Let the jostling for Final Four slots begin.
We've reached the halfway point of the UAAP's 76th Season, and judging from the way the team standings have looked, nothing is yet a point of certainty. Even 6-0 FEU, who has soared to great heights led by its 3 guard rotation of former UAAP MVP RR Garcia, the erratic yet explosive Terence Romeo, and spitfire Mike Tolomia, should still be wary of how the road ahead looks. Two games in the loss column, for example, and they could fall off the win radar as fast as they managed to own the league's gold baton at the season's halfway point.
Season 76 has proven to be yet another woebegone season for the UP Fighting Maroons. What ails UP has long been a point of contention. Is it the coaching? Is it the lack of facilities? Is it the school's sports culture? As presently constructed- and I've mentioned this is a previous post- UP has a lot of individual talent. Joseph Marata is a stud, a wingman with a shooting touch much like (or even better than) that of his dad, Ric-Ric. He has a good physique also which allows him to be a formidable rebounder and slasher. Chris Ball has a lot of raw athleticism, but too little a development in terms of having a well-rounded perimeter game, or, a consistent set of go to moves. What big man Raul Soyud lacks in speed, he makes up for with veteran savvy and raw power in the shaded lane. While all the prognoses on these cagers look sterling on paper, it's when everything's put together that things get touchy. It's like the Los Angeles Lakers circa 2012-2013. So many great stars- Nash, Gasol, Kobe, Jamison, Howard, etc. Individually, gems, for sure. Collectively, a gaudy ring made, well, too gaudy for anyone to actually buy (into).
Add the mismatched roster to a lengthy history of losing and what you get is another lost campaign for State U.
I like the games of Roi Sumang and Jericho Cruz. These young guns represent the future of the UAAP, and possibly, of pro and national hoops. These guys can shoot, slash, rebound, and just hustle like a monster truck on a dirt course. They just keep going until they can't go no more.
So our Defending Champs Ateneo got their second win of the year last Sunday by dispatching (yes, you guessed it) the UP Fighting Maroons to the tune of 72-64. Kiefer Ravena, who has begun to look a little like his old self, chipped in 15 points. Chris Newsome (kudos on the alley-oop dunk to ice the game), Juami Tiongson and Ryan Buenafe all scored in double figures as well. The real story for the Eagles, however, has been how their big men have struggled this season. JP Erram and Frank Golla are not scorers- not by any stretch, however, falling short in terms of what is expected of them- setting bone crunching picks, running back quickly off of those picks, boxing out, etc, is something Coach Bo Perasol should not be quick to forgive. Erram and Golla have had the tendency to:
-Set screens and very slowly rotate back, resulting in gloom and doom for Ateneo's diminutive 4 players who scramble to cover larger players like La Salle's Arnold Van Opstal, or, UE's Charles Mammie (who torched the Eagles for 20 points and 23 rebounds last week).
-Golla and Erram's tendency to lurk in the perimeter has also led to turnovers. The two are not exactly Nash and Stockton in terms of being ballhandlers, so, more often than not, they find possession being stolen from them by smaller, more athletic players from the opposition, or, they end up taking ill advised jump shots (unless they can be as consistent as their predecessors- Slaughter, Al-Hussaini, Arao- then, they can't continue to lurk outside as much as they do).
Ateneo has tended to rely too much on the 3 ball to determine whether they win or go home. With guys like Chris Newsome and Ryan Buenafe in the lineup, you would think that they should run more pick and rolls and pick and pops.
Indeed, the Blue and White of this year- while the team and community's spirit remains- is a totally different squad which ran roughshod over the competition in Season 75.
**More UAAP commentary to come soon.
Cheers,
MC
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