MANILA, Philippines – San Beda College enters the NCAA Season 92 men's basketball tournament with high hopes despite losing nearly all of its starters from the squad that made it all the way to the Finals last season.

Nigerian reinforcement Ola Adeogun and Ryusei Koga have graduated, and Baser Amer and Arthur dela Cruz are already playing in the PBA, leaving team captain Dan Sara as the only remnant of their Season 91 starting five.

"It's not a joke, losing our key players from last year," said San Beda coach Jamike Jarin. "But we have faith in our young players, that they can step up this year and fill those massive voids."

Jarin has yet to name his starters, but it looks like Sara, Jayvee Mocon, AC Soberano, Donald Tankoua, and Robert Bolick will get the spots.

Arnaud Noah, a 6-foot-1 guard and 2014 NCAA All-Star Slam Dunk champion, will back Tankoua, while Fil-Am shooter Davon Potts are expected to come off the bench along with Ranbill Tongco, Jerame Cabanag, and Jose Mari Presbiterio.

Jarin also downplayed San Beda's quarterfinal exit in the 2016 FilOil Flying V Premier Cup, wherein they lost to Arellano University and failed to advance to the semis for the first time in the event's history.

(READ: Unstoppable Jalalon wills Arellano into Filoil Finals)

"Arellano is a veteran team, while our team is younger," he pointed out. "But the season is long, and we'll try to learn on the fly in every game we play in the NCAA."

As they did last year, the Red Lions are expected to try to run their opponents to the ground with their fast-paced, run-and-gun game.

"I'd like to call my team a track and field team, because we love to run and quicken the pace as much as we can," he said.

The Lions are trying to reclaim the title that they lost to Colegio de San Juan de Letran in last year's highly competitive finals, which went the full three-game route. San Beda has also made the league finals for then straight seasons, winning eight championships.

The road to glory will be harder this time, with teams like Arellano having improved tremendously.

"It will be a tough season for sure, but we're always confident, and we're keeping the faith," said Jarin.

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