This has been one of the most successful varsity programs over the last dozen years or so. Except for one year, they have been in every Final 4 since the format was instituted in the UAAP. They are less than five years removed from their last UAAP title, a redemption title in 2007 coming a year after the league suspended them for supposed eligibility issues of two players. This is no ordinary basketball program trying to get on-track; this is a program steeped in a championship tradition. Success is the only real option for the Green Archers.

That makes this Season 74 basketball campaign all the more urgent. Ordinary fans would be happy just fighting for a Final 4 slot. La Salle fans however are used to a much higher standard. It would not be an exaggeration to say that La Salle is on a mission of the highest import this year: bringing the UAAP cage title back to Taft Avenue. “I think it’s the championship or bust,” said a senior sports columnist. “This is like Duke or UCLA in the NCAA, just making the Final 4 is simply not enough.”

La Salle has a tall and deep roster this year, but there are some concerns that still bear close watching by the green and white fans. Top of that list is the defense. While the vaunted La Salle full court press remains a staple, its overall effectiveness seems to have diminished the last three years. La Salle used to be able to simply put the clamps on any team by pressing baseline to baseline and funneling primary and secondary handlers toward either sideline. That is when their dreaded trap players would pounce using the sideline as an effective extra defender. No team was safe. La Salle could always fuel its transition with steals and turnovers and build huge leads. They could also recover easily enough from daunting deficits.

But the last three years have seen the top teams finding ingenious ways to defeat that press. While the La Salle press remains the same – baseline-by-sideline – press breaks have gotten wise by using the age-old counter of using a big man flashing back into the middle of the backcourt to field a short pass. Other nifty counters include the simple forward pass along the baseline to any teammate ahead of the midcourt line before the trap guys pounce. Having nearly 500 square feet to cover isn’t easy, and a pass is always faster than a trap defender. Ateneo, Adamson and Far Eastern have gotten it done by recognizing the gaps and passing short.

On offense La Salle has lately been stymied by teams that force them to play slow down ball. National University beat them twice in the Fr Martin Cup by not getting into a footrace with them. University of the East turned the same trick. La Salle continues to be a team that is much better playing the transition game than the halfcourt grounding and pounding.

Key personnel for La Salle are 5-foot-6 pointguard LA Revilla, 5-foot-7 guard Simon Atkins, 5-foot-8 guard Almond Vosotros, 6-foot-2 swingman Joseph Marata, 6-foot-4 forwards Maui Villanueva and Jovet Mendoza, 6-foot-5 center-forward Yutien Andrada and long-awaited 6-foot-6 center-forward Norbert Torres. They have athletic ability, size and talent, and now they need to show they can win that title.

No such worries for La Salle Zobel though. They’ll be Season 74 junior champions.