Games this Saturday (Araneta Coliseum)
2 p.m. — UE vs UP
4 p.m. — NU vs Ateneo

Defending two-time champion Ateneo tries to get back on the winning track when it faces National University this Saturday in the 73rd UAAP basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles must still be stewing after they suffered a 66-63 setback at the hands of arch-nemesis La Salle on Saturday and will likely vent their ire on the Bulldogs who themselves are eager to bounce back after a 59-58 loss to University of Santo Tomas.

For Ateneo coach Norman Black, the setback against La Salle is just a minor bump and he doesn't see a need to push the panic button. The team has been in a similar situation last year after being jolted by the University of the Philippines.

"Most of these players have championship experience so I don't expect them to just roll over and die. I expect them to bounce back," said Black, whose squad hasn't suffered back-to-back losses since the 2007 season.

But against the Bulldogs, Justin Chua, Nico Salva, Kirk Long, Eman Monfort, Eric Salamat and Ryan Buenafe – all veterans of Ateneo’s last two championships – must play with more consistency if they hope to prevail in the 4 p.m. game.

Although the team of NU coach Eric Gonzales has allowed its opponents a league-high 62.6 points per game, the Bulldogs, currently in sixth place at 2-3, are hoping that an improved defense can produce better results this Saturday.

Meanwhile, University of the East and UP meet in the first game at 2 p.m. in a collision of two winless teams. Both teams dropped their first four games.

The Red Warriors, a finalist last year, have been struggling this season despite the presence of superstar guard Paul Lee and James Martinez.

On the other hand, the Fighting Maroons are on a crossroads after rumors swirled that coach Aboy Castro has been removed in favor of newly-appointed consultant Boyet Fernandez.

But school officials stressed that Castro is still the coach of the team although he’s on leave. Fernandez is now sharing the coaching duties with assistant coaches Potit de Vera and Jerry Codiñera.