NCAA S101 FINALS PREVIEW | LETRAN VERSUS SAN BEDA

It’s been well-documented that the Letran Knights and the San Beda Red Lions make up the best rivalry in NCAA history, at least in the Final Four era. These two programs have been at each other’s throats for years, and honestly, the ideal NCAA Finals matchup is always these two powerhouses slugging it out. San Beda leads the league with 23 championships, while Letran follows with 20. And if you combine the total titles of all the other current NCAA teams, you only get 25, with Benilde owning just one, and Perpetual, LPU, EAC, and Arellano all still searching for their first crown.

If UST isn’t winning the title, then for me, it has to be Letran. Yes, I have a bias. They’re the only Dominican school in the NCAA, founded in 1620—just nine years after UST. They’re also the alma mater of some of my favorite players: Rhenz Abando, Chris Calaguio, Louie Sangalang, Fran Yu, Brent Paraiso, and the core of that Season 95 to 98 three-peat. But hey, just because I like Letran doesn’t erase the fact that San Beda are absolute basketball monsters. Sure, they thrived during the era of foreign student-athletes, but they’ve also produced a long list of PBA-level talent. This year alone, Yukien Andrada and Bryan Sajonia are pro-bound, just like Letran’s Mark Denver Omega, Deo Cuajao, and Jun Roque. Joe Celzo, picked in the fourth round by TNT, was left unsigned.

Anyway, these two teams are in a dogfight for the Season 101 crown, and they’re being driven by two stellar rookies.

First up: San Beda's Janti Miller. This guy is an offensive menace—a 6'4" Fil-Am with shooting range and athleticism. No wonder the Red Lion veterans went from being the presumed stars to becoming his supporting cast. And if you thought he’d slow down after Round 1, not only did he sustain his output, he actually ramped it up. I don’t know if he’s one-and-done in San Beda, but I get why UAAP schools are circling.

On the other side is Jonathan “Titing” Manalili. Allen Ricardo's most precious quarterback has been a Letran Knight since his high school days, and what’s impressive is how he manages to score without upsetting his vets—mostly because they’re on the receiving end of his brilliant passes. Letran’s roster isn’t just stacked with pro prospects; they also have a championship remnant in Kevin Santos and a legit star in Jimboy Estrada. The fact that Nat Montecillo—the supposed heir to Letran's starting PG spot—has embraced a backup role along with Peter Rosillo, a former Mapúa up-and-comer who transferred for more minutes, speaks volumes about how good Manalili really is.

Throughout the eliminations, San Beda were consistently near the top, though not exactly dominant. In a regular Final Four setup, Letran still would’ve made it, but their clash with San Beda would’ve come much earlier. That said, both teams need different things from their rookies to win.

For San Beda, Miller has to score in the 20s, with Sajonia or Andrada having a monster game beside him. Occasionally, a fourth scorer like Nygel Gonzales or Jomel Puno steps up, but the Red Lions tend to win when two players hit 20 or more. In Game 1, Sajonia was the difference. In the Game 3 clincher, Miller got help from Andrada’s seven triples.

For Letran, Manalili needs to hit double digits but balance it with a big assist game.

Estrada usually delivers the big scoring punch, with Cuajao and Santos offering additional firepower. Manalili typically ends up as their third or fourth scorer. But in their recent wins, the reinforcements from Perpetual have also stepped up. Omega is viewed as the second-best big man prospect for the 2025 PBA Draft after Andrada, while Roque has emerged as an unexpected offensive spark—similar to what Puno provides for San Beda.

This is why I see Letran as the more dangerous team: they can get surprise contributions from guys like Chad Gammad and Aaron Buensalida. San Beda has similar pieces—Bismarck Lina, Zed Etulle, Joe Celzo, Penny Estacio, and Jimmy Reyes are all capable—but their roles have shrunk in the current setup. The system runs through Miller, with the bigs focused on creating extra possessions and the guards dedicated to feeding the main scorers.

UP vs. DLSU and Letran vs. San Beda are both incredible rivalries. But the NCAA showdown? That one hits a bit more personal.