San Beda College may be leading the pack after the first round of eliminations in the 90th National Collegiate Athletic Association seniors basketball tournament, but other teams have caught on with the most dominant team in the league in the last eight seasons.

With the second round of hostilities already underway, let’s take a look at the five squads to watch out for and will give the four-time defending champion a tough challenge in the last stretch of the season.

Arellano University
First round: 7-2, tied for first
Second round first four: San Sebastian, Mapua, Perpetual Help, Benilde

When Arellano University lost star swingman James Forrester after last season, then decided to skip this year’s Filoil Flying V Premier Cup tournament after hiring Jerry Codiñera as their new head coach, both pundits and fans alike thought that the Chiefs will miss the Final Four boat this season.

However, their performance has proven otherwise with the resurgence of potential 2014 PBA Draft sleepers John Pinto, Keith Jasper Agovida, and newcomer American center Dioncee Holts.

Plus, the recent play of Levi Hernandez and Jiovani Jalalon – a frontrunner as the season’s most improved player – further helped their cause in gaining quality wins against highly-touted squads, including last year’s Final Four cast Perpetual Help, San Sebastian, and two-time bridesmaid finisher Letran.

The Chiefs will have a tough stretch in their first five games, including games against mid-table squads Perpetual Help, Benilde, and Jose Rizal U at the halfway point of the second round.

Jose Rizal University
First round: 6-3, third
Second round first four: Letran, EAC, Lyceum, Perpetual Help

After a rocky start to the season, losing back-to-back at the hands of San Beda and San Sebastian, Head Coach Vergel Meneses decided to wake up his wards by applying the silent treatment and not attending practices as a sign of protest.

It worked wonders.

This season’s hosts, which missed the Final Four in the last two years, won all six games in their last seven contests – including a thrilling triple-overtime triumph over Arellano U, probably this college season’s best match – to etch their name into the Final Four picture this season.

Philip Paniamogan proved that his performance last season was no fluke, hitting big shots from downtown when the team needed it the most. He averages 18.0 points per ballgame on a 34 percent clip from long range, besting his 14.0 points per game on a 33 percent shooting clip from three-point distance.

Supporting his cause are Michael Mabulac (10.4 points, 46% field goals, 9.2 rebounds) and ex-Perpetual Help guard Jaycee Asuncion (10.0 points, 35% field goals, 2.3 assists), while rookie import Abdul Wahab Abdul Razak (7.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.0 block) has played superb defense during games where his play shows up.

Just like Abdul Wahab’s game, the Bombers need consistency in their play to continue their winning streak and nab their first berth in the Final Four since Season 87.

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
First round: 5-4, tied for fourth
Second round first four: EAC, Lyceum, San Beda, San Sebastian

Last season’s heartbreak kids are gone.

In similar fashion to their rocky start last season, the Blazers dropped heartbreakers against Emilio Aguinaldo College, Jose Rizal U, and San Sebastian College where they could have won the ballgame in the fourth period.

But things started picking up with back-to-back wins against last season’s finalists Letran College and San Beda College, and the Blazers never looked back.

The troika of Mark Romero (16.0 points, 43% field goals, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists), Paolo Taha (13.2 points, 39% field goals, 6.7 rebounds), and Luis Sinco (5.3 points, 30% 3-point field goals) – all playing their final tour of duty – are determined to end Benilde’s 11-year Final Four drought.

However, Benilde faces their enemy right in front of a mirror, as inconsistent play down the stretch in close games proves to be their worst problem in their close defeats to Arellano (66-67), and San Sebastian (72-74) all came down to their failure to either hold on to the lead and/or have the killer’s instinct to finish the job in the end.

University of Perpetual Help System Dalta
First round: 5-4, tied for fourth
Second round first four: Lyceum, Letran, Arellano, Jose Rizal U

Despite a hot start, Coach Aric Del Rosario’s magic may have sputtered as the season rolled on for Perpetual Help.

Going unbeaten in their first three games, the tide shifted as losses piled on against top shelf squads Jose Rizal U (62-61), Arellano (97-85), San Beda (77-75), and Benilde (77-73) in the final stretch of the first round.

Despite the brilliance of runaway most valuable player race leader Earl Thompson (17.3 points, 43% field goals, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.1 steals), together with pro bound teammates Juneric Baloria (22.2 points, 42% field goals, 2.7 assists) and Harold Arboleda (14.1 points, 44% field goals, 9.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists), the trio gets extended minutes on the floor compared to the rest of the squad.

In the first round alone, Del Rosario has been heavily reliant on the starting five of Thompson (35.3), Baloria (33.1), Arboleda (36.8), Justine Alano (30.0), and Joel Jolangcob (20.4) to log in the most minutes for the team, leaving the rest of the squad – save for top reserves in rookie Ric Gallardo (12.0), Gerald Dizon (11.2), and Gab Dangangon (10.7) – with less than six minutes on the floor.

Three of their four losses this season have been decided by four points or less, which could have been wins had the squad maintained a reliable set of reserves that would have given the starters enough rest to close out the match.

Instead, the reed-thin bench cast may prove to be the team’s downfall in the end.

For them to advance to the Final Four for the third straight time, they need to find three to four guys from their bench mob that will give their starters the much-needed backup during the middle stretch of the match.

Lyceum of the Philippines University
First round: 5-4, tied for fourth
Second round first four: Perpetual Help, Benilde, Jose Rizal U, Mapua

Despite losing two key players from their run last season, LPU is currently on pace to become the first-ever guest team to qualify into the round of four.

With Arwin Azores and Aziz Faycal Mbomiko both gone before their season started, the Pirates lost two of their first three matches before gaining quality wins over Mapua, JRU, and EAC to get their bearings going this season.

Old reliables Dexter Zamora (12.3 points) and Wilson Baltazar (10.6 points), together with newcomers Joseph Gabayni (11.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks) and Guy Mbida Essono (12.8 points, 6.8 rebounds) have been sharing the load for the Pirates, now on their fifth and final year on probation by the league.

In the second round, however, LPU must win at least two of their games against the four top shelf squads San Beda, Perpetual Help, Benilde, and Arellano U to boost their chances in making a run into the post-season.