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"Win or lose, it's the school we choose" |
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BRING BACK THE TITLE After 6 years of waiting, this seems to be the year when Ateneo will once again hoist the UAAP trophy. The team is well-balanced and deep. Not as strong as the 2002 team, but definitely stronger than the rest of this year’s competition. It would take a big blunder for them to lose the championship. Literally, a big blunder. It all depends on whether big man Rabeh Al-Hussaini will ball-hog on crucial games. I respect that he has improved, but he is not talented. He’s decent but he’s not in the same level as Enrico Villanueva. I hope he keeps that in mind. In any event, this group is strong, with Tiu and rookie-sensation Ryan Buenafe providing the firepower, with Baclao and Salamat anchoring the defense. No other team can boast such depth this season, that’s why if the Blue Eagles would lose the championship, Norman’s gotta quit. I sometimes question the wisdom of his rotations—and, as my dad said, his plays are antiquated—but as long as he brings the championship to Loyola, he should remain onboard. As a side comment, I’ve never seen a rookie as college-ready as Buenafe. Not Tenorio, not Intal. I don’t know, maybe not since Enrico. Buenafe is a cold-blooded hitman. He doesn’t show much emotion on the court. But he gets the job done. He doesn’t jump as high as JC but he finishes better. Reminds me of Paul Pierce. Not very athletic but a terrific finisher—either driving the lane or with back to the basket. What’s lacking with Buenafe is a reliable jump shot, something he’d have to develop within the next 4 years to become a bona fide scoring machina.
POSTSCRIPT
Brick!
I must admit that I'm dead wrong with my predictions--about the only thing
right was that FEU got the #1 seed. First, UST didn't make it to the Final
Four (well, at least Adamson didn't make it either). Second, Ateneo didn't
even finish at #2--technically they did, being tied with La Salle at 10-4,
but it's a whole different scenario from finishing solo 2nd. You see, the
game on Tuesday against DLSU for a twice-to-beat advantage ain't really
that. The fact is, both must win twice to advance, effectively a best-of-3
series. It's good for business (conspiracy theorists must be thinking of
some tanking of games), but it ain't good for the Loyola community. Bottom
line is, the Eagles can't beat the Archers right now. Nothing's clicking
for the Eagles in the 2nd round. They've won only 3 times--against the 3
teams at the bottom of the league. They're no "Dream Team," but I see the
struggles of Team USA in them. The schtick and swagger are gone. All that
remains from the first round sweep is the fact that Larry will not play
again, and maybe those #14's they stuck up their jerseys. The theory that
I would've gladly admitted to be wrong--that a the team, after losing
their ace player, will go on a streak then struggle--is proving itself to
be money on the bank. As much as I want Ateneo to win--I badly want
Ateneo to win being in my senior year and all--the thought of them going
all the way is pretty hard to conceive right now. Shoutout.
As much as rookie coach Sandy Arespacochaga deserves credit for stirring
the team this far, I can't help but take a shot at him. The rotation
sucks. Bajjie plays more minutes than Magnum, ain't that proof enough? Or
going with a 3-guard combi late in the game when you should cut off the
driving lanes and prevent offensive rebounds. For that matter, not going
with your best 5 late in the game. I'm sure he is trying to give Chris Tiu
some confidence, but why play him instead of Magnum in the endgame? Ford
and Japeth plays solid on defense and on the boards yet Sandy goes with JC
at the 4 (he should be in there, but at the 3--or is Bajjie playing the
4?). And again, we go back to the talk of last season--what's Bajjie doing
on the floor? He can't bring up the ball, he can't/won't pass, he can't
hit the 3, he can't slash, he can't post up nobody, he can't stop nobody,
he can't rebound... the list just goes on and on about the things he can't
do. Like I've said before, he's a major impediment to the Eagles'
championship drive. Coach, would it hurt you that much if you didn't play
Bajjie? You're rotating 5 men on the backcourt spots (LA, Magnum, Tiu,
Escalona, and Bajjie)... You're playing too many guys, Sandy. You should
shorten your rotation for the Final Four. Be the
Reds. As much as Ateneo's struggling right
now, at least I got two schools in the Final Four of the premier college
basketball tourneys in the land. San Beda's in the NCAA Final Four since
way back when. Yeah, all the trophies I used to stare at when I was in
prep--they were displayed next to my classroom--all dated from the 70s. If
I thought that it's been a long wait when I left in '93, it's nothing
compared to that long wait plus 11 years. Must be really long, huh?
Anyway, they blew out top-seeded Perpetual in the Final Four last Friday
to force a rubber match. I doubt if the Red Lions are gonna win it all,
but it wouldn't hurt if they do. But what I'd really want is for me to get
a double--Ateneo in the UAAP and Beda in the NCAA. Hey mister, where'd you put all those great UAAP articles?
Check out the UAAP archive for:
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