After over two months of brutal, bang-it-up competition, San Beda's Red Lions and the Philippine Christian University Dolphins have arranged a championship showdown for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 82 Men's Basketball Championship. San Beda practically tore through the league winning 12 games in a row after a one-and-one start. Philippine Christian was on and off until the Final 4 when they finally played like the contenders they are. San Beda easily disposed of the upstart Mapua Cardinals while PCU ripped the erstwhile defending champion Letran Knights.

Both teams will be going into the Big Dance with a lot to prove. PCU returns to the Finals, it's third straight appearance after winning the title in 2004. San Beda returns after a nine-year absence in the championship showdown, their last crown coming in 1978 behind the exploits of Chito Loyzaga and Company. This may sound clich but it is definitely going to be a question of hunger more than anything else: whoever wants the crown more will find a way to win it all.

For the Red Lions their battlecry is "End 28 at 82", as they seek to bring the Title back to Mendiola after nearly 30 years bereft of the premiere prize in amateur hoopdom. It is a most apt mantra for the proud Red and White, and one they are on the verge of bringing to full fruition. The Dolphins however have a lot to prove as well. Dismissed as flukes after their 2004 title reign, they are trying to cement their reputation as a premiere team in the college game. With their third straight trip to the Finals after a so-so regular season it seems the critics have finally stopped carping.

San Beda will lean on a crew that features a nearly perfect mix of youth and experience. Old Lions Alex Angeles, Yousif Al Jammal, Bam Gamalinda and Bong Maggay join forces with two sensational rookies in the "Lion King", Nigerian center Samuel Ekwe, crackerjack pointguard John Paul Escobal as well as sophomore hotshot Ogie Menor. This team can execute in the halfcourt as well as fill the lanes in transition. They have a multitude of options on offense, from the post work of Al Jammal and Ekwe, the long toms of Escobal and Angeles, to the slashing and transition sprinting of Menor and Gamalinda. On defense they have the league's best shotblocker in Ekwe, as well as the flexible zone and fullcourt trap looks of cerebral coach Koy Banal.

Ekwe in particular has played like the giant he is, as he is an overwhleming favorite to win the Most Valuable Player award, making him only the second rookie to do so after the man he will most likely match up against on the other side. His great learning curve has allowed him to progress by leaps and bounds over the season, and now he will get his most critical test as a baller.

One concern here for San Beda may be overeagerness in the din and glare of that is the NCAA Finals. None of these players have ever been to anything remotely comparable to the decades of tradition and the pressures of institutional expectation all coming to a head in the Big Dance. It is one thing to run roughshod in the regular season, quite another to be the one and only focus of attention in the Finals. Coach Banal, who has championship experience leading the Far Eastern Tamaraws to the UAAP Title in 2003, must find a way to steady the ship for his boys and keep them focused on basketball.

As for PCU, this is a return to familiar territory for the Blue and Silver. Perenial MVP contender Gabriel Espinas and his able sidekick Jason Castro are back to try and win their second Title in three years. Their collective experience alone is already a big advantage. In a season that saw Coach Junel Baculi resign, leaving the team to assistant Joel Dualan, the Dolphins look poised to erase every bad memory of this season. Ripping Letran in the semifinals was a statement more than a victory, as PCU showed it is still highly capable of beating the best of teams. Dualan to his credit did a fine job letting his team play and not trying to reinvent the wheel with his interim appointment.

Espinas and Castro have able help in bigman Beau Belga, forward Listzian Amparado and swingman Ian Garrido, all of whom have deep experience and talent. These three find a way to raise their game in the Big Dance. Belga has been one of the most underrated bigmen in the league throughout his entire career. Amparado has slowly emerged as a quiet but effective player. Garrido, whose disappearing acts in crucial games has been infuriating at times, is still one of the best at his position. This is one crew that knows how to play under pressure and deliver. With Espinas and Castro anchoring them, and their able support players doing everything else, PCU is a tough customer especially in the Finals.

Perhaps the biggest thing going for PCU is the fact that they were the only team who beat the mighty Red Lions. They did that with tough defense, crisp ball movement, smart execution and a disciplined approach to the game, not allowing San Beda to get into their comfort zones. This may not mean anything in these Finals now but there is still something to be said for precedent.

All things considered San Beda has the edge in depth and personnel; they are bigger across the board and have at least 11 players to rotate. But PCU definitely has the edge in terms of Finals experience. Espinas somehow always finds a way to raise his already impressive game in the Finals, and he's been doing it for the last three years, ditto Castro and even Garrido. Momentum however is definitely wearing red and white, and it could go all the way.

All things considered, I believe the boys from Mendiola will finally celebrate something they haven't had in 28 years, an NCAA seniors basketball championship.