Lyceum Pirates basketball

Lyceum Pirates
2023 Lyceum Pirates basketball team
University	Lyceum of the Philippines University
Head coach	Gilbert Malabanan (2nd season)
Location	Intramuros, Manila
Nickname	Pirates
Colors	International Red and Gray
PCCL Champion
2017
ISAA Champion
2009, 2010

The Lyceum Pirates basketball program represents Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in men's basketball as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines) (NCAA). The Lyceum Pirates previously co-founded the Inter-Scholastic Athletic Association (ISAA).

History

Run at MUCAA

Leo Austria and Dante Gonzalgo played for Lyceum while it was a member of the now defunct Manila Universities and Colleges Athletic Association (MUCAA) in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[1]

Stint with NCRAA

The Lyceum Pirates previously saw the likes of Gary David and Chico Lanete play for the Intramuros-based school.[2] Playing at the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA), Bay Cristobal coached Lyceum at this time.[3] The Pirates were defeated by the St. Francis Doves in 2003.[4]

ISAA champions

Coached by Bonnie Tan starting in 2003, the Pirates won two undefeated championships in the ISAA, and two runs to the Sweet 16 in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL).[5]

Entry to the NCAA

Lyceum then entered the NCAA as a guest team in 2011, and was admitted as a regular member in 2015. Tan resigned as coach in 2014, and was replaced by Topex Robinson.[6] They would first make it to the playoffs in 2017 when CJ Perez led them to an 18–0 elimination round record, only to lose in the finals to the San Beda Red Lions.[2] The Pirates defeated the Red Lions for the championship though in the postseason 2017 PCCL.[7] They would meet in an NCAA Finals rematch as a #2 seed with the Red Lions in the next season, but still lost.[2] The championship series saw Perez suspended in Game 1 for failing to notify the NCAA of his intentions to join the 2018 PBA Draft.[8]

The Pirates then finished second in 2019, but lost to eventual champions Letran Knights in the playoffs.[2] After being appointed as head coach of the Philippine Basketball Association's Phoenix Fuel Masters in 2018, Robinson was replaced by Jeff Perlas.[9] Perlas himself didn't coach the Pirates in an NCAA game as he resigned for personal reasons in 2021; he was replaced by Gilbert Malabanan.[10] Malabanan coached the Pirates in the 2021 bubble season to 2–7 record, way off the play-in tournament places.[11] The Pirates made it to the playoffs in the 2022 season, losing out to Letran in the semifinals.[12] They made it to Final Four the following 2023 season with a twice to beat advantage as the second seed but lost both games to the eventual champions San Beda and the Benilde Blazers in the first battle for third place in NCAA basketball history.[13]

Current roster

NCAA Season 100

LPU Pirates roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Height Year High School C 15 Aviles, Genesis 6'5" (1.96m) 3rd St Jude College Dasmariñas PF 26 Bravo, John Matthew 6'4" (1.93m) 5th – SG 3 Barba, John Ronald 6'2" (1.88m) 4th Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite G 11 Caduyac, Khen 5'9" (1.75m) 3rd Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite F 1 Colian, Desmond Ryan Jr. 6'5" (1.96m) – – PG 0 Culanay, Julian David 5'11" (1.8m) 3rd Chiang Kai-shek College PG 18 Cunanan, Vincent Greg  (C) 5'10" (1.78m) 3rd Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite F 24 Daileg, Jonathan 6'4" (1.93m) – – G 22 Gordon, Omar 6'1" (1.85m) 1st – SG 7 Guadaña, Mclaude 5'11" (1.8m) 4th Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite SF 13 Montaño, Gyle Patrick 6'3" (1.91m) 3rd Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite G 12 Moralejo, Neil Joshua 5'11" (1.8m) 2nd – G 10 Pallingayan, Lyon 5'8" (1.73m) – – F 14 Panelo, JD 6'4" (1.93m) – – G 4 Paulo, Dave 6'0" (1.83m) – – G 17 Peñafiel, Simon 6'1" (1.85m) 3rd Our Lady of Fatima University F 23 Versoza, John Michael 6'3" (1.91m) 2nd – PG 20 Villegas, Renz Adrian 5'8" (1.73m) 3rd Colegio de San Juan de Letran	Head coach Gilbert Malabanan Assistant coach(es) M.C. Caceres Neville Gido John Lopez Patrick Melencio Anthony Miano Al Vergara Legend (C) Team captain Injured Roster Updated: 2024-09-03

Head coaches

• c. 2001: Bai Cristobal
• 2003–2014: Bonnie Tan[6]
• 2014–2020: Topex Robinson[9]
• 2021–present: Gilbert Malabanan[10]

Season-by-season records

Season	League	Elimination round						Playoffs
		Pos	GP	W	L	PCT	GB	GP	W	L	Results
2009	ISAA										Won Finals
2010	ISAA										Won Finals
2011	ISAA										Lost Finals vs TIP
2011	NCAA	6th/10	18	7	11	.389	9	Did not qualify
2012	NCAA	10th/10	18	3	15	.167	12	Did not qualify
2013	NCAA	7th/10	18	8	10	.444	7	Did not qualify
2014	NCAA	7th/10	18	7	11	.389	6	Did not qualify
2015	NCAA	9th/10	18	4	14	.222	9	Did not qualify
2016	NCAA	9th/10	18	6	12	.333	8	Did not qualify
2017	NCAA	1st/10	18	18	0	1.000	—	2	0	2	Lost Finals vs San Beda
2018	NCAA	2nd/10	18	15	3	.833	2	3	1	2	Lost Finals vs San Beda
2019	NCAA	2nd/10	18	13	5	.722	5	1	0	1	Lost stepladder round 2 vs Letran
2020[a]	NCAA	Season canceled
2021[b]	NCAA	9th/10	9	2	7	.222	7	Did not qualify
2022	NCAA	3rd/10	18	12	6	.667	2	1	0	1	Lost semifinals vs Letran
2023	NCAA	2nd/10	18	13	5	.722	2	2	0	3	Lost 3rd place playoff vs Benilde
2024	NCAA	4th/10	18	10	8	.556	5	1	0	1	Lost semifinals vs Mapua
ISAA totals							—				2 championships
NCAA totals			225	118	107	.524	—	9	1	10	5 playoffs appearances

1. Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Season postponed to early 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

1. Roque, Jude (2023-01-09). "The Rivalry lists: The top five PBA players from Lyceum of the Philippines University". Rivalry Network. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
2. "Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates: Charting their own path | NCAA Philippines". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
3. "Doves go for three-peat vs Pirates". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
4. "PBA Finals: Brotherly love to take a backseat for De Ocampo cagers". GMA News Online. 2011-04-26. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
5. "Bonnie Tan steps down as Lyceum coach after more than a decade in charge of the Pirates". Spin.ph. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
6. "Bonnie Tan has one last wish for Lyceum as he passes coaching reins to Topex Robinson". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
7. "Lyceum avenges NCAA Finals loss to San Beda, claims PCCL crown – Philippines News". Retrieved 2022-10-06.
8. "Lyceum star CJ Perez suspended for Game 1 of NCAA Finals 2018". RAPPLER. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
9. "Jeff Perlas named Lyceum coach as Topex Robinson leads Phoenix". RAPPLER. 2020-10-04. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
10. "Gilbert Malabanan takes over as Jeff Perlas steps down as Lyceum coach". Spin.ph. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
11. "Mapua defeats LPU to close elims on four-game streak, boosts chance at top-two finish | NCAA Philippines". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved 2022-10-06.
12. Trinidad, Paolo (2022-11-29). "NCAA 98: Yu, Caralipio, Paraiso deliver vs Lyceum as Letran sets up clash vs CSB". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
13. Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (2023-12-01). "Lions go wild from deep, eliminate Pirates for NCAA finals return". Philstar.com.