It is less than 24 hours before our first game and the forum is very quiet.

The good news for us sitting in upper box a is that there are now reserved seats. That means we no longer have to come at 12 noon for the 5 o clock Ateneo-La Salle game. What a relief.

Our next project should be to insist that Araneta Coliseum management open more doors to upper box a. I understand that it entails more cost to post more people. But it is really a very serious risk. After games, it takes about 15-20 minutes to empty the upper a area. Can you imagine what can happen in the event of a fire or earthquake. People will die.

Anyway see you at the game tomorrow.

Go Ateneo. One Big Fight.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles lose to the FEU Tamaraws in their opening game in UAAP Season 73, 69-72.

Better now than later.

ONE BIG FIGHT!

It was a good game. We lost, but we'll bounce back!

We may have lost this battle, but the war is not yet over. We have 13 more battles to fight. Go Ateneo! One Big Fight!

The silence in the forums could mean we have all been spoiled by too much winning

So the big question in this game? - who shoots in the crunch, Nico or Ryan or Eric? That's something they will need to figure out as the season progresses.

It was a great game though & our defense was solid if not spectacular. We really lost a lot in Nonoy but JP Erram looks to be able to fill his shoes once he gets his feet wet. Dela Cruz & Escueta were revelations, playing as if they weren't rookies. Golla really needs to work on his footwork & strength. He got rebounds because of his height but got pushed around by the FEU bigs.

On the other hand, RR Garcia was phenomenal. He just killed us.

Here's hoping Eric's injury isn't serious. The host school did a great job scheduling the opening games. UP for them, FEU for us

Why was Cris de Chavez in a cast?

On to Adu on Thursday.

Even after having watched the pre-season, questions lingered in my mind: who will provide the consistent outside sniping of a Chris Tiu or a Jai Reyes …. the defensive dominance of a Baclao …. the inside presence of a Rabeh?

These questions were insufficiently answered in the Eagles’ first game.

The journey for three in 73 therefore started with a minor setback …. which could be a bigger one depending on the extent of the injury to Eric Salamat. (He was “iced” and had to be helped by two guys …… but I was told that it was just a thigh contusion and nothing really serious …)

Kirk Long is indecisive and tentative …… in his early years …..but now, buo ang puso niya and he played a strong, laudable game. His outside shooting (in this game) can stand improvement (so could the whole team's) but hey, he was asked to defend RR Garcia which takes away from one’s offense. Still, we have to like the way he’s matured.

Ryan Buenafe is fat and slow …. during the summer …. but now, he’s fit and up-to-par and showed his usual flashes of brilliance.

Eman “Mighty Mouse” Monfort had a bad shooting night …. often over-eager and impatient …. that is, until the last crucial minute when he drained a long one ….

The UAAP said that this season, the referees should not determine the outcome of the game …. which they took to mean that they will swallow their whistles. There was a clear foul (not called) on Monfort during the penultimate play of the Blue Eagles ….. which easily determined the outcome of the game.

Nico Salva is the primary option of this team …. that was the plan before rookie Art “Kaliwete” dela Cruz surprised FEU …. and us ….. when he topscored in the first half …. which prompted Coach Black to leave Salva on the bench longer than usual.

On the escalator at Gateway on my way to the Big Dome, I bumped into Nownow Baclao who was holding hands with his pretty date. I accosted him, “Why aren’t you wearing your uniform? Aren’t you playing?”

“No sir,” he smiled softly.

“We need you.” I said.

He said, “I don’t think so. Kaya ng team yan ….”

The crucial defensive play (last minute) was when RR Garcia took a quick first step and eluded Kirk Long. Escueta was late in giving help. With Baclao around, that would never have happened. Instead .... counted … and one. Aruy!

(This guy Garcia is a cold-blooded assassin …. he wavered last year during the play-offs but in this game, he was smart, deadly, sharp. The FEU team is really good. But ..... will they implode again during the course of the season?)

It was a classic game ….. 13 lead changes …. 9 ties ….. no lead larger than 6. Foul shooting was superb and the quality of play was highly competitive.

Ateneo led after the first quarter (15-11) but FEU caught up in the second and grabbed the lead (35-30.) In the third, FEU threatened to pull away but in a span of a couple of minutes, Ateneo instantaneously clawed back ..... by way of rebound, quick outlet pass and fastbreak. Ateneo led at the end of the third canto (52-51.)

The fourth quarter was a nail-biter ……

We all hope that “Captain” Salamat (no longer “Sarge” because he’s team captain this year) will recover from his injury. Truth is, he wasn’t able to salute to the crowd this game; his long shots were off and he was forcing some of his plays.

Congrats to FEU …. for a fantastic halftime show. They featured a group of acrobats with a bunch of petite ladies who apparently have no spines …. they were able to twirl and contort in the air and on the ground ….. and I found their performance breath-taking …. holding my breath in case one of the flyers will not be caught by the base.

The Blue Babble was on the floor en force ….. doing the traditional medley of “ADMU” cheers.

The Big Dome was not too heavily populated ….. upper A and B had, in my estimate, more FEU fans who were fond of doing “the wave” during lulls. An hour before the game, there were plenty of upper A and upper B tickets at the counters ….. “SRO.” This means you can sit anywhere but if someone (through the guard or an usher) asks you to vacate in favor of one who has the designated seat, you have to leave. This happened a few times to the rows in front of me ….. but otherwise, it’s still the same “first come, first served” …... “possession of the seat is 9/10s of the law.” Anyway, there were ample seats available.

FEU 1
VL Salle 1
Adamson 1
UST 1
NU 0
UE 0
UP 0
Ateneo 0

Wow, Ateneo’s in last place! ….. je-je ….

First game …. this is hardly the end of the world. MVP attended …. watched the game with Toroman …. so he’s still around. Right now, let’s keep our fingers crossed that Salamat is ok.

The Ateneo might have encountered a speed bump ….. but a journey assumes more meaning if it is fraught with adversity. The Blue Eagles are worthy …..

Next up: Battle of the Birds this Thursday at Philsports ….. will the decade-long dominance of the Eagles over the Falcons (in the UAAP) continue? It’s not a lock but I think the Blue Eagles can do it …..

Patay Malisya antonc. The teams that get into the final four in the previous season play each other on the first weekend of the season. Though in previous years, it seemed like 1 vs 2 kaagad. As for the other half, those who do not make it to the final four have the privilegevof playing each other on the first weekend. We can only hope that this becomes a taft tradition now that "may balat where the sun don't shine" is at the helm.

IMO it is Nico shooting in the crunch... but Eman and Kirk could also do the job...

Host DLSU has UP, then NU for the 1rst and 2nd game.. how convenient....

That is the perfect schedule for DLRT. After UP, NU then the other loser on the first weekend - UE. Let us hope they are 3-0 and atop the standings for their special date at 5:00 on July 24. Wouldn't we want to be the first team to knock them off their perch.

But first, Adamson this afternoon.

… by way of a teaser to this afternoon’s games ….

Young Austria was probably only in grade 3 when Adamson last won. After several years as coach, Old Austria still has to shake the hands of his son to accept congratulations instead of condolences.

It’s been said that when Adamson last defeated the Ateneo, Erap was still president. Erap was an Atenean, GMA was an Atenean (teacher,) P-Noy is a true blue Atenean. For as long as blue resides in Malacanang, blue will triumph over …. ooops, blue rin nga pala ang Adamson …. big bird of prey will triumph over little bird of prey.

This year more than year’s past, Adamson has a good chance of up-ending the Eagles and break a 25-game jinx. Most pundits have said so; the Falcons performance in the pre-season (when it ousted Ateneo at the Fil-Oil Tournament behind a barrage of three-pointers from Roider Cabrera and even center Manyara) seems to augur well in finally removing this monkey, este, eagle off their backs.

Last year, I was not too worried … they had Canuday in their line-up and this guy was wildly erratic. He can make great plays and immediately next time down the court, he will make a bone-headed play. His kind of game wrecks any team momentum so I was happy playing against him. And then there’s Galinato, the feet of iron. Well, Galinato’s still around and here’s wishing that he gets plentiful minutes …. but maybe Coach Austria has learned his lesson.

Last year in many games, Adamson came so close to winning ….. but snatched defeat from the jaws victory by not finishing games. I recall their Camson as the one who committed a stupid foul in the dying seconds (game was tied) which gifted VL Salle with a win. But this year, Camson’s been playing with gumption and his “angas” is what’s giving the team the confidence which they need in order to break the streak. Stop Camson to prevent him from leading …. and of course, the pesky guards (Alvarez and Canada) who dictate the tempo of their game …. Then there’s Manyara, Colina …. Stinett and yes, Adamson’s a complete team this year.

Because of the scheduling quirk, (was it by coincidence or by design?) we face the two toughest teams (again by the estimation of the experts) one after the other barely 4 days into the season. From a 13-1 championship season, a 0-2 start can deflate any momentum ….. and this means that the rest of the season, the Eagles will be playing catch-up, under the specter “they are very vulnerable this year.”

But you know what? I am very optimistic …. I think the streak will continue given that (1) the Eagles will want to seek redemption for a rare opening loss and (2) while Adamson is strong, so is Ateneo. The team as it stands is very competitive and has the potential to go all the way to a three-peat.

The journey this year will involve maybe higher mountains to climb than in years’ past. This is one of them.

OBF.

Actually, our last loss to Adamson was in 97. It was Ramos who was still president, who also studied in the Ateneo at some point, earning an MBA if im not mistaken.

Well, the streak is still alive. It was a close one, but we were able to pull away in the end, winning over the Falcons, 69-66.

So who won in the admu-adu game. I'm at the office kasi.

Stupid me. Nakalagay na pala dito that we won. Sorry.

NU 59 - DLSU 55... NU's 4th win against lasalle in uaap history... MBE 21 pts 19 rebs

I honestly don't like how our team has started. We came oh-so-close to our first 0-2 start since 2003 and our first loss to Adamson since 1997. Too many rough edges and Eric Salamat seems to be giving in to the pressure of being King Eagle. Good news is that it IS STILL EARLY and that some of the new players still have to play to their full potential (most notably JP Erram---the next Baclao). Hopefully in the end, it will all translate into our first three-peat in our UAAP basketball existence.

ONE BIG FIGHT!!!

Eric is injured, I don't think he's giving in to the pressure. When he did play, he did very well & was the reason behind our twin digit lead. When he couldn't play anymore, Adamson got back into the game. As for the rough edges, that is to be expected with a new team on the floor. We still don't have our go-to guy. In the previous years, it was clear who that was. The current team is still figuring that out but the team should be fine as the tournament moves forward. I believe!

What would a season be without any green-bashing?

Well, my "friends" - who know how to agitate a sleeping dog - shared with me a post by my favorite and badly-missed analyst, one Tony Atayde. One friend told me (in jest or was it the truth?) that Atayde and Mike Enriquez were seen whooping it up at the patron section last Saturday as VL Salle notched an upset-victory over UP. (Wow, picture Atayde and Mike Enriquez in the same frame .....)

Anyhoo, conspiracy theorists (who claim that Armstrong never stepped foot on the moon) also claim that VL Salle conspired to pit the Ateneo against the two toughest opponents to engineer a 0-2 start and for VL Salle to start on a soft schedule to give confidence to their wards. Well, those conspiracy theorists were wrong on both counts .... Ateneo barely survived Adamson but still came out on top ...... and VL Salle succumbed to NU in a terrible-looking game (remember Atayde and Enriquez.)

Wasn't Atayde one of the instigators who crucified the veterans (Mangahas, Barua, Malabes) .... and maybe, now they're sorry they didn't include Ferdinand? Didn't he threaten, as "incoming host" to eject barker Rolly Manlapaz who is biased, kuno?

For your delectation, here's the "greenmind's" message, typos and all.

He was ecstatic .... "expect the unexpected" when VL Salle beat highly-regarded UP. Well, "expect the unexpected" all right .... because NU defeated the Archers.

What would a season be without any green-bashing?

*****************

It was a great opening ceremony that La Salle unfurled today. As hosts of Season 73 of the UAAP, La Salle did not disappoint. It a very smooth and well thought off show that had "HEROES" as its theme. With 2 of the most popular Lasallian artists performing in Gary V. and Ogie Alcasid, it could not have been any better. Kudos to the production team.

On to the game. This was the first time in a few years that I have seen the La Salle crowd really cool and calm. There were no expectations as most of the so called experts put La Salle in 7th place, just above UST (who also won today). Shows you what experts know.

Well maybe because out of 16 players, La Salle had 7 rookies, 4 sophomores and 5 veterans (all of which are not considered in the top tier ofveterans), the team really did not look good on paper. It's about time to thorw that paper away as La Salle won its first game against a highly touted UP squad. The Green Archers did not just beat the Fighting Maroons but demolished them by 18 point, leading wire to wire in the process. Almost no one, even the La Salle crowd expected such a performance from this team.

In his first game as coach, Dindo Pumaren showed that he is truly worthy of the position left by his legendary brother Franz. The biggest adjustment which caught me by surprise was Dindo's move og making Atkins play shooting guard rather the the usual point guard position that he has been playing since his rookie year. He started sophomore Joel Tolentino at point and that opened Atkins up to shot five 3-pointers. Atkins was originally a shooting guard in high school and he showed how comfortable he was at the position.

The point guard combination of Tolentino and Vosostros was another revelation. These 2 cat quick guards come in for one another and the team does not lose a beat. They ar both gutsy and have the shooting touch needed to open up the opponents defense. Then, out of nowhere Coach Dindo puts in a 3rd point guard in Luigi de la Paz who surprised everyone with his great defense and also a good shooting touch.

But the most amazing feat of this La Salle team is its defense. Everyone knows that defense is a Pumaren family staple but these kids took it to a level that many did not expect rookies and sophomores to be able to do. The Maroons were held to outside shooting for most of the game.

After leading by 3 after the first quarter, the Green Archers padded that lead to 6 to end the half. While people were having a halftime break, you could see the smiles of the La Salle faithful. But no one expected to see what would happen in the 2nd half.

During the 3rd quarter, the team was still as consistent as they were in the first half. Coach Dindo used 12 players and kept the rotation going in order that freah legs could always be on the court to continue that masterful defense.

Then the veterans showed their wares. Villanueva, Ferdinand and Joshua Webb suddenly explode to give La Salle a 10 point lead. The Green Archers wer hustling for every possession. Reed thin Andrada fought against bigger UP players for the rebound. They dove for the loose balls and UP did not know what hit them.

Oh...and La Salle who has been nown as an awful foul shooting team, made a good showing of themselves on the foul line.

This team did not look tentative nor afraid like last year's team. They had the confidence that maybe comes from a team that no one really expects to make it even to the Final Four. I had been asked many times in the last 2 weeks what I thought the team's chances were and there was always a certain amount of optimism in me that said "expect the expected". Its only the first game but it was one hell of a way to start the season.

It takes about 8 wins to get to the Final Four. One win down 7 more to go.

Thanks Busyon. I hope you keep the San Antonio de la Salle articles coming.

With regard to the conspiracy theory, I texted my favorite La Sallite cousin yesterday, who came early to watch our game, that I hope they make it to next Saturday at 3-0 so we could have the pleasure of their first loss. Unfortunately, NU spoiled our fun.

Before going to the game, someone asked me, "who will go to a 2:00 game? All the kids will still be in school."

"Alumni."

The lower sections were relatively empty but up where we were, it was relatively full, 90% alumni. In the last quarter, you could also see the sea of green (maybe from NU?) cheering heartily for the other team in blue. In the end, they appeared to be even more disappointed than the Adamson crowd who know they let a great opportunity to break a 13 year jinx get away.

I am excited about Sunday. Yesterday, we sat behind the benches for convenience in ingress and egress. But on Sunday, we will try to find seats with a view of the benches. One of the most entertaining parts of watching UST play is the facial expressions of PIdo J.

Go Ateneo. One Big Fight.

I took public transpo. I ditched the car in Gateway and I navigated the path towards Pasig by way of trains, planes and automobiles, este MRT, FX and jeepneys.

As soon as I reached the Philsports premises, I knew I made the right decision. Traffic was crawling and parking was difficult (my batchmate, I learned, had to park at Nipa Hut.) Before I reached the counter, I was accosted by five scalpers hawking tickets …. but tickets were plentiful at the official counter anyway.

“Courtside” seats were occupied heavily in favor of the big bird of prey. But I give an edge to little bird of prey in the “middle level” seats …. There were more of them specially those wearing uniform blue “ADU” t-shirts. For two games in a row, the opposing crowd outnumbered the sixth man …. (I agree with ”ajbt” – alumni outnumber the students) - jaded perhaps by too many victories?

Because 25-0 is too many. As correctly pointed out by "BigBlue," four (not three) presidents have witnessed Ateneo beating Adamson and some researchers in the Guiness Book of World Records are taking note. But records are meant to be broken; streaks come to an end. Will today be the day?

Nope …. but only by a whisker.

I was heartened to see Eric Salamat in the warm-up. We thought that the injury he sustained in the previous game was superficial …. what with the way he was stealing with impunity and leading the fast-breaks and even scoring on a trey. Congressman Salamat was back in session as he spearheaded the first half attack and kept the Falcons at bay with large leads …. 9. In truth, it could easily have been 19 had Jason Escueta and Nico Salva converted on many sorry-misses.

Two things I noticed though in the first half. Coach Norman again started out with a different starting five. The past few seasons, he would very rarely tinker with his first five. But now, he is groping for combinations. Second, he is rarely agitated on the court. But in the first half, he was assessed an “improper bench decorum” because apparently, the calls of the referees needed complaining.

The Eagles were merrily chugging along until the third quarter. Salamat suddenly stops playing and had to be substituted for an injury. A few minutes after, Nico Salva is kneed by Colina and goes down on the floor. He’s taken out. In the ensuing play, our enforcer – wudjabilib 5’6” Mighty Mouse Monfort - jars Colina as he drove to the basket. It was a clean, hard foul (coming from one who’s impartial, je-je) but Adamson is awarded free throws plus possession. The momentum has swung … Nuyles and Alvarez spring back to life and in the fourth, Adamson even grabs the lead and thoughts of the streak flying out the window depressed Loyola Heights.

But I thought the referees suddenly discovered their whistles. Hard fouls that weren’t called before …. were whistled. And Mighty Mouse dashed in singing “here I come to save the day” …. and the Eagles eke out no. 26.

Salva played the last few minutes but plays were not called for him (I hope he’s not injured.) Salamat was pulled out permanently. Maybe he should be rested for the rest of the first round so he can fully recover for the more rigorous games in the second canto.

Very obvious to me in this game was how Coach Black has placed full trust and confidence in Mighty Mouse ….

Monfort was not playing a stellar game. Of his 8 points, 6 came via foul shots in the last minutes. He was missing open shots and he was being rubbed off in defense as Alvarez (and Canada) took their shots. If Ateneo had lost, I can say that Coach Black gave Monfort too many minutes. But we won and that’s why he’s the coach and I’m just a miron. Because Monfort, though we can criticize his effectiveness, we have to give him an A++ for effort. This guy was running, diving, jumping all the time he’s on the court. And hey, he’s a dead-shot from the stripe. Coach Austria erred in the final minutes; he should’ve instructed his wards to foul Long who was missing from the fifteen-foot line. Instead, “here I come to save the day ….”

Adamson has all the weapons for final 4 contention. Manyara is a diamond in the rough – he hit the first five points but oddly, Adamson didn’t go back to him. Camson had an off day; therefore he couldn’t display his usual swagger. Except maybe Coach Austria can use less of Galinato … to me, he’s this season’s version of Malabes …. put him on the court and I’m happy. Nuyles is a very explosive player ….. simply because Hector Tablizo explodes in the seats with his banner whenever Nuyles makes a play.

Kirk Long is the workhorse for the team. He is asked not only to bring down the ball, or make a three-point shot but also to guard the best offensive player on the other side. I was seated with a group of Caucasians who, because Amb. Kenney is no longer around, must therefore be fans of Kirk. Our big guys (I’m confident) will improve when they get their bearings as the season progresses. No sighting of Chua whatsoever …. in the doghouse?

Art dela Cruz is turning out nicely …. he knows what to do with the ball when handed to him.

Bacon, Bacon …. where has his game gone to? When he’s open, he still opts to look for a fancier shot …. I hope he re-discovers his high school MVP roots.

We’re shorthanded in the PG position plus credible three-point threats. Could Magic be the magic? Juami “Magic“ Tiongson was given minutes. He promptly scored. Then in the next play, he also promptly loses the ball. He still needs aji-no-moto …. seasoning.

Ryan Buenafe is steady. As I keep saying about his game, he has to develop a consistent middle-game because he cannot drive to the basket all the time. Because in his drives, he is at the mercy of the zebras who may or may not call the myriad of fouls inflicted on him. Need I again go off on one of my pet peeves – spotty officiating?

Where are we right now in the journey for three in 73? Good. I think we’ve crossed the two tallest mountains and ahead lies a series of hills. Surveying the other teams, I do not see any real threat. Over-confidence, complacency and lack of energy … enemies within ourselves are more dangerous now than enemies outside. UST, VL Salle, NU, UP, UE …. (well, maybe UE if Paul Lee is playing 100 percent.) These are not the Himalayas..

But then again, check that. In this season, the margin for error is less than in season’s past. Our complement of players are good but not as yet exceptional (thus far, no one’s exhibiting a break-out performance except for Long,) .... squeaking by opponents ..... not in the same caliber as years’ past. So a loss here and there might be difficult to make up when it comes to crunch time, when (if at all) we have a must-win situation.

Sunday therefore and I hope it will be a day of rest …. for Salamat. Expect UST to rain down three point shots and to play porous defense. They have a player with a name that’s un-pronounceable. Again, I agree with “ajbt” that Coach Pido Jarencio is a spectacle …. I’m sure (he has a great sense of humor, because he looks like Allan K) will crack a joke somewhere along the line … if he’s not crying …..

Matagal ko nang hindi sanasabi ito ….. sarap maging Atenista.

**********

Eagles clip Falcons for 26th time

by Alder T. Almo, uaapsports.com, July 15, 2010

Manila, Philippines--Defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles avoided what could have been a 0-2 start as they came back to nip Adamson Falcons, 69-66, Thursday in the UAAP Season 73 at the Philsports Arena.

With top guard Eric Salamat unable to finish the game with an aggravated injury, back-up Emman Monfort came off the bench to rescue the Eagles from an impending defeat.

Monfort, the smallest man on the court, proved to be the biggest thorn in the Falcons’ side as he grabbed two crucial rebounds and scored the Eagles’ last six points at the stripes to complete the comeback.

The 5-7 Monfort played the hero’s role to the hilt touching off the Eagles’ rally with a huge rebound off an Adamson miss with 27.9 ticks left.

Monfort then went on to convert six consecutive free throws with the last two sealing the game after Alex Nuyles’ jumper in the last 11.5 seconds kept the Falcons within 66-67.

Staring down at 57-63 deficit midway through the fourth period, the Eagles slowly clawed back on Ryan Buenafe’s five-point binge.

Kirk Long’s split in the final 44 seconds tied the game at 63-all then Monfort took over from there.

“All heart. Gusto ko talaga manalo. Kahit ano (gagawin ko) basta manalo,” Monfort said of his effort down the stretch.

The Eagles, who led 41-32, at the half, allowed the Falcons to come back in the pivotal third quarter when Salamat and Nico Salva went to the bench with knee injuries sustained in separate collision incidents.

Salva, who scored eight points in the first half, returned but was a non-factor down the stretch scoring only a basket. Salamat also came back but immediately returned to the bench grimacing in pain.

“We have to take care of that (Salamat’s injury). We can’t afford to sit down our best player in the endgame,” Ateneo coach Norman Black said.

It was the 26th straight victory of the Eagles against the Falcons since 1997.

American Kirk Long topscored for the Eagles with 12 points with Salva, Salamat and Buenafe each finishing with 10 points apiece.

“We came here into the season thinking that we’re facing the top two teams in our first two games. A split is not that bad,” Black assessed. “The Falcons matched up well with us as they have experienced point guards and they got size.”

Alex Nuyles paced the Falcons with 18 points in an array of spectacular shots including a dunk that tied the game at 52-all towards the end of the third quarter.

The Scores:

ADMU 69 – Long 22, Salva 10, Salamat 10, Buenafe 10, Monfort 8, Escueta 7, Dela Cruz 3, Golla 3, Erram 2, Tiongson 2, Austria 2, Gonzaga 0.

ADU 66 – Nuyles 18, Alvarez 17, Colina 9, Manyara 7, Canada 5, Stinnet 3, Cabrera 3, Lozada 2, Camson 2. Monteclaro 0. Galinato 0.

Quarters: 17-13, 41-32, 52-52, 69-66.

Regardless of whether Salamat lives up fully to his King Eagle billing this year or not, I am confident that Ryan Buenafe at the very least will always be there to pick up the cudgels.

But for the Blue Eagles to clinch the three-peat, the player to watch is Erram. If he somehow replicates even 75% of Baclao's impact during our last 2 championship runs, then we have little to worry about.

.... there has to be a middle ground .... not swallowing the whistle nor being whistle-happy ..... but making the right calls ..... consistency throughout the game which allows players and coaches to properly adapt ....


UAAP suspends refs in Ateneo-Adamson game
by TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Commisioner for Basketball Ato Badolato has made his first swift action of the season, suspending all 3 referees offiating the Ateneo vs Adamson game in the UAAP Thursday afternoon.

It was a close game that saw Adamson pull away mid-way in the 4th quarter. Alex Nuyles led the Falcons to a 6-point lead 58-52 going into the last 3 minutes.

But Ateneo was able to crawl back into the game, and in the last 2 minutes had zero field goal made.

Instead, the sticky defense of Adamson was called for 4 consecutive fouls in the last 2 minutes, resulting in 8 free throws that Ateneo took advantage off to get the lead back and seal the win.

The "tight officiating" was in contrast to what Commissioner Badolato had promised prior to the start of the season--that games will be decided on the floor with the players making big plays and not by referees' calls and free throws.

In a text message to abs-cbnnews.com Badolato explained his action.

"First, let us clarify that some of d 8 free throws were d result of duty fouls. However, I agree that there were some bad calls. We have suspended d 3 refs 4 2 playing days (jrs and women included)," he said.

The result of the game will stand as Ateneo went up to 1-1 while Adamson dropped to 1-1.

We have to be careful tomorrow vs. UST. From what I am hearing, the refs were suspended because calls at the end of the game seemed to favor us. The refs just might try to make amends, so we have to blow UST off the court, just to be sure.

Congrats to the blue eagles for pulling the defensive win against UST. We all know Salva will get his numbers as Salamat will get his also when he is 100%, but finally Norman Black got his starting center right. Im sure Norman Black sees something in Escueta but unlike Chua, Escueta's not polished offensively. Even from 09 and 08 we all know what Justin can bring to the table and that is hit those mid range shots. I also liked what he brought to the defensive end and that was impose his ceiling and heft against the smaller UST players, something Al Husaini was not known for at least on the defensive on a consistent basis.

Salva's got a great all around game. He knows his spots and he also knows his way around the basket whether its driving and posting up. Good for him to knock the mid range jumpers on a consistent basis. I like that the core of the back-to-back team is also there but I think in the Adamson game Black trusted his 2nd and third stringers too much. I think Ateneo was fortunate to pull out of that one. If anything can be said about a week of UAAP basketball, more teams have beefed up on their interior game as seen with FEU, Adamson and NU. The teams are more balanced and the playing field is pretty much leveled.

From an objective standpoint, I still think that FEU (like last year), has the best tools on their squad. On paper they have the deepest team with 2 gilas players, a star sophomore player and good and old reliables. But they haven't impressed me yet as they have not carved out convincing wins against Adamson and Ateneo. Cawaling has not yet been found from his disappearing act since the 09 Final Four games. RR Garcia is leading the charge for the and he is followed by Ramos, Cervantes, Sanga Romeo and Exciminano. I guess sa coaching lang talaga nagkakatalo. Its obvious that Capacio has given the keys to Garcia, he hasnt given the same trust to Cawaling yet.

I can say that as far as a 3-peat would goes, I'm going to go all out for our boys. I can say that the reality is that getting another championship will be difficult, and Im going to stay grounded as far as championship expectations for our team. One game at a time, one team at a time. Its going to a tough, long season, but if there is any coach who can do it, its NB. I just hope that Salva, Salamat, Buenafe, Long, Bacon, Monfort bring the championship experience every game. Hopefully today's game will serve as Chua's breakout game. Why else would Ateneo have recruited him and if he wasnt going to start. If anythings for certain, Chua has game. I think he has more game than Escueta. Don't get wrong, I like what Escueta brings to the table with his toughness, rebounding and ability to bang inside, but the right thing to do is to give your prized recruit from '08 the minutes to get you the numbers. Erram is really an NB7 in the making. Hopefully he gets more PT than Golla. Erram is capable of being the defensive shadow that Golla is not. Dela Cruz is a diamond in the rough. The guy has a great in between game and has a good touch around the basket. I hope we do get a consistent playing time from him because his offensive game is very unique.

As long as Ateneo gives the championship effort on a daily basis Ill be happy. For me as of now, Final Four would be the first goal, not expectation, but goal. Hopefully we can get in because the level of competition is pretty much balanced.

GO ATENEO! OBF!

While "Nonoy Baclao 2" rode the bench the entire game, Justin Chua made a strong case for himself to be "Rabeh Al-Hussaini 2".

Ateneo 68, UST 56.

Next victim: Our arch-rivals in Green

ONE BIG FIGHT!!!

Keep up the good work Justin! Now, we need JP to step up defensively next game against our rivals. He should scare the lights out of Ferdinand.

The original schedule of the game on Saturday against our arch-rivals is 5p.m. but I have heard that it is now 4p.m. Someone please confirm this.

So is Justin the next Rabeh? Not quite, yet but his game yesterday is further validation of the system of caoch Black & his ability to teach big men. Coach Norman has Doug Kramer, Ford Arao, Nonoy Baclao, Rabeh & now Justin as feathers in his teaching cap. It should therefore no longer surprise us if previously unreliable big men suddenly become serviceable after a few years. So feel free to imagine what JP Erram will be like in a few years, teamed with Escueta & Greg Slaughter

The problem with the team this year, as foreseen by everybody is our 3 point shooting, as there isn't anyone on the team that will stretch the defense the way Jai & Chris Tiu did. Teams are letting Kirk & Eric shoot & are finding it easy to cover Emman due to his size. Emman though, has been great & has lifted his game during the crucial stretches of games. I'm predicting that as the season progresses, the 3's will eventually start to fall.

Eric has a full 5 days to rest his knee. He is clearly limping & his game has been slowed by the injury. Hopefully by Saturday, DLSU plays a much deadlier Eric who still manages to change the game when he plays because of his defense & smarts.

The greenies had their own revelation yesterday in Papot Paredes & his 6 blocks. Needless to say, that could be a very interesting sub-plot for Saturday's game - Chua vs. Paredes. The rest of the green team is finding the shooting touch - against inferior opponents thus far. Let's see how they fare against us for their 1st true test of the UAAP season.

The marquee match-up for Saturday's main event will be RYAN BUENAFE VERSUS JOSHUA WEBB. Webb has been playing below par this season and what a way to finally break out of his slump if he can have a monster game versus the Blue Eagles like what he did last year. Buenafe, on the other hand, will be itching to get back at Webb for making him look like a fifth-rate amateur in their two head-to-head duels in Season 72.

The original schedule of the game on Saturday against our arch-rivals is 5p.m. but I have heard that it is now 4p.m. Someone please confirm this.

Yes, I got text from Ateneo Athletics Office informing that game is at 4.

Anyone can have one good game but consistency is the name of the game. I highly doubt that Atkins can continue to put up the numbers, especially after scoring a defenseless UP team. He got tested against a much improved NU team and ended up below par. Paredes can have that one good game also, most notably he hasnt been scouted yet. . La Salle was practically playing against dwarfs in UE as with Villanueva. We all know Webb is capable of scoring if you keep letting him go to his right and Marata and Tolentino can hit the occasional jumpshots. I dont see La Salle putting up the numbers against a established defensive teams in FEU, Ateneo and Adamson.

I think it would be an exciting game and I hope the psy-war continues between Buenafe-Bacon and Webb. I really cant wait for Webb to do something stupid and detrimental for his team to win. Haha.

GO ATENEO! ONE BIG FIGHT!

Does this mean they won't clear the coliseum anymore after the first game?

I guess so. Araneta security and ushers will be very busy in upper box. Since there are seat assignments associated with tickets, they will have a very interesting time asking people to vacate seats.

I have watched all the dlsu games and they rely on 2 things, their outside shot and fastbreaks.. in their UP game it was Atkins.. they lost to NU because Atkins and the rest were not making their shots.. (however, they did mke 3 treys in the last minute to keep the score close).....

in the UE game it was Marata... They hardly have any post ups in their big men... Villanueva and Webb would be there going for the offensive rebounds.. But its the fastbreaks points because of their young guards.... and of course their usual full court press..... and the refs are tolerating the handchecks and physical banging in their press thats why the opposition loses the ball.... if the refs will call in close, then their full court press will not be effective....

In this year’s line-up of the Growling Tigers is center Paulo Pe, who recently graduated from the Ateneo de Manila High School as a member of the back-to-back champion Eaglets …. but because there was no space in the talent-laden Blue Eagles, he opted to transfer to Espana where he is being given minutes on the court. With UST however, pundits predict that losses will outnumber wins for this season …. experts say UST will end up dead last (but only because UST had been flying under the radar.)

That low ranking suits coach Pido …. low expectations. When UST “upset” UE in the opening weekend, Coach Pido quipped “good, we’re no longer eighth … seventh na lang ….” But don’t let these remarks fool you; UST is eyeing a final four slot.

The Growling Tigers put up one hellacious battle. It was physical ….. Nico Salva suffered hits not on the body but on the face ….. and the final score does not reflect the 4 ties and 9 lead changes. Only when the basketball gods smiled on Justin Chua in the fourth quarter did Ateneo pull away. In truth, he was not marked simply because he had hardly played in previous games. Now, the other teams know better.

Everyone acclaims Chua as the hero of the game …..and for this third year player, it was a long time coming.

For the third straight game, Coach Black changed his starting line-up (inserting Chua.) Either he’s clairvoyant (that Chua will break-out) or he’s simply still experimenting. The normally cool Coach was seen kicking the plastic chairs during the first half in frustration.

Mighty Mouse Monfort should keep his cool. He now has a reputation for throwing “unsportsmanlike” fouls at the most inopportune moments …. why hit someone at the back when you’ve just scored on a trey? Relax man and focus on the game, not on the adrenaline.

Eric Salamat is injured. He has no lift in his jump but his larcenous hands are still very effective. Maybe he should rest, notwithstanding the next opponent is Taft.

Ryan Buenafe …. I repeat … has to develop his repertoire. The bigs are waiting for his drive-ins. His outside shooting was off so he tallies a big fat egg. A middle game …. a middle game ….. and I sense that he’s still coasting along, pacing himself, still very early in the season. He knows when to flick the switch …..

Kirk Long …. foul shots please …. and outside shooting. Put a little arch in your shots. That’s what the Eagles need right now …. perimeter threats.

Rookie Art del Cruz continues to impress …. he makes positive contributions that underscore his court presence.

Bacon Austria ….. next topic na lang ….

The bigs - Escueta and Golla - are holding the fort. Not dominating nor exemplary but holding the fort. Justin Chua blocked several shots …… and if only Erram would be doing the same, somewhere along the season.

Ateneo’s outside shooting has been absent thus far …. 2/17 …. but this has been offset by the rebounding …. by the 16 assists …. and low turnovers (12.) Shut-down defense makes up for sputtering offense.

My major comment for this game: where is management? Okay, so Philsports may be the only venue because the PBA took Araneta. Okay that this government facility has not yet been reformed nor changed by the fledgling Aquino administration s one can see by the flooded sidewalks and the poor crowd management (in the throng at the entrance where there was chaos, I could easily imagine a Wowowee- stampede-part 2 taking place.)

The ticket counters had long, long queues that were moving oh so slowly. Those principled enough (or poor enough) not to patronize the scalpers endured at least half an hour of cramped, snail-pace queuing. Once at the booth, we were told “only gallery available” ….. yet inside, the arena was only 70% full. We asked …. the lady said that these were the only tickets given to them to sell. (The UAAP Board is obviously not maximizing their revenues ….. and they are encouraging a black market.)

After the Ateneo game, we stuck around to watch the first quarter of the VL Salle-UE game. We left and I was surprised that at the entrance, even at this late time, there were long lines of people, students, still waiting to go inside. The booths were closed and yet, the stadium was only 40% full by this time. Ano ba naman yan? The UAAP Board, the managers, whoever …. hindi ba ninyo kaya ayusin ito so that people will not suffer these needless inconveniences. Academic institutions teaching excellence, quality of service, customer orientation cannot implement these principles in the UAAP games ….. where they make substantial cash flows?

What with recruitment, gambling, officiating, now lousy management …. the incompetent UAAP ol’ boys club may be killing the goose that lays their golden eggs.

This distraction from basketball is unnerving …. but hey, it’s part of the journey for this year. So we grin and bear it with the consolation that the Blue Eagles just won its second and is starting on a streak …… huwag lang overconfident …. that will topple VL Salle, NU, UP, UE in its wake.

The fanatics will always be there …. with their vuvuzelas …. and blue wigs …… and our patron MVP continues to identify himself with the blue crowd ….. although “Metro Pacific” is a sponsor of the FEU Tamaraws and I heard he’s helping out UP ….

So …. tied with VL Salle for second place …. and next Saturday, we will part ways.


******************

A Big Lift: Ateneo 68 vs. UST 56
date posted: 2010-07-19 09:09:43
Rick Olivares

Justin Chua played 4 minutes during Ateneo’s opening day match versus FEU. Didn’t get off the bench for even a second during the win against Adamson. Yet come the Blue Eagles’ crucial game with the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, he found himself in the starting unit.

“It was just a gut feel,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black of his decision to use Chua and start him in place of the ineffective JP Erram. “I felt I needed a little more scoring in the low post from my big guys and I wasn’t getting it from JP Erram. Justin has had a great attitude. He’s been working hard in practice and he hasn’t complained that he hasn’t been playing so I gave him a chance. And it worked out well today.”

With 6:35 left in the 4th Quarter and the Blue Eagles leading by a deuce 51-49, Chua found himself alone just before the three-point arc when the ball swung to him. Without hesitation, he launched a long jumper that found the bottom of the net.

Following a shot clock violation by UST, the Tigers’ forward-center Chris Camus was inside the lane guarding against the drive when the ball worked its way around back to Chua in almost the exact same spot where he previously made his long tom. Camus rushed out to challenge the shot but it was too late. The ball swished right through and it was 55-49 for Ateneo.

“Coach (Black) would always tell me that when I’m in a position to shoot then I should take it because if I put the ball down, I could lose it and the opportunity might not be there again,” recalled the third-year center of the American mentor’s repeated exhortations to be more aggressive during the game.

The start and big game by Chua caught UST by surprise. “Akala ko kami lang meron surpesa,” quipped a gracious UST coach Pido Jarencio after the match. His Tigers, which hardly played in any pre-season tournament, caught everyone by surprise during opening day with superb performances from relative unknowns Ed Daquiog and Aljon Mariano. “Dati meron silang (Chris) Tiu ngayon Chua.

While Chua’s fellow batchmates Ryan Buenafe and Nico Salva have become regular parts of the rotation, Chua has been in and out of Black’s rotation, hence perhaps the lack of respect accorded to him by opponents. So lightly was Chua regarded that Camus posted him up on UST’s first possession thinking easy bucket or a foul. Chua instead returned the ball back to Camus who had a wry smile on his face.

But when the Blue Eagle center scored Ateneo’s first six straight points, one had to wonder if there was something special in the air.

Although the game degenerated into a series of runs, it was obvious that either team couldn’t really get into a rhythm because of the match’s defensive nature.

As the game moved perilously close to the twilight zone and the score relatively deadlocked, it was obvious that whoever got into a run in the final half of the 4th Quarter could pull out the win.

If there was anything different from this UST team as opposed to last season when they had league MVP Dylan Ababou and scoring machine Khasim Mirza in tow, this unit spreads the ball around. Five players scored in double digits in their opening day win over the University of the East Red Warriors.

In the final 6:35 of the game, the Blue Eagles clamped down on the Tigers and held them to one field goal – a meaningless lay-up by Jeric Fortuna that Ateneo forward-center Frank Golla let by harmlessly. On the offensive end, it was a mighty 17-7 wind-up for a 68-56 win wherein the final score hardly begun to tell of the titanic struggle waged by the two squads for victory #2.

Chua scored huge 8 points in the final quarter to go with the 5 markers that were added by Emman Monfort.

As the final buzzer sounded that saw Ateneo go to 2-1 (tied for second, third, and fourth with Adamson and La Salle), the Eagles mobbed Chua at the halfcourt line.

Said Black as he summed up the day’s fruitful event: “I’m hoping (that he could turn out to be as good as Rabeh Al-Hussaini) this being his third year, we all saw the improvement of Rabeh in his third year. I’m hoping that the same will happen to Justin.”

Ateneo 68 – Chua 17, Salva 14, Monfort 8, Salamat 7, Golla 7, dela Cruz 6, Escueta 5, Long 2, Austria 2, Tiongson 0, Buenafe 0

UST 56 – Bautista 11, Teng 10, Camus 8, Mariano 7, Fortuna 7, Pe 4, Afuang 4, Marata 2, Aytona 2, Daquiog 1, Wong 0, Tinte 0, Mamaril 0, Lo 0

**************

Putting the Tiger in the Tank (Eagle's Nest)

date posted: 2010-07-19 11:01:18
ARSamson

It is already an uncontested fact that parks are not safe for walking. Muggers and bandits abound. No longer will any game be played with the intensity of a practice session with playing minutes granted to the whole bench if only to please parents watching in the stands.

But if surprises will be in the menu each time we sit at these meals, then surely not all of them will be unpleasant. After all, unpredictability even of the starting five for the Blue Crew has allowed Justin Chua to start hoisting the first six points of the game in the first quarter. And to prove this initial production is not a fluke, Flight Number 18 took off to finish with 17 points 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. (Hey JC, JC, won’t you fly for me?) The 2-point percentage shooting of Justin was 7 out of 9, or a 77.8% shooting efficiency. Also, his last 8 points were scored in four minutes in the last quarter to emphatically turn the tide against the dangerous growlers and end the score with a 12-point lead at 68-56. The pleasant surprise of Justin, as he was mostly left unguarded, drove the blue side into frenzy. Were those vuvuzelas we heard?

Xavier alumni who are also sometimes Ateneo graduates are not that surprised as Justin’s performance as he used to dash their hopes with regularity when playing in high school for the X-Men rival Chiang Kai Shek sometimes scoring 32 points. This little bit of trivia (I hope it is accurate) is meant to assure us that the performance, surprising to us who did not see him play in High School, will be there to tap into for the remainder of the season. The game against the Tigers can be considered the coming out party of a recharged Center.

The blue game is really a combination of superior rebounding (52 versus 38) and higher assists (16 versus 6). Truly, the team play looks graceful when it works, as it often does. Dominance in rebounds and assists is sure to translate into fast break plays and easy looks. The tough defense which is part of this brand of play also offsets a difficult shooting night. Ateneo’s two-point shooting efficiency at 40.8% (20 of 49) is pulled down by the three-point production (2 of 17) for overall production efficiency of only 33.3%, which is only slightly higher than UST’s 32.8%.

Through all these statistics, what is clear is the Blue Crew’s ability to withstand runs from the other side and produce counter-runs of its own. As the team is gelling with the rookies finding their roles and the veterans of back-to-back championships giving them encouragement, the outlook seems definitely sunnier than pre-season prognostications.

The Growling Tigers are a dangerous team and I see them winning some other tough games with their bruising, elbow-to-the-nostrils, three-point shooting (6 of 22) brand of play. Coach Norman’s marching orders are to shut them down and this is what the third quarter (Ateneo, 20-14) and even more so, the fourth quarter (Ateneo, 17-10) are all about with the scoring of the Growlers definitely checked. In the last half, the tigers were put back in their tank and caged.

Game 3 of the Blue Crew allows us to breathe easier. It is the first game that shows the gelling of the team and showcases the prospects of reliable go-to players like Nico Salva, Eric, and Emman combined with the X factor of some of the other players in the team, including Chua, Escueta and De la Cruz. (Just think, Erram did not even get to play.) True, the season will be studded with upsets but the solid defense and excellent rebounding is sure to bail us out of these pesky possibilities.

We had already lowered our collective expectations that maybe the pundits were right in predicting that this year will celebrate the endangered species of the cow. Even our rabid followers (me excluded) were content to just make the Final Four and maybe as a bonus to beat our favorite rival twice, and we will all be happy and go our merry way having a haircut and picking blue shirts for next season.

Heck, I want to raise expectations back to where they should be. We can go for the big one, a BTBTB. The team is ready and maybe even the sixth man is slowly accepting the possibility of the dream coming true. If we need to import vuvuzelas to make the point, why not?

I feel I have been waxing too lyrical in previous pieces. Some people like their statistics so I filched a copy of the cheat sheet to give them what they want. Are you happy now?

As to the game on Saturday, I don’t want to make any predictions. Suffice it to say that I want an exciting game where I don’t get to sit down as I am biting my nails and catching my breath. Game 3 had 4 lead changes and 12 deadlocks.

Surely, Game 4 can offer more adrenaline surges like a fast break, baseball pass, and a slam dunk, breaking the expected full court press. That should excite the crowds and get them going with the chant of get-that-ball, something they only do when some dramatic shot is made.

I want to avoid charges of hubris and overconfidence which Coach Norman always guards against. Instead, let me stick to some advisories. Go there early; maybe even watch the separately ticketed first game to get a good parking space. Don’t bring an umbrella as the weather forecast, you know how reliable that is, predicts a sunny day featuring a soft breeze with cloudless skies the color of azure, cerulean, indigo…and a slight touch of ultramarine.

Back-to-back in the seniors ….. and in the juniors …… and three-peat in the grade school ….. sarap maging Atenista.

Loyola Heights will not be where it is today were it not for Taft. The in-your-face “success” of its basketball program provided the direct impetus for the Ateneo alumni to re-shape Ateneo basketball and eventually topple the Archers as the premier basketball program in the country.

I recall the dark days when going to an Ateneo-La Salle game meant hoping for a humungous upset …. and these upsets did come … though few and far between. The full court press implemented by Archers (who did nothing but play basketball) was awesome. Just getting the ball to the front-court was already an achievement and the Ateneo (and the rest of the league) had to slowly evolve strategies to counter this seemingly powerful weapon.

But it’s no rocket science. The pros seldom use the press simply because it’s easy to break and once broken, normally leads to open two points. The press requires “cheating” …. having defenders swarm the ball and the passing lanes …. but if successfully penetrated either by quick short passes or by incisive long passes, the offense thereby punishes the cheating.

With the advent of rules penalizing hand checks and pushes and shoves which gave the press its teeth, the press should no longer be a fearsome hurdle against a team that is well-trained and well-prepared. And the Ateneo is well-trained and well-prepared; MVP has sawn to that …

As we approach Saturday’s game, the Ateneo is a clear favorite. It is building another Adamson-like streak ….. six consecutive victories. If Ateneo plays a “B” game and VL Salle its “A” game, Ateneo wins by a few points. If Ateneo plays its “A” game regardless what VL Salle plays, Ateneo by a blow-out. Ateneo will have to play lousy ….. commit turnovers, be lethargic on defense, continue with 2/17 three-point shooting, be out-rebounded …. to lose this game.

With however one caveat: how will the zebras officiate? Will they allow the “let the players play” dictum thereby giving VL Salle carte blanche to unnerve the Eagles or will they try to prevent any untoward incidents by calling it consistently and correctly? The answer to that lies in Binondo and the point spread …..

The moniker VL Salle (to those living under a rock who do not the history) is self-inflicted and to me, represents the winning-at-all-costs, the will-not-accept-a-second-place-trophy, the abandoning the national team, the Benitez-Gatchalian fiasco that to this day retains unanswered questions, the “blue tribe that cheats its way to victory” quote ….. the attitude and character that was personified by their previous coach. With his foray into politics and the report that the Archers are now benching players because of academics (gasp!) … has the stigma of VL Salle now evaporated and they can now be called La Salle?

I don’t know. I see their bench manned by yet another Pumaren, by Santiago and Yturri …. their alumni who are so powerful that last year, they practically ran their veteran players out of town …. and I’m not yet sure that Benitez/Gatchalian have forgiven those guys who made them the scapegoats.

In the newspapers:

Where’s Arvie Bringas?
Written by: UAAP News Admin
7/20/2010 6:45 PM
By Alder T. Almo

The De La Salle Green Archers are off to a good start that no one has noticed the absence of last season’s promising rookie, big man Arvie Bringas.

A year ago, Bringas came to the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) fresh from leading the San Sebastian Staglets to a 4-peat championship in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) juniors.

The 6-foor-5 burly forward was a monster on court, and no one could stop him. He was included in the Mythical Team while leading the Staglets to a 12-0 sweep in the eliminations. He also won the Finals MVP when they swept the Letran Squires, 2-0, in the Finals.

There was Bringas, a kid with the potential to become the next dominant big man in the collegiate level.
Fast forward to this season and he is nowhere to be found on the UAAP hard court.

In a sudden twist of fate, the once promising basketball career of Bringas has turned to a screeching halt.

DLSU coach Dindo Pumaren confirmed during the UAAP Press launch 5 days before the season began that Bringas was dropped from the team due to academic deficiency.

With his academic standing and basketball career hanging in the balance, Bringas opted to bring his talent to another UAAP school.

Bringas, who was seated four rows behind the Tamaraws’ bench during FEU’s hard-earned win over the new-look NU Bulldogs last Saturday, confirmed that he is no longer and will no longer be part of the Animo team.

He said the decision to transfer was easy because his older brother Anthony is now playing for the Tamaraws. The older Bringas is also a transferee himself, from defending NCAA champion San Sebastian Stags.

For FEU, Bringas’ potential was too good to pass.

For most part of last year’s UAAP season, the younger Bringas showed talent and potential.

In a double overtime win against UST in the first round last year, he scored a UAAP career-high 21 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

In the following game, in a hostile and tension-filled DLSU-ADMU rivalry game, he made a good impression by firing two triples en route to finishing 10 points and 4 boards in a losing effort.

After a season marred by DLSU’s failure to reach the Final 4, Bringas averaged 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.1 minutes. Double-up his minutes and he should give his team a double-double per game.

However, he will have to wait another year to make up for this lost season.

The bottom line is that both Bringas and DLSU have gone their separate ways amicably.

The Green Archers are rolling nice without him.

Bringas, on the hand, has to work doubly hard off the court to gain back his eligibility.

Then, the next step is to show up in the next pre-season armed with his A-game on the court and crack FEU’s solid rotation next season.

***********

This guy was highly recruited but when it became known that he plainly does not want to study, many backed out …. except apparently Taft. He somehow passed their entrance tests and played for a year and their team landed in sixth place ….. so he bails out and wants to transfer to FEU. (Maybe he saw how his fellow players were crucified and wants no part of this charade.)

Study what’s happening to the NCAA and the two disqualified players who appear to be jumping from one school to the next just to play basketball, not to study, not to work towards a real education. I just hope – I repeat – that our alma mater does not succumb to this mind-set that glistening trophies are more important than the integrity of a diploma. Our players have to be students and if they're not, they should not be in the team.

Going back to our opponent tomorrow, my favorite analyst, that refugee from “inboundpass” had this to say (typos and all:)

***********

We have had 3 games and we saw 2 absolutely different La Salle teams. It's either we win by a big margin or the team can't shoot if thier life depended on it.We saw the team rout UP, lose to an NU team we could have beaten and again rout a UE squad with the likes pf Paul Lee and James Martinez. What gives?

Our next opponent is arch rival Ateneo. Which La Salle team will show up? If it is the team that won against UP and UE, then Ateneo willhave a hard time beating us. The play of Ateneo's Justin Chua was a fluke and he won't play like that again.

On the La Salle side, where is Joshua Webb. He has disappeared and has contributed almost nothing. He was suppose to be our go to guy but it seems that his one dimensional offensive play has rendered him useless. On the othere hand, kudos to Maui Villanueva, de la Paz, Tolentino, Parede, Andrada, Vosostros, Tampus, Atkins and Marata. I excluded Ferdinand in this list because of his super erratic play. After 4 years in the league, he still plays like a rookie.

What can we expect from the La Salle-Ateneo game? Defense for sure. Both teams will play defense to the hilt. For La Salle to win, they have to stop Nico Salva. Eric Salamat, is not his usual self. Eman Monfort, the guy who got a flagrant foul with no apparent provocation will be eaten up alive by our guards. Only Kirk Long will shine.

I can see Ateneo play physical (dirty if you please).

Keys of the game:

Maui Villanueva has to come out big!

Simon Atkins has to hit the 3s.

Andrada has to pound the boards.

Paredes has to have a monster game.

Ferdinand has to sit down.

**************

“I can see Ateneo play physical (dirty if you please).” Je-je-je …. gotta love this guy. Kaya ikaw Mighty Mouse, easy ka lang.

Their heads seem to be somewhere in the clouds. Losing does that to you. They’re learning the lesson that winning-at-all-costs is not fun when they’re in 6th place.

Maybe VL Salle stays VL Salle a little longer.

***************

Having said that …. je-je ….. tomorrow, erase everything! In Ateneo-VL Salle, anything can and will happen.

[quote name='busyon1' date='Jul 23 2010, 11:33 AM' post='140409']

Where’s Arvie Bringas?
Written by: UAAP News Admin
7/20/2010 6:45 PM
By Alder T. Almo



However, he will have to wait another year to make up for this lost season.

The bottom line is that both Bringas and DLSU have gone their separate ways amicably.

The Green Archers are rolling nice without him.

Bringas, on the hand, has to work doubly hard off the court to gain back his eligibility.

Then, the next step is to show up in the next pre-season armed with his A-game on the court and crack FEU’s solid rotation next season.





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Wait a minute, isn't the rule on UAAP to UAAP school varsity transfer that a transferee has to serve not one but TWO YEARS of residency before he can play for Team A of that school?

havent been able to see the games on tv due to scheduling. any idea where we can see streaming video on the internet?

greetings!!

you may try http://www.pinoycapper.com/2009/07/uaap-nc...-streaming.html

or TFC now (not free) if you're based out of the country. good luck!!

Go Ateneo, OBF!!

..... am no expert in the nuts and bolts of running a UAAP team but from what I know, (1) UAAP high school graduates playing for another UAAP team need one-year residency unless allowed by the former school and (2) foreign-educated players need two year residency. In the case of Arvie Bringas, maybe (1) applies .... ?

OT, the history of (1) - normally referred to as the "Soc Rivera" rule - is a very interesting read and does not speak highly of FEU ..... and likewise clearly illustrates the dangers of exploiting the youth.

..... heard upper A ticket is being offered at P1,500 ....


Ateneo, La Salle fight for glory
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/ateneo-la-salle-fight-glory

FORGET about the stat sheets, standings and pre-season forecasts because the battle between fiercest rivals in Philippine sports will only be decided by who’s got the bigger heart.

Today, Saturday, students, alumni, patrons and aficionados are expected to fill the Araneta Coliseum to the rafters as Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University test each other’s mettle before a sell-out crowd.

Game time is set at 4 p.m. as the two teams set aside their current standings in the 73rd University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament for the right to draw first blood.

The Blue Eagles will try to extend its winning streak to seven since 2008 while the Green Archers promised to give their blood rival a run for their money.

Both are holding an identical 2-1 card with Ateneo notching a pair of victories against University of Santo Tomas and
Adamson University while La Salle scored blowout wins at the expense of University of the Philippines and University of the East.

Three-peat seeking coach Norman Black has repeatedly said that playing La Salle would be a different ballgame, with emotions running high not just from the players but also from the cheering and jeering crowd.

“It’s really going to be tough. Any game with them is always special not only for the two rival schools but from those who
are closely following the league. We will just play Ateneo basketball as usual, and we will try our best to win,” he said.

Debuting for La Salle as head coach, Dindo Pumaren said the intensity of a rivalry is comparable to a highly-prized championship match.

“It’s like you’re playing the last game of the season or perhaps your career. Players really exhaust all good efforts to win. Aside from that, you have a crowd that pressures everyone to win. And on that note, we know that we are facing a very difficult team in Ateneo. We just have to prepare ourselves well,” he said.

Just like in Season 72, tickets for the Ateneo-La Salle clash will be sold separately from the 12 n.n. square off between UE and National University to allow more fans to watch.

Fried chicken

The rivalry between the country’s top learning institutions boasts of a deep history and legend had it that everything started when La Salle defeated Ateneo in a pre-World War II championship match.

La Sallians reportedly threw fried chicken at the Padre Faura gate in Ateneo’s original home in Intramuros to show who’s the new basketball king at the time.

Over at the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the rivalry went on a hiatus because both teams have different adversaries, San Beda for Ateneo and Colegio de San Juan de Letran for La Salle.

Ateneo left the league in 1978 following a violence-marred title game against San Beda while the unruly La Salle-Letran game prompted the school to leave the NCAA in 1980.

La Salle became the youngest member in the UAAP in 1986 following stiff opposition from board members from Ateneo and UST, who feared of a spill-over of violence once the Taft-based school enters the scene.

Both the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers went on to earn their respective stripes with Ateneo winning its first back-to-back crown in 1987-1988 while La Salle copped back-to-back titles in 1989-1990.

La Salle also bagged four straight titles from 1998-2001 to then coach Franz Pumaren.

The rivalry reached another climax in the 2000s after Ateneo clawed back from its lost decade in the 1990s to arrange a title-showdown with La Salle in 2001, 2002 and 2008.

So far it was a 2-1 score for Ateneo after it made a cinderella run in 2002 to beat La Salle in a highly-charged Game 3 of the Finals and walkout-marred Game 2 in September 2008.

Ateneo’s rainy bonfire celebration on that same year was also marked by controversy after wooden planks bearing the name of La Salle players were burned.

The act prompted Ateneo president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres to issue a written apology to La Salle and was accepted immediately.

To date, the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry has smashed attendance records in Philippine sports history, with the 23,315 people who showed up in the last semifinals game between the two squads at the Araneta Coliseum in September 30, 2007 remains unchallenged.

The TY Tang-led La Salle eventually won that match and swept a highly-favored UE in the finals.

NY Times feature

Meanwhile, its immense popularity has also landed the sports pages of prestigious New York Times, which made a feature on it two years ago.

“The question of which institution provides a superior education is a toss-up; the tie breakers take place on the basketball court,” writes Bartholomew on his article “A nation’s passion lives in a rivalry of Green vs Blue”.

He added that the unique rivalry gathers “senators, foreign diplomats, cabinet ministers, a smattering of Forbes’s 40 richest Filipinos, movie stars and enough professional basketball players to play five-on-five”.

Among those sighted in the past Ateneo-La Salle games are former Senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, telecommunications mogul and Ateneo patron Manny V. Pangilinan, mall magnate Henry Sy, ABS-CBN Corp. chairman Gabby Lopez and its president Charo Santos-Concio, singer Gary Valenciano, Ogie Alcasid, broadcaster Mike Enriquez, etc.

The sea of green and blue also amazed Washington Wizards playmaker Gilbert Arenas, who described the game having a 50-50 crowd split.

“One side of their gym was blue and one side of their gym was green and everybody was just yelling,” he said.

Arenas made a brief visit in July 2008 and witnessed the game live alongside then US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

In one game between Ateneo and La Salle two years ago, then Senator Richard Gordon even led the crowd seating at the precious patron seats in chanting its signature battlecry, “Go Ateneo, One Big Fight!” with the rest following in unison.
The defeated presidential candidate, who studied at Ateneo from elementary to college, is a former member of the school’s cheerleading squadron.

Calling the shots for La Salle on Saturday are team captain Simon Atkins, Maui Villanueva and Joshua Webb while Ateneo banks on the leadership of Erik Salamat, Nico Salva, Ryan Buenafe and vastly-improved Justin Chua.

“If you’re part of the rivalry, you just don’t like each other,” said Black.

So who will reign supreme on Saturday? It’s anybody’s game as always. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)

..... heard upper A ticket is being offered at P1,500 ....

My son told me that John Mayer tickets are being traded for Upper A tickets straight up - one on one. Those concert tickets are supposed to be worth 2k@.

"Nonoy Baclao 2" is still M.I.A. while "Rabeh Al-Hussaini 2" is fast becoming the real deal.

Too bad Coach Norman removed Justin off the court at the wrong time in the fourth quarter and figured out too late that he had Ryan Buenafe cooling down on the bench for too long in between the last 2 quarters.

Ateneo 63, La Salle 66

First loss to DLSU in the UAAP in the last 7 games. First 2-2 start in the last 7 years.

Back to the drawing board. We'll get 'em next time.

ONE BIG FIGHT!!!

we played below par. Except for three or four guys who showed up, the rest of the Blue Eagles did not quite show what they are capable of. Kudos to the Archers. They played better than we did.

If we had won, I would’ve missed the exquisite thrill that only comes when joining thousands of fans willing a team to victory. But now …. because of the painful result …... I’m thankful that I wasn’t able to watch live ……

That was an agonizing loss because we had the game won when the heroics of Kirk Long and the flubs of Ferdinand conspired to give the Eagles a 9 point lead. I was happy Ferdinand was on the court. Ateneo couldn’t miss. Then a couple of stupid turnovers and VL Salle hitting their foul shots and that lead was whittled down bit by bit when Ateneo couldn’t find the basket.

Bacon Austria decided to take the game in his own hands a couple of plays and it didn’t pan out ….. and well, Marata reprised a JV Casio and shot the Blue Eagles out of the sky.

This was the first victory over Ateneo that some of the Archers have ever experienced and well, they deserved it.

Ateneo didn’t. Ateneo did not execute; Salva was often out of position and our shooting, save for that stretch in the fourth quarter, was symptomatic of a team that was nervous and tentative ….. not reflective of back-to-back champions.

Foul shooting was bad. It seemed that the Blue team did not fully believe that they were the better team.

Chua played a good game; in my view, Salamat still does not have much lift but Eric was the sparkplug that ignited that run in the fourth. Coach Black preferred to use Buenafe sparingly in the pivotal fourth and instead opted for Bacon. And Ateneo failed to stop VL Salle’s fast breaks.

So …. it’s hardly the end of the world. Okay … so the season has started out haltingly but there’s a lot of upside to the performance of this team. I still think that final four is a certainty.

Losing to a rival is never fun. But in this game, I will give it to VL Salle …. they won a regulation game and broke the streak …. But championships are not won in July. It will be a big deal only if the Blue Eagles make it a big deal. Rise up and show that the heart of a champion can overcome adversities like this. Bawi tayo.

**************

Archers stun Eagles behind Marata’s triples
by Sid Ventura
Saturday, 24 July 2010

http://www.inboundpass.com/2010/07/24/arch...aratas-triples/

Joseph Marata hit back-to-back triples in a span of 30 seconds to lift De La Salle University to a pulsating come-from-behind victory over archrival Ateneo De Manila, 66-63, in UAAP action Saturday at the jampacked Araneta Coliseum.

Marata’s triples highlighted a searing 13-1 run by the Archers to close the game and seal La Salle’s first win over the Blue Eagles since 2007.

Marata scored all his team-high 12 points from beyond the arc, and after the game he revealed he was dedicating this season to his late uncle, former pro Ric-ric Marata, who passed away earlier this year in New York.

“He was the one who inspired me and my dad to take up basketball. I owe a lot to him as a player,” said the younger Marata of his uncle, who was also known for his outside sniping during his playing days.

Ateneo appeared to have the game in hand after Eric Salamat’s basket gave the Eagles a 62-53 cushion with just under four minutes to go. That capped a 15-5 Ateneo run sparked by a double-pump, shot clock-beating three by Kirk Long. But rookie Jarelan Tampus hit back-to-back baskets and Joel Tolentino added two free throws off Long’s fifth foul to cut the deficit to three, 62-59, time down to 2:12.

A split by Nico Salva with 2:04 left pushed the lead back up to four, 63-59, for what would turn out to be the Eagles’ last point of the game. On the ensuing play, Marata buried a gutsy three practically on the run to bring the Archers to within one.

After an Ateneo miss, Marata sank his second three to give the Archers the lead for good at 65-63 with 1:28 left. The momentum having swung hard to La Salle, and with Long fouled out and Emman Monfort leaving the game with a thigh injury, Ateneo’s offense stalled. The Archers forced Bacon Austria to try and beat them, and he missed on a triple and a runner.

Still, the Blue Eagles had a chance to tie it up after Salamat stole the ball with 26 seconds left, but his outlet pass was broken up, and a jump ball was called. The possession arrow was in favor of the Archers, forcing the Eagles to foul Simon Atkins, who split his charities with 17 seconds left.

With Ateneo needing a triple to tie, the Archers zeroed in on the Eagles’ shooters, forcing Justin Chua to attempt two threes that missed badly.

After the final buzzer sounded, the Archers whooped it up on the court, celebrating the big win that not only ended a six-game losing streak to the Eagles, but also pushed them to solo second with a 3-1 record. The Eagles dropped to 2-2 and fell into a tie for third with the NU Bulldogs.

La Salle coach Dindo Pumaren was at a loss for words afterwards, except to say that he was very happy with the result. “That was all about heart. The boys didn’t give up. I don’t know what else to say,” said the jubilant coach.

Pumaren also singled out the rookie Tampus for his big plays in the fourth. He had decided to roll the dice on the rookie, sending him in when they were down by nine and despite playing him only three minutes in the first half. Tampus made Pumaren look like a genius with those four straight points aside from playing good defense on the other end.

The game was rugged and defense-oriented all throughout, with both teams attempting a combined 59 free throws, and shooting an identical 32.8% from the field.

Joshua Webb shared scoring honors with Marata with 12 points of his own, while Simon Atkins added 9. Ateneo got another strong game from Chua, who led his team with 16 points and 8 rebounds. Monfort added 11 and Long 8 for Ateneo.

The scores:

DLSU (66) – Webb 12, Marata 12, Atkins 9, Tampus 6, Andrada 6, Dela Paz 5, Tolentino 5, Mendoza 5, Vosotros 3, Villanueva 2, Ferdinand 1, Paredes 0.

ADMU (63) – Chua 16, Monfort 11, Long 9, Buenafe 7, Salamat 6, Salva 5, Golla 3, Escueta 2, Dela Cruz 2, Austria 2, Tiongson 0, Gonzaga 0.

Quarterscores: 14-15, 26-30, 46-42, 66-63

For most of the game, the Ateneo offense has been disrupted by the vaunted La Salle pressing defense. Amidst the early chaos, Buenafe restored some order with his daredevil drives and basketball smarts while Emman Monfort was fearless in jacking up those outside shots. Chua duplicated his monster offensive game against UST by being at the right place at the right time for dish-offs and with Kirk Long, were responsible for the early 4th quarter offensive spurt. Eric Salamat still showed ill effects of his injured knee while Nico Salva was lost from the moment he stepped in the court perhaps intimidated by the shot-blocking presence of Andrada and Paredes.

I do not know what Bacon Austria has on the coaching staff to garner so many undeserved minutes. Coach Black was wrong with this one, especially when he had a Ryan Buenafe, thus far having an outstanding game, sitting on the bench most of the 4th quarter. Austria jacked up brick after brick after brick.

We obviously lost this game but kudos to the greenies for a great comeback. Andrada shackled Nico from the start & he could never get off his shot. Still, Salva played great D & we still should've won that game had the team not let up after leading by 9 with 4 mins left. In hindsight, this should be a good wake-up call for the season proving what everyone has been saying all along - this season will not be easy.

Eric's knee still isn't providing him any lift but kudos to him for fighting it out. Justin proved that the UST game was no fluke & that we can rely on him now to be steady.

On to the next game, another dangerous opponent slowly believing they can win - NU.

what the blue eagles need is a great game closer -- someone who can settle the troops to get the job done. the crew on board at that time did not have any of that end-game composure.

nico salva's turnovers and inability to score on what are supposed to be his standard shots is beginning to be a pain to watch. all those kobe bryant clinics won't amount to jack$h!+ if he can't find a way to win when your team is down just 3 -- after leading 9. many people have compared him glowingly to JC intal -- another athletic wingman in the waiting. i'd hate to think he'll develop JC's inability to close out the game as well, though.

and bacon? well, if that tweet from inquirersports is reliable, coach had no choice but to field in bacon, and the kid tried his darndest. still, as before, he may not be the best choice in an end-game situation. if there's anyone on the hail Mary team right now who has the cojones to regroup from an otherwise disastrous situation, it should be carlo balmaceda. i think it was he and alec rivera (isa pa yun na dapat kinuha) who grabbed the series-deciding juniors finals game back from the FEU baby tams in 2006. ganyang-ganyan din ang sitwasyon. ateneo was leading for the most part, and then FEU came back with a ferocity the eaglets were unable to match within the last 2 minutes of play, leading by 3 with less than a minute to go. if not carlo, it was alec who nailed a trey and brought the eaglets back to win the game -- and the title.

going back to that tweet, ryan apparently was seen by the coaching staff as having sagged on defense, getting himself lost in the multiple screens that the archers had set to free up their shooters. "if you want to play for me, you'll have to play defense," was what coach norman was supposed to have said, according to that inquirersports tweet. fair enough. at least it answered the question burning in everyone's minds -- why was ryan kept on the bench for practically the entire 2nd half. i don't know how tight a disciplinarian coach norman is, but when i read that tweet, i figured, hell, dapat pinanindigan na niya and not send in ryan even on the eman injury. or was the prolonged benching way too much? i don't know. i don't know how coach norman runs his ship.

in the end, i'm confident the team will learn from this. and as antonc said above, this has brought into sharper focus what everyone has known all along -- that this season will not be easy.

actually, it was enzo katipunan.

congrats to La Salle for their hard-earned win. I have to give them credit because I didnt realize Dindo had it in him in to get his boys to work hard for the win. La Salle made great plays, Ateneo became complacent and just poor rotation from NB by opting to use the likes of Bacon, Escueta. Who the hell shoots a floater 2 feet away from a basket? Bacon hurt us by poor decision making as much as Nico Salva afraid of touching the ball. Then again, these are just growing pains and its better to find the weaknesses of the team right now than later in the season. At least we know we can get a consistent effort from Chua and monfort. Salamat will be back eventually, Im sure he's still dealing with the injury bug and Salva will eventually embrace the role of go-to-guy down the stretch.

Ateneo lacked the consistent fire to match La Salle's intensity on defense. Magaling yung press ni Dindo as much as kay Franz (at least for this game). His guards forced the Ateneo guards to dead spots on the back court which brought them back from a 9 point deficit. Congrats also to Marata. The guy played with a lot of animo and knocked down two dagger 3's.

Whats up with Buenafe? Im sure NB sees something if he doesnt get in to close out games. Buenafe is a loose end on defense. Who was that La Salle player he was guarding and he just let him waltz right in for an assist leading to an Andrada lay-up? Let's face it, the guy is out of shape and Im sure Bacon has an easier time carrying his weight around the floor. And why does Escueta get a lot of unproductive minutes? Inuuna niya paninira eh. He's not looking to make the right play, he's looking to throw his bulk around. I hope Erram gets another crack at the 4/5 spot, I really think he can make a better impact on the game, at least defensively.

I dont blame Nico Salva for deferring to Salamat, Chua, Monfort and Kirk Long. He's not used to it yet but he will in time, because the positive about this is that he and Chua are only in their 3rd years, and there is a lot of time to grow into those cornerstone walls. I hope Buenafe regains his 08 playing form where he was a threat simply by just holding the ball and looking to create for himself or others.

Great game, for both schools. Daming "buenas" na tira. Kirk's double clutched trey (he probably learned that from Kobe, haha) and his acrobatic lay up (probably from Dwade, haha). Nico Salva's buzzer beater. Eric's buzzer beating 3. All the breaks were going in for us, we just didnt want to capitalize on it. Congrats again to La Salle and I cant wait for the next game. Im sure NB and his wards have picked up something from this game to improve on.

GO ATENEO! OBF!

Upcoming GamesGame Date Time Dark Team Light Team Venue Game Type


17 Jul 29 (Thu) 2:00PM FEU vs DLSU Araneta Coliseum Elimination
18 Jul 29 (Thu) 4:00PM UST vs NU Araneta Coliseum Elimination

19 Jul 31 (Sat) 2:00PM UP vs UE Araneta Coliseum Elimination
20 Jul 31 (Sat) 4:00PM AdU vs FEU Araneta Coliseum Elimination

21 Aug 1 (Sun) 2:00PM ADMU vs NU Philsports Arena Elimination
22 Aug 1 (Sun) 4:00PM DLSU vs UST Philsports Arena Elimination

23 Aug 5 (Thu) 2:00PM UE vs AdU Araneta Coliseum Elimination
24 Aug 5 (Thu) 4:00PM UP vs ADMU Araneta Coliseum Elimination

25 Aug 7 (Sat) 2:00PM NU vs UP The Arena Elimination
26 Aug 7 (Sat) 4:00PM FEU vs UST The Arena Elimination

27 Aug 8 (Sun) 2:00PM DLSU vs AdU Philsports Arena Elimination
28 Aug 8 (Sun) 4:00PM UE vs ADMU Philsports Arena Elimination

Its been awhile since I've posted here. Med school must really be keeping me busy. Sad loss yesterday. Our luck must have ran out when Marata hit that gamble well-challenged three on transition. At this point, I'm betting the team management is keeping hush-hush about the extent of Salamat's injury. A mere "contusion" shouldn't be bothering him that much. Nevertheless, he hasn't had a really good game yet this season. It didn't help either that Salva was marked and shut down also by constantly attracting the double team. I really hope Chua continues to improve. If he can be quicker on the post then he'll be nigh unstoppable.

And someone please tell Coach Norman to get a shooting coach so we can improve our 3-point shooting.

OBF!