When the ordinary basketball fan takes a look at the last couple of years of Perpetual Help basketball, it might be difficult to imagine that as late as the middle of the decade that the Altas of the amiable Tamayo Family figured in the NCAA basketball championship. That was the time they still had the likes of Vladimir Joe and Fritz Bauzon, and a slew of talented players who competed and battled and and hustled for every possession in every game.

Since then, Perpetual Help has mostly spun its wheels. It is not because they lack talent or even size. They’ve had and continue to have quite a number of players with good skill and big fighting heart. Hotshot guard Ronald Reyes, and the Kong Brothers used to pit themselves shot for shot against the best college stars in the league and in the country. Forward Boy Balboa was also a solid contributor, as was center Nat Salanga. They used to be mentored by the indefatigable Bay Cristobal, a PBA legend and a man with a college championship pedigree. Somehow all this just was not enough to keep them at least over .500 over the last three years or so.

In Season 85, it was another disappointing campaign for the Altas as they failed to even break even in their standing. Some games were close, but a lot of games were blowouts, and not the type that Perpetual Help fans like. It seemed these Altas were always in the game up to the first half only, sometimes only in the first quarter. Suddenly the opposing team would get on a run and Perpetual Help was staring a huge double-digit deficit in the face, seemingly unable to mount a counter-attack or even a credible defense to stem the tide. “We always want to be competitive in a tough league like the NCAA, although it can be really hard,” said head coach Boris Aldeguer in one offseason interview.

Some old reliable and some new faces stepped up last season and are returning to the roster this season. Brawny 6-foot-3 center-forward Raffy Ynion leads the charge. Ynion may not have the height of other NCAA post players, but he does bring his thick and muscular frame into the low blocks where he is nearly impossible to move. Also returning is a pair of hotshot guards: 5-foot-8 Robin Rono and 5-foot-9 Chris Elopre. Rono and Elopre play similar games, and neither is a pure pointguard or a pure off-guard. Both can score from long range and heat up in a hurry. Both can run the wings in transition and even anchor the break after the first outlet. Hopefully they learned how to be better distributors and handlers over the offseason because they will be the primary press break of the Altas.

There are also a couple of newcomers who might be able to contribute right away for Coach Aldeguer. Arguably the most notable of these new guys would be Arnold Danganan, a 5-foot-11 swingman who played a couple of seasons with NAASCU powerhouse STI College. Danganan was a stone scorer who could cut up defenses, fill the lanes and shoot from just about anywhere as an Olympian.

Junior division action has been even tougher for the high school team, since the NCAA is considered the best high school tournament in the country. They did however make some Final 4 noise in Season 85. Joseph Eriobu is no longer with the team, which means pointguard Gino Alolino is their new heart and soul.