MANILA, Philippines – When Franz Pumaren was hired to be the coach of the Adamson Falcons in 2015, he wasn’t shy about his intentions.
Brought in to change the fortunes of a struggling basketball program, the multi-titled head coach said that his mission was to deliver a UAAP championship to the university.
In the two years since Pumaren has been calling the shots, the Falcons have made it to the Final Four round of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament.
The last time Adamson was UAAP champion was in 1977. A little over four decades later, and the team believes they can finally return to the finals for a shot at the title that has eluded them for so long.
How does the team look?
Adamson lost a major piece in starting point guard Rob Manalang who graduated after last season. The Falcons also lost the services of veteran Dawn Ochea and Terence Mustre to graduation, while former recruits Ty Hill and Kurt Lojera transferred to La Salle. (READ: Ahanmisi, Manganti expect Adamson to reach UAAP Finals)
The Falcons have a handful of players who are going to be rookies in Season 81, with a few of them arriving from the Queen City of the South, Cebu.
These guys are Vince Magbuhos, Will Magbuhos, Jed Colonia, Jerome Lastimosa, EG Monica, CJ Catapuson, and Mike Macion.
Expected to lead the team this season is captain Sean Manganti, who displayed UAAP star potential during the preseason. The Falcons will also rely heavily on the likes of Jerrick Ahanmisi and foreign student-athlete Papi Sarr.
For more on this year’s Adamson team, check out the video above.
– Rappler.com
