players.
According to the multi-titled mentor, the Webmasters were doing well last season until the bottom fell off during the middle of the season due to injuries suffered by several key players.
“In the first round, we were good in the standings but we collapsed because of the injuries,” said Alcoseba during the team’s practice session at the Cebu City Sports Institute, adding they are now looking positive with the addition of a new import in Tosh Sesay.
Know more about the team’s preparation for the new season in this video:
Sesay, who is from Sierra Leone, provides ceiling to a UC squad that sorely lacked just that last season.
The Webmasters’ frontline has also been bolstered by several blue-chip recruits such as Rodel Gravera, Luigi Gabisan and Kirby Bersaluna.
UC’s backcourt, meanwhile, will still be led by flashy guard Darrell Shane Menina, athletic wingman and team captain John Calvin Jabello, and Paul Galinato.
The Webmasters had sharpshooter Tristan Albina for all of the preseason but the two-time Cesafi Three-Point champion was declared ineligible a few days ago.
Read: Tristan Albina on Cesafi ineligibility: ‘It’s heartbreaking’
“Basically our team is new, and with regards to the approach of every game, every game is a 50-50 game. We must bring our A-game every time we step on the court. Everyone can beat everyone. That’s how balanced the teams are this season. Expect high intensity basketball in all the games,” said UC’s lead assistant, Rafael “Rocky” Alcoseba.
The elder Alcoseba added that the Webmasters are looking to improve on their third place finish in the preseason Partner’s Cup and have set their eyes on claiming one of the top-two spots this season in order to claim a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.
“If the Partner’s Cup is a gauge of what will happen in the Cesafi, we were third place. We’re not contented. Hopefully we can make adjustments in the upcoming Cesafi. Our preparation is already there, we have plenty of new players and hopefully, they can adjust to the system. Our intentions in the Cesafi is the place either first or second to get that twice-to-beat advantage,” said Alcoseba.
The 2019 season of the Cesafi gets underway on August 31, 2019 at the Cebu Coliseum. The defending champions of men’s basketball are the University of the Visayas Green Lancers. /bmjo