UAAP Power Rankings (Start - Sept 1, 2010)

There’s a new number one in town and you’ll definitely notice him!

I might be late but I am now here.

GAME STARTS NOW!

First of all… PLUGGING TIME!

I made a post about Renren Ritualo. He has been recently added to the Powerade Tigers’ cast and hopefully this will reunify him with his former scoring machine self. See it when you type www.sydrified.blogspot.com at your browser.

Anyway, I have been busy lately so hopefully you’ll be contented with the details or lack thereof of the current rankings. Inside the Top 20, Ateneo’s Nico Salva failed to salvage a place.

Don’t worry though because he was replaced by another Eagle.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:

20 EAGLES – JUSTIN CHUA (FORMERLY # 19)
19 BULLDOGS – JOSEPH HERMOSISIMA (FORMERLY # 18)
18 EAGLES – RYAN BUENAFE (RETURNING)
17 ARCHERS – SIMON ATKINS (FORMERLY # 20)
16 MAROONS – MIKE SILUNGAN (FORMERLY # 14)
15 ARCHERS – MAUI VILLANUEVA (FORMERLY # 16)
14 EAGLES – KIRK LONG (FORMERLY # 12)
13 MAROONS – WOODY CO (FORMERLY # 15)
12 FALCONS – ERIC CAMSON (FORMERLY # 8)
11 MAROONS – ALVIN PADILLA (FORMERLY # 13)

THE TOP TEN:

10 TIGERS – JERIC FORTUNA (FORMERLY # 11)
STATS: 10.2PPG, 3.9RPG, 4.5APG, 1.4SPG
His points are still inconsistent but the other facets of his game remains on sync. Until we see a dominant big man wearing the UST colors, we will never see his true potential.

9 EAGLES – ERIC SALAMAT (FORMERLY # 6)
STATS: 10.7PPG, 2.8RPG, 4.2APG, 2.0SPG
He started the season weak but slowly and surely his stats blossomed. I expect him to lead the drive of the Eagles to the title now that they are safely in the Final Four.

8 TAMARAWS – REIL CERVANTES (FORMERLY # 9)
STATS: 11.7PPG, 6.5RPG, 2.7APG
Fresh from a suspension due to over-eagerness to inflict pain, this is the season where he needs to excel. Perhaps the “time out” happened to teach him focus.

7 MAROONS – MAGI SISON (FORMERLY # 7)
STATS: 10.9PPG, 9.0RPG, 1.0APG, 1.8BPG
Wonder why most of the players in the top ten come from cellar-dwelling squads? Probably because most of the players from these teams attack their foes by their lonesome! Magi is a case in point.

6 TAMARAWS – RR GARCIA (FORMERLY # 4)
STATS: 17.5PPG, 3.7RPG, 2.5APG
The league’s leading scorer is finding himself drifting to the back part of the top ten but don’t pity him. With FEU preparing for the Final Four, I’m sure he’ll rather have a win than to top this chart.

5 TIGERS – CHRIS CAMUS (FORMERLY # 3)
STATS: 10.9PPG, 9.1RPG, 1.7APG
He needs to practice his small forward skills because when he climbs to the PBA… SF would be the position he’ll be taking. Hopefully, UST can find a big man next season to regain their “growl”.

4 WARRIORS – KENNETH ACIBAR (FORMERLY # 5)
STATS: 12.3PPG, 9.4RPG, 1.3BPG
Despite UE’s season downfall, they found a jewel in this kid. He played bullish despite his experience and you can see it in his stats. UE must expect more from him next season.

3 TAMARAWS – ALDRECH RAMOS (FORMERLY # 7)
STATS: 11.7PPG, 8.2RPG, 1.7APG, 2.4BPG
With the way this Smart-Gilas forward has been playing, FEU has a strong chance to win the title. It’s a tossup between Ramos and Garcia for the UAAP MVP plum.

2 WARRIORS – PAUL LEE (FORMERLY # 1)
STATS: 14.5PPG, 6.8RPG, 4.3APG, 1.8SPG
A string of bad scoring and excessive turnovers made Acibar rise and him fall. The Cobra Commander’s drought ignited UE’s giant-killing ways although it was worth very little, and it seriously too late.

1 BULLDOGS – EMMANUEL MBE (FORMERLY # 2)
STATS: 13.4PPG, 12.8RPG, 1.4BPG
After weeks of wait, Mbe is finally the top man of this rank. Lee’s inconsistency and his consistency proved to be the trigger. While NU will probably miss the Final Four, this is a very good upside from their yester-teams circa 2000. Expect him to continue his sound game next season.

Just because Mbe is my top choice, this doesn’t mean that he is my MVP for this season. I still believe that the winner must come from a winning school and like I said earlier, the distinction would be a tossup between Ramos and Garcia. Ramos is ahead for now but Garcia is the team’s energizer.

As long as Garcia delivers the offense and boosts up his other stats, he can pin the trophy to his side.

By the way, there is a more detailed version of this article and you can see it when you visit here.

Until next time,

Game over!

New Nike Video, New Breed

Nike Basketball - “New Breed, New Game, New Legacy”. Featuring Ateneo Blue Eagles, FEU Fighting Tamaraws and San Beda Red Lions channeling the strength of their respective team animals and transforming into today’s new breed of basketball players.

Sydman’s UAAP Rankings (Start to August 15)

The rankings were absent last week.

UAAP took a backseat for the PBA.

UAAP will still take a backseat to my other endeavors. This is why my rankings wouldn’t be lengthy.

Anyway, it is evident that the list was nonexistent for a week with the way the player ranks jolted. Four players from the Top 10 dropped significantly while three mowed their way to the lower half to the top half. Two players are new entries as Adamson’s Lester Alvarez and Ateneo’s Ryan Buenafe went down from the ranks.

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:

20 ARCHERS – SIMON ATKINS (FORMERLY # 15)
19 EAGLES – JUSTIN CHUA (RETURNING)
18 BULLDOGS – JOSEPH HERMOSISIMA (FORMERLY # 17)
17 EAGLES – NICO SALVA (FORMERLY # 11)
16 ARCHERS – MAUI VILLANUEVA (FORMERLY # 14)
15 MAROONS – WOODY CO (FORMERLY # 9)
14 MAROONS – MIKE SILUNGAN (FORMERLY # 6)
13 MAROONS – ALVIN PADILLA (NEW ENTRY)
12 EAGLES – KIRK LONG (FORMERLY # 5)
11 TIGERS – JERIC FORTUNA (FORMERLY # 8)

THE TOP TEN:

10 MAROONS – MAGI SISON (FORMERLY # 12)
Good news for UP – they have four players in the Top 20! Bad news for UP – While they have three players averaging in double figures, there are only seven players nailing two points and more for the squad.

9 TAMARAWS – REIL CERVANTES (FORMERLY # 10)
This fiery point producer can certainly create damage on both ends of the court. But he should keep his temper in check. Maybe his one game suspension would teach him to control his anger.

8 FALCONS – ERIC CAMSON (FORMERLY # 13)
He moved up from five spots to make a statement that he is a force to be reckon with inside the paint. With the way Adamson is situated in the UAAP rankings, who would argue with him?

7 TAMARAWS – ALDRECH RAMOS (FORMERLY # 7)
Steadily solidifying his spot at number 7, Ramos needs to maintain focus because he is the team’s biggest asset inside. Hopefully that loss would fuel the Tamaraws to never underestimate their opponents.

6 EAGLES – ERIC SALAMAT (FORMERLY # 16)
In his final year, he is expected to become the team’s leader. Unfortunately he hasn’t been responding to the task given to him… until now. His solid performances catapulted the former SSC Stag to jump ten spots on the list. However, he is not the week’s biggest jumper.

5 WARRIORS – KENNETH ACIBAR (FORMERLY # 18)
He moved 13 spots as his team won two of their last four. With Paul Lee getting the lion’s share of opponents, Acibar was given the green light to become more aggressive offensively. This gamble worked and UE found an inside force they have been yearning.

4 TAMARAWS – RR GARCIA (FORMERLY # 4)
His team is in Cloud Nine but that was tarnished when they were handed their first loss. Being the chief tactician inside the court, the blame was for him to gather. Instead of sulking they made it a basis and it’s hard to see FEU losing since.

3 TIGERS – CHRIS CAMUS (FORMERLY # 3)
He continues to perform well for the Tigers. Unfortunately the Tigers eternal lack for centers is what makes UST a couple of wins short on the win column. The guy is almost the same size of Mike Silungan and the UP Maroon is a small forward!

2 BULLDOGS – EMMANUEL MBE (FORMERLY # 2)
Mbe is unstoppable and his play resembles with what Samuel Ekwe had when he was in San Beda. Unfortunately for this Cameroonian, he needs more help if they want to claim their first final four of the century!

1 WARRIORS – PAUL LEE (FORMERLY # 1)
Lee wins the rankings again but Mbe almost dislodged him. Performances from his teammates need to be better because the defense is clamped against him. His points and assists are down while his turnovers have gone up. He is one of those players that can score and direct but how can he do that if his team mates are contented in spotting up rather than going to a motion offense. The Cobra Commander’s team is slowly clawing en route for a Final Four seat but they need to grab successive victories in order for this to happen.

Paul Lee hung to secure the top spot but unless he regains his form, Mbe, Salamat, and Garcia will try to uproot him from his spot. Camus? Whatever Lee is going through, he has it twice as hard.

CLICK THIS LINK IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE TOP 30 VERSION!

Until next week,

Game over!

UAAP 2010 Power Rankings! (Start to August 3, 2010)

Sydman’s UAAP Power Rankings (Start to July 27)

UAAP 2010 Power Rankings! (Start to July 18, 2010)

UAAP Finals: Game 1 thoughts

(Note: Yes, this is a late post but I’m vacationing from blogging these days. It sickens me… a little.)

It sucks how calamities bring out the best in all of us.

For some reason, those candy wrappers, tissue papers, bus tickets, empty bottles, and plastic bags got their revenge on the metro. This is a lesson that we need to learn. I hate it when the punishment gets too overboard.

And while yeah, the Facebook girl (not going to say her name because her FB page was allegedly hacked) might be a tasteless nobody, we know for a fact that most of us deliver when it matters most.

We are clutch performers.

In the Ateneo versus UE tilt, Jai Reyes shouldn’t have been in that game. His family lives in flood-stricken Marikina where they had to de-attach their selves to their material stuffs in order to survive. When the flood was flushed out, mud greeted the poor family.

Norman Black and the rest of the Ateneo community could have stopped him and made him rest the game but when he was asked if he could play in that Game One, he hurled a response.

This was a bad move for Ateneo’s part. Sure Frank Golla and Chris De Chavez were also part of the lineup but they are rookies. At this point, Jai was needed more than ever. Why ask Jai to play barely recovering from that ordeal? Do you know the emotions that Jai has right now? No one can imagine the frustrations he had that fateful Saturday. I am not an Ateneo alum but at this point, you are looking at a guy pissed.

As he was airlifted from his house to the Araneta Coliseum, he is looking for an outlet to vent his frustrations out… he is looking for a physical representation of Typhoon Ondoy.

Damn you Ateneans… you just unleashed a monster!

Reyes is in the middle grounds. He is not that offensive-minded like LA Tenorio, Jun Reyes, and Richie Ticzon. And yet, he is not that defensive-minded like Chris Quimpo. When his time to move to the PBA knocks, he’ll probably have a life a la Magnum Membrere and Macky Escalona. He needs to have proper PBL experience and a Liga stint could have in further honing his talents once he begins his rise up. For me, he’ll just be another Jec Chia until that heavy shower of triple bombs. In the Game 1, you have to think twice on what he accomplished. He hit five booming triples to send the UE Warriors reeling. He usually doesn’t do that. While he is capable, he’ll make sure the offense would administer points via a pass for Rabeh, Buenafe, or an ill-advised trey. In Game One he was dead on… right on the money!

While yeah, the Recto school also experienced flooding, Recto schools have grown to live with the floods. The only difference here is more often, floods mean no classes and a person just getting stranded in the campus where lovers would use this as reason when their parents ask them why they didn’t go home that night. Katipunan is also another place that gets usually drenched but

Rabeh Al-Hussiani is UE biggest problem. In three games against the Warriors, he has averaged 27 points and higher. When Pari Llagas got into foul trouble, he doubled his efforts to dominate. His size alone can’t be a good thing for Elmer Espiritu. Lawrence Chongson let Rabeh go wild as he clamped on the other players of the squad. Eric Salamat (barely used), Nonoy Baclao, Eman Monfort and Ronjay Buenafe were somewhat missing links in their bread and butter areas. Nico Salva was an unexpected source of scoring. Kirk Long But it was Jai Reyes and his big time hurls that whipped the Warriors into submission. Paul Lee starred once more for UE who saw guys like Raffy Reyes, Rudy Lingganay, and Paul Zamar scoring. Val Acuna will be a scary player if he continues to develop but as of this moment, he needs to score those lay-ups. He muffed three tries that could have scare Reyes and Long in scoring those unpredictable long toms.

Sure, argue the fact that Jai Reyes was lucky. But there is a saying that if you lost something, something greater will replace it.

Could this be championship? Or better yet… a Finals MVP?

Check out the action tomorrow.

UAAP Season 72 Finals Preview

And we’re down to two.  Defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles and UE Red Warriors emerged victors from the madness that is the Final Four and will be battling for the right to become this year’s champs.  For Ateneo, it will be their chance to repeat since 1987 – 1989, when Alex Araneta, Eric Reyes, Danny Francisco, and Jun Reyes brought glory to Katipunan.  For UE, winning will break a 23 year title drought, which was last handed to them through the exploits of Allan Caidic and Jerry Codinera.

 

For the Blue Eagles, it has a season of dominance.  Mirroring last year’s run, they’ve only lost 1 game, a 80 – 75 upset by the UP Fighting Maroons.  Since the loss they have won 11 straight.  While at most times Rabeh Al-Husseini (16.5 ppg 7.1 rpg) is still a dominant center, they have also found solid play from others like SG Eric Salamat (11.9 ppg 3.6 apg 2.1 spg), PG Jai Reyes (8.0 ppg), and PF Nico Salva (7.5 ppg 3.6 rpg).  But what has defined them this season is their defense, which is the best in the league.  Nonoy Baclao (5.8 ppg 8.0 rpg 2.5 bpg) and Kirk Long (5.5 ppg 3.6 rpg) may have lower numbers than expected but it is their defense, along with Salamat, has been anchoring their dominant run.  Eman Monfort (5.6 ppg) has been a surprise this season with his steady backup quarterbacking and booming 3 point shots.  Ryan Buenafe (6.6 ppg) may have lower than expected numbers but has delivered in the latter part of the eliminations and may be going out of his sophomore slump.  They showed no mercy to the UST Growling Tigers, giving warning to UE that they are primed and ready. 

For the Red Warriors, it has been a season of surprise.  While they have a competitive lineup, they were not rated among the favorites this season.  Having a rookie coach in Lawrence Chiongson and losing a star player in Marcy Arellano will do that to you.  They started the season losing big to Ateneo, 72 – 57 and they certainly do not want to end it the same way.  But a lot has changed since opening day.  Paul Lee (14.6 ppg 5.8 rpg 4.9 apg) mirrored the team by starting out slow but eventually found his niche as a facilitator in offense (as an OG at that), leading the league in assists and the team in scoring.  Elmer Espiritu (13.6 ppg 8.1 rpg 2.8 bpg) has been arguably the most exciting player in the UAAP because of his high leaping dunks and spectacular blocks. Pari Llagas (13.4 ppg 8.4 rpg) is the revelation of the season, blooming into a reliable and often times deadly center.  Val Acuna (10.4 ppg) came out of nowhere to become the main threat from the outside. And David Zamar (6.1 ppg) has steadily improved from last year’s promising debut.           UE had to win 2 games against the higher seeded FEU Tammaraws.  But honestly, the way FEU was playing in the 2^nd round and with the unfortunate Mark Barroca issue, they never had a chance.

 

The leagues most dominant team versus a team with its confidence at an all time high.  A team with an 11 game winning streak versus a team with a 7 game winning streak.  Blue versus Red.  Something’s gonna give.

 

OFFENSE – Ateneo relies on Al-Husseni to jump start their offense.  Most of the time they dump the ball down low and see what the defense gives them.  Then he either does his thing or move the ball around until they find the open man. Occasionally they do a high-low play with Baclao feeding the post or taking the perimeter shot.  Other times its Eric Salamat or Ryan Buenafe from the top of the key, penetrating and breaking down the offense.   The beauty with the Ateneo system is that Al-Husseini can have an off night, and they can still win handily.  They always seem to have surprise contributors, whether it’s Salva, Monfort, or Long.   

UE on the other hand relies on a free flowing, albeit undisciplined offense.  It all starts with Lee.  Fantastic ball handling leads to breakdowns in offense, usually for scores or assists to the open man.  A trademark play is the alleyoop to Espiritu for the jam. Llagas has his moments down low and has shown above average low post moves. And Acuna, Zamar and PG Ronnie Lingganay (7.0 ppg 5.3 rpg) can get hot from outside.   They may not be as deep as Ateneo but 3 or 4 of them having good games can be enough.

Team numbers are almost the same: 78.3 points for Ateneo and 78.7 points for UE.   

Advantage: Even

  

DEFENSE – Ateneo is the best defensive team in the league.  They are better now than last year’s team.  Coach Norman Black has instilled this to his boys and has produced.  Baclao brings the blocks, Salamat brings the steals, and Long brings the man-to-man defense that will be tested against Lee.  One game they held NU to 10 points, in the first half.  ‘Nuff said.

 UE focuses more on offense but can deliver the stops when necessary.  Espiritu can spike the ball all the way to the Lower Box area and they can play physical when needed.  Still, Ateneo is far superior on this aspect.

The Blue Eagles lead the league in most defensive categories and has the solid system in place. 

Advantage: Ateneo

 

BENCH: The starting lineup of Al-Husseni, Salamat, Long, Baclao, and Reyes averages 47.7 ppg and the bench is not far behind at 30.6 ppg.  In stark contrast UE’s starters of Lee, Llagas, Espiritu, Acuna, and Lingganay averages a combined 59 ppg which is almost 75% of the team’s offense.  Contain the starters, and you contain the team.  Also Ateneo can go 10 – 11 deep while still sustaining their offense and defense.  UE doesn’t have that luxury. 

Advantage: Ateneo

 

COACHING: Norman Black has the profile, experience, and trophies to show for it.  He had a somewhat slow start with his collegiate coaching career but now has led the blue Eagles to its 2 most dominating seasons and on the verge of a repeat.  He instills discipline, defense, and a solid system.  Lawrence Chongson is a rookie coach, taking over from Dindo Pumaren, and 2 years after their undefeated run in the eliminations, they are back in the finals.  He does not have a system and relies on a free flowing offense.  This is an unconventional formula and while it has produced wins, remains to be seen if it will produce the end goal of a championship.

At the end experience tends to win out over style.  Black simply has the results to show for it.  Numerous PBA championships with 2 teams, including a grand slam, and Ateneo never being out of the Final Four ever since he took over.  Hard to ignore that. 

Advantage: Ateneo

 

PREDICTION:  It will be Ateneo’s defense and depth versus UE’s freewheeling offense.  Should Ateneo win it all, it will be either via a sweep or 3 games.  Should UE win it, it will be in 3.  UE’s momentum and morale is at a high right now and they could easily win a game against the Blue Eagles.  But a game is what they can only get.  They may have been beaten before as favorites by UST but the Blue Eagles have learned from that.   I said before it’s the Blue Eagles to loose and they are primed to repeat.  This will be the Blue Eagles’ year….again.

 

 

Fastbreaks:  Over at the NCAA, San Sebastian finally loses to Letran, this after setting the NCAA record at 15 straight games won.  They are not a sure bet to get no.1 because right at their heels are JRU and defending champion San Beda, both at 13 – 2.  And guess what, Baste gets to play those 2 next.  At least they don’t have the same pressure as UE had after they swept the elims.  Remember them?  LaSalle quickly snuffed out the momentum and snatched the crown in 2 games……Japeth Aguilar will most likely be banned from playing with Smart Gilas as a guest team. More problems for the kid.  If this happens, I don’t expect Gilas to participate.  After all, what’s the use of training and preparing if your best Pinoy center is not with the team?……Ron Artest says that if the Lakers don’t repeat, blame him.  Lakers look primed to repeat but not without challenge from the Magic, Celts, Cavs, and Spurs.  Speaking of the Lakers, Lamar is going Hollywood by marrying Chloe Kardashian.  See Lamar?  Aren’t you happy you resigned with LA? “THANK YOU GOD!  LOVE, LAMAR”.

Denique Quattuor; Et Tu, Barroca?

The dust has settled and after 2 months of interesting, intense, and inspiring battles, 4 teams emerged from the fray, in order to claim the right of being the 2009 UAAP Season 72 champions.  The Ateneo Blue Eagles, FEU Tamarraws, UE Red Warriors, and UST Growling Tigers are the Denique Quattuor, the final four left to battle for the crown. 

 

For the first time in 14 years (not counting their suspension year) the DLSU Green Archers are out of the final four.  Their lineup this year was glaringly weaker in than in the previous years, with no established superstars, a slew of promising rookies, and veteran role players.  Not to say they didn’t have a chance, but it boiled down to their final playing day.  Needing a win against lowly NU coupled with a loss by UST to 2^nd placer FEU, they blew their chances by losing to the Bulldogs by 2 points.  The loss reflected their entire season: potential and heartbreak.  Gang green, take solace from the fact that your team actually has a good future with 3 RP Youth team members in its roster.  Mark my words, the troika of Bringas, Marata, and Banal will be a force to reckon with in the future.  Also, despite his antics, Joshua Webb is developing to be one La Salle’s resident household names, not unlike Mark Cardona and Joseph Yeo.   Franz Pumaren is rumored to be going out, because of his desire to run for congress.  If so, this shouldn’t be an appropriate last hurrah for arguably Philippine collegiate basketball’s best coach in the past decade. Another championship run and a crack against the Blue Eagles in the finals should be the fitting ending.  Brother Dindo will be a more than adequate as well as fitting replacement if ever.   He will succeed Franz, and will be the third brother to handle the team including Manong Derek.

 

Before I get to my Final Four review and predications, an uproar that sprung up quickly sprung out of nowhere that has put the Final four in the backseat temporarily is the Mark Barroca controversy.  Allegations of game fixing by the best PG in the UAAP has sprang up because of 3 successive sub par games, highlighted by a 0 point game against La Salle which they almost lost and an 8 point game, all in the first quarter, in their loss against Ateneo in the last game of the season to determine who will be number 1 seed.  Now I’m not privy to all the details but here’s what we know:  Barroca has stopped practicing with the team earlier this week.  Varying reasons were given, from being sick with flu, to being out of the city.  Reports had it that some of his teammates actually want him to be off the team and was being considered by the coaching staff.  It was revealed yesterday that Barroca will most likely be dropped by the team.  Barroca has maintained innocence and has been hurt that the allegations and the apparent lack of support from the team and coach Glen Capacio.  It is reported that he no longer wants to play for the varsity,  plans to finish up his studies from FEU, and continue playing with Smart Gilas.   The timing could never be worse as they are gearing up to face the league’s hottest team in UE.

 

We may never know all the facts and details behind this but this is most unfortunate not only to the School but the UAAP as well.  Rumors of game fixing have always been rampant, both in the UAAP as well in the NCAA.  Last year, FEU player Mac Bacarael was shot, which was also linked to game fixing. In recent memory, only 1 player has been charged and sanctioned and this was Paolo Orbeta of St. Benilde.  The league will need to take a tougher stand on this as this in threatening its position as the premier collegiate league in the country.  For Barroca, it’s a shame that he’s in this quandary right now as he is a big talent with big potential. 

 

 

Now back to the action.

 

Ateneo (1)(13 -1) vs UST (4) (6-8)

 

Why Ateneo will win: They have practically the best team all season.  It has evolved from being centered on last year’s MVP Rabeh Al-Husseni to a more complete and deeper team this year.  Despite Ryan Buenefe’s number’s being down from his ROY campaign last year, others have stepped up, particularly Nico Salva and Eman Monfort.  Eric Salamat has elevated his game to the next level, Kirk Long has found his niche as a defensive stopper, and Jai Reyes is showing steady leadership.  This has translated to a more team oriented offense as well as stifling defense.  For the 2^nd consecutive year they have lost only 1 game and is a combined 29 -2. 

 

Why Ateneo will lose: Occasionally still prone to complacency and stagnation.  They barely won against FEU in the last game, having listless 1^st and 3^rd quarters.  Their loss to UP also showed that they are vulnerable.  3 years ago they were also favored against the Tigers in the finals, and then lost in 3 games.  Salva is also suspended for the 1st game for his punching foul against FEU. 

 

Why UST will win:  They have this year’s MVP in Dylan Ababou.  He has shown a quantum leap in his game and has carried the Tigers to the Final four, despite the losing record. When hot, Khazim Mirza is difficult to stop, especially from the 3 pt area.   Jeric Teng is a future star. Ateneo has had problems with athletic teams and UST plays with the run and gun style reminiscent of Ginebra during the Jawo days.  Although undersized, Camus and Afuang have traditionally given Al-Husseni problems.

 

Why UST will lose: Ateneo is simply the better and more balanced team.  The Tigers have no teeth down low and will get into periods of disorganized offense, leading mostly to 1-1 plays.  They also have the propensity to lose big leads.

 

Prediction: Ateneo in 1.  They are just too good and too deep to lose against UST.

 

 

FEU (2) (11 – 3) vs UE (3) (10 – 4)

 

Why FEU will win:  While it will be difficult especially with the Barroca situation, FEU is more than Barroca.  Rookie RR Reyes is showing why he deserves the ROY over Jeric Teng, taking up the PG slot and moving Barroca to the SG slot.  JR Cawaling has proved to be steady and reliable.  Aldrech Ramos is the only player averaging a double-double.  Paul Sanga is almost automatic from beyond the arc and can get really, really hot.  FEU has a deep rotation with quality and has shown that it can win despite Barroca playing sub par.  They can use the Barroca situation as a rallying point.

 

Why FEU will lose: The Barroca Effect.  I’m not referring to the loss in stats, but its affect to the team’s morale.  This can potentially cause divisions within the team.   This is a big distraction that is definitely not easy to ignore. He was also a big part of the team’s offense and someone else will need to step up. 

 

Why UE will win: They are the hottest team right now, with 5 consecutive wins.  Paul Lee has seemed to find his niche as an all-around player after starting out slow.  He now leads the league in assists.  Elmer Espiritu is now the league’s most exciting player with his dunks and blocks.  Pari Llagas has proved me wrong by being a steady low post threat.  Val Acuna can be deadly from the outside. UE is arguably the most athletic team in the league. 

 

Will UE will lose:  They may be peaking too soon. Shackle Paul Lee, and their offense suffers.  They are not as deep as FEU.

 

Prediction: UE in 2.  The Barroca Effect may be too much for FEU to overcome, unless he comes back and plays as if nothing happened, or FEU rallies behind this and plays inspired ball.

 

Fastbreaks: The PBA is 3 weeks away and teams are almost complete with tinkering with their lineups.  Burger King has left a slot open for Japeth Aguilar, should he wants to change his mind…..The NBA legends beat the PBA legends but both showing them Allan Caidic still rules.  I picked the right guy to idolize.  Their talking about having him play with the national team, at 46.  It’s just amazing how no other player comes close to his shooting ability.  Not Dondon, not Renren, definitely not Paolo Mendoza…..The best ever player has taken his place in the Hall of Fame.  MJ should take up Bryon Russel’s challenge just for kicks….San Sebastian is now at 14-0 but heated challenges are coming from San Beda and JRU.  We’ll see after next week if they still have the immaculate slate…..Heard Pearl Jam’s latest. While OK, its eon’s away from their grunge days.  Their previous album with the avocado was better.   

Land Reform + UAAP Power Rankings 2

For a team that traditionally does not make any much noise during the off-season, the Sta. Lucia Realtors has caused a few ripples in the past few days. After being quiet for most of the off-season, the Realtors made 2 surprising transactions. First, Denok Miranda was traded to San Miguel for a 2012 first round pick.  A couple of days later, Dennis Espino is traded to Coke for Jason Misolas and a future 2^nd round pick.  The reason given: salary cap issues. 

This has caused some agitations with the SLR faithful.  Why trade their starting point guard, one of the best defensive guards of the league, and the anchor of the backcourt defense, for only a draft pick that can be availed 3 years from now, from a powerhouse team that will most likely have a low draft position? Also, why trade arguably the best player in the history of the franchise, one who is the team’s career leader in points, rebounds, and games, who has played all of his 14 years with the same team, and last year led the team to it’s first All Filipino Championship, for a career reserve player and only a 2^nd round pick?

 

This also has caused speculations that the franchise is in peril.  The situation is eerily similar to the moves Tanduay and Shell made before their franchises folded, as well as to Barako Bull’s player movements this year.  Firequinito.com  pointed out Sta. Lucia Realty’s financial position as recovering from losses last year due to the worldwide financial crisis.  Some sites went as far as identifying SLR as one of the 2 PBA franchises in financial trouble this year.  All signs seem to point to possible disbandment.  While things may still happen between now and Oct. 11 when the next season opens, there are a few things to consider to think otherwise. 

• Last year’s MVP Kelly Williams was signed to the maximum salary of PHP 350K/month for 3 years. 
• The treatment for his illness last season which also caused SLR’s fortunes to turn sour was shouldered by the company.  The cost was pegged at about 1 million PHP.
• Joseph Yeo was also signed for 3 more years.  Details of the deal are unclear but reports are it is close to the maximum salary as well.
• Gabby Espinas was acquired from Barako Bull, filling a need to strengthen it’s frontcourt as well as compensate for its perennial weakness: rebounding.
• 3 of its core young players are not rumored to be on the trading block: Williams, Yeo, and Ryan Reyes.  For a while Bitoy Omolon was rumored to be going to Ginebra but Coach Boyet Fernandez has emphasized his importance to the team.
• The remaining trade rumors surrounding the team involve it’s older players: Paolo Mendoza to Ginebra for Homer Se and Cholo Villanueva, Marlou Aquino and  Bitoy Omolon to Ginebra for Sunday Salvacion, Paolo Bugia, Doug Kramer, and a draft pick (wouldn’t that be a surprising return back to Ginebra for the Skyscraper).

 

Looking at all these it seems that the franchise direction and directives have changed.

 

• Due to financial constraints, they want to lower total salaries to get within the salary cap, while maintaining their core.
• They want to get younger – They drafted Mark Benitez and Charles Waters as well as signed Josh Urbiztondo, Chris Pacana, and Jervy Del Rosario.  Released Norman Gonzalez, Philip Butel, Melvin Mamaclay, and Christian Coronel.  Espino is traded, Mendoza and Marlou are trade baits.
• They want to maintain their system as a defensive team – They signed Ardy Larong, known defensive nuisance and occasional trouble maker.  Urbiztondo was the PBL’s Defensive Player of the year last year.  Pacana is a solid defender. 
• They are looking at the future, specifically 2012 – This is when the Smart Gilas team members’ contracts run out.  Players like Andy Barroca, Aldrech Ramos, Chris Lutz, Rey Guevarra, Jason Ballesteros, Jayvee Casio and heartthrob Chris Tiu will be available.  Heck if Japeth Aguilar and Rabeh Al-Hussaini sign with Gilas they will be available here as well. 

This can give some optimism to the Realtor fans, dubbed as the BELIEVERS (after SLR’s improbable All Pinoy Championship).  While they lament on the value of what the team received in lieu of Miranda and Espino, you have to consider that the market is a seller’s market.  Miranda could have fetched more (maybe another player plus the draft pick) but given the financial constraints, the draft pick for 2012 is an OK deal.  Not the best but certainly not highway robbery.  Also, Espino is in the twilight of his career.  True it would be more fitting for him to retire as a Realtor, but he also helps the team by being traded this year and being taken off the books.  He was also earning the maximum salary along with Marlou.  SLR won’t be able to sign Kelly Williams and Joseph Yeo had the man fondly called Cap remained with the team.  My guess is he was traded to the Tigers as a handshake deal.  Coke will absorb his salary for this year, but in return SLR gets a reserve player in Misolas and a 2^nd round pick.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Espino ends up with SLR after a year or 2 for his farewell tour. 

 

Marlou is no longer the dominant center 10 years ago.  He has his moments but you can’t expect him to sustain the high level of play for the entire conference, let alone entire year.  Mendoza is an undersized 6’0 shooting guard who does not shoot consistently, not a natural playmaker, and a liability on defense.  Both are earning high salaries. If there are more movements to come, expect them to be in the forefront. 

If Sta. Lucia is indeed in trouble, then it is a shame. While it does not have the deep pockets, powerhouse lineup, and championship pedigree, the Realtors offer a team that can stand up to the corporate giants of the PBA.  Despite its less than stellar lineup last year, they actually had a winning record at (25-22), highlighted by their 3^rd place finish over the San Miguel Beermen in the All Filipino.  Had Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes been consistently healthy in the 2^nd conference, they could have very well been in the final four, perhaps even the championship.  Coach Boyet Fernandez is an underrated coach who deserves praise while Team Manager Boss Buddy Encarnado is practically an institution in Philippine basketball.  Here’s hoping that they don’t go the route of Tanduay and Shell and they can bounce back, maybe winning a few championships over the SMC teams along the way.

 

UAAP Power Rankings 2 

A week ago the DLSU Green Archers were a foregone conclusion but after last weekend, the landscape changed, dramatically (previous rankings in parenthesis):

 

1. Ateneo 12 -1 (1) - Expected wins over Adamson and UP were blowouts.  One just wonders if they are peaking too soon.  Last game against FEU crucial to determine number 1 seed. 

2. UE 9 - 4 (3) – Elmer Espiritu is the new human highlight film of the UAAP, Paul Lee has found his comfort zone, and Pari Llagas has blossomed to a reliable center. The Red Warriors are the hottest team at the moment.  Whoever is seeded 2nd will be in for a fight.

3. FEU 11 - 2 (2) – Game against LaSalle may have woken a sleeping giant. Had a hard time disposing the Archers and had to go to OT.  Not a good sign going into its showdown with the Blue Eagles. RR Garcia is making his case for Rookie of the Year. 

4. DLSU 5 - 8 (4) – A few weeks back I wrote “never count out the Archers”.  They’ve seemed to have gotten their confidence back after taking FEU to OT, then winning over UST.  Now they only have to beat NU, while UST has to win against UE to avoid a playoff for the number 4 seed.  Money’s on them getting it if this should happen.  Just hope they don’t screw it up against NU.

5. UST 6 - 7 (4) – On the path towards self destruction.  After needing only to win 1 of its remaining 3 games to move to the Final Four, they lose against DLSU and gets blown out by Adamson.  ADAMSON!!!! Coach Pido has his work cut out for him against UE.  Dylan Ababou’s MVP chances are in danger.  Let’s see how they stand up to the pressure. 

6. Adamson 4 - 9 (7) – Surprise blowout win against UST is a building block for the future.  Its young frontline and Lester Alvarez will be something to look forward to next year.

 7. UP 3 - 10 (6) – Lost big to Ateneo but story of the game was team captain Arvin Braganza’s (who was playing a career game) father fainting while watching the game, and eventually succumbing to a heart attack hours later.  Such a tragedy shouldn’t be experienced by anybody.  My prayers go out to the Braganza family. 

8. NU 2 - 11 (8) – What can I say, still agonizing to watch.  Maybe Henry Sy’s money can get in better players next year.  Still, if they beat DLSU…..NAHHHH.

 

Fastbreaks: More PBA rumors as the offseason winds down: Joe Devance for Junthy Valenzuela and Sunday Salvacion.  Kerby Raymundo for Joe Devance and Tony Dela Cruz.  Yancy De Ocampo for JC Intal and Paolo Bugia…..NBA Legends Kareem, Dominique, Tim Hardaway, and Robert Horry are in town.  Unfortunately I don’t have tickets and I have work.  Would have been nice to see Timmy Hardaway go crossover crazy against the PBA stars.…..Smart Gilas will not let its players play in the PBL’s next conference.  Commish Chino Trinidad needs be creative in finding marquee players…..Looks like AI will indeed be signing with the Grizzlies.   All those prayers may have helped……Watched an episode of Hardball last week and saw Commish Barrios explain the intricacies of the PBA salary cap.  I’ll expound this more in future article but in a nutshell, the cap is at 32 million, but covers only the 14 active players and does not cover any bonuses and other perks.  So you can have as many as 20 players but only the 14 active players are counted.  I guess that explains why a lot of players in San Miguel and Ginebra are injured.

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