The UP Fighting Maroons enter UAAP Season 89 as the team to beat, led by their headline addition, transferee forward Veejay Pre, who is set to make his debut with them this weekend. Pre was the Season 87 Rookie of the Year with the FEU Tamaraws before making what he called the “hardest decision ever” to transfer to UP.

The Maroons are looking for a bit of redemption too, having lost to the DLSU Green Archers last season in a best-of-three finals series that went the distance. They will be without their graduated “Maroon 5” of Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Reyland Torres, Janjan Felicilda, and Terrence Fortea, but a loaded transfer class should more than make up for it.

Alongside Pre, UP also welcomes James Payosing, the NCAA Season 99 Finals MVP out of San Beda, and Rainer Maga from the University of the East. They’re joined by a strong holdover group that includes fellow UE transferees from previous years Noy Remogat and Gani Stevens, plus Jacob Bayla, arguably the best perimeter defender in the UAAP today, and foreign student-athlete Francis Nnoruka.

UP is favored to win its third title in six seasons, having previously won it all in Season 84 and 87.

Standing in their way is DLSU, the reigning champion and winner of two of the last three titles in Seasons 86 and 88. The Green Archers lost last year’s Finals MVP, center Mike Phillips, a significant blow given how much of their identity ran through him as their anchor on both ends of the floor. Still, they enter the season with a proven core in Jacob Cortez, Luis Pablo, Mason Amos, Earl Abadam, and JC Macalalag, but the road looks similarly steep to last season. DLSU won the title in Season 88 as the lowly fourth seed after barely making it to the Final Four over FEU and Ateneo before beating the first place NU Bulldogs despite a twice-to-beat advantage.

With UP’s roster this talented and the UST Growling Tigers and FEU Tamaraws also expected to be in the mix for the top spots in the elimination round, the Green Archers may again have to fight just to make the top four.

UST lost Nic Cabanero and Forthsky Padrigao, but still boasts arguably the league’s best foreign student-athlete in center Collins Akowe, and holdovers Mark Llemit, Amiel Acido, Gelo Crisostomo, and Koji Buenaflor who are all expected to take a leap this season.

FEU, meanwhile, brings back a largely intact roster led by reigning UAAP MVP Janrey Pasaol, Jorick Bautista, Jedric Daa, Kirby Mongcopa, Liam Salangsang, and foreign student-athlete Mo Konateh. The Tamaraws are also adding Season 88 boys’ basketball MVP Cabs Cabonillas from their juniors program.

Both UST and FEU should be considered legitimate championship contenders given their mix of experienced holdovers and talented recruits.

Ateneo and Adamson both have the tools to sneak into the Final Four as dark horses, leaning on their explosive backcourts, while NU and UE have brought in enough fresh faces of their own and could make some noise this season.

The season tips off on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. FEU faces Adamson at noon, followed by a Final Four rematch between DLSU and NU at 2:30 p.m., before UP and UST close out the day at 6 p.m.