San Miguel Beer’s Jericho Cruz and Don Trollano celebrate during the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals against Ginebra.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: 2025 PBA Philippine Cup – San Miguel vs TNT

MANILA, Philippines–San Miguel Beer’s “Adamson Boys” will look to win another PBA championship at the expense of Grand Slam-seeking TNT, this time with old mentor Leo Austria calling the shots.

Jericho Cruz, Don Trollano and Rodney Brondial are seen as crucial pieces in the Beermen’s quest to wrest back dominance of the all-Filipino tournament, especially after they play crucial roles in the Game 7 semifinal decider against crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra.

READ: PBA: San Miguel not taking short-handed San Miguel lightly

“I’m so happy because back in our college days, we couldn’t compete for a Final Four spot,” Trollano said in Filipino. “Fast forward here in the professional ranks, the highest level you can play in the Philippines, and we’re competing for a championship, so it’s a great honor for me and for us.”

Trollano is also glad to be playing with Austria at the helm, after the four were winners back in the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup when the nine-time champion was relegated to the role of consultant in lieu of Jorge Gallent.

Austria returned to his familiar role in the Commissioner’s Cup before bouncing back from the Beermen’s shock playoff absence in that conference to reach their familiar place in the Philippine Cup Finals.

“I never dreamed of having them as my players [in the PBA] because it was never in the cards. But I guess it’s destiny,” said Austria in Filipino.

READ: Jericho Cruz revives Beermen’s ‘Martilyo Gang’ in PBA semis

Trollano played three UAAP seasons for Adamson from 2012 to 2014, but failed to make the Final Four each time. Cruz donned the Falcons uniforms for only two years before turning pro after the 2013 campaign.

Brondial, on the other hand, enjoyed some Final Four experience after being discovered by Austria at an interbarangay league in Quezon City during his career at the San Marcelino campus in Manila from 2010 to 2013.

Cruz and Brondial have been with San Miguel since 2022 as unrestricted free agents before Trollano made it three former Adamsonians the following year after being acquired from NLEX via a three-team trade with NorthPort.