La Salle has now transformed an ordinary season into an extraordinary one with its return to the UAAP basketball finals. Sweeping the second round and trouncing Far Eastern University twice in the playoffs, the Green Archers have restored interest and confidence in their basketball program.
In the 1990s and the early part of the 21st century, the Archers were a dominant force. Coming off the heels of frustrating years finishing runner-up constantly to University of Santo Tomas, La Salle had an unforgiving full-court press and slashers like Ren-Ren Ritualo, Mike Cortez, Joseph Yeo and TY Tang to finish off heists and interceptions.
During Ateneo’s reign of five straight titles, La Salle did not have the same slashers and no longer pressed as often as before. For this season, the team seems to have an ideal balance of improved big men in Arnold Van Opstal, Norbert Torres and Jason Perkins along with sweet-shooting guards like LA Revilla and Almond Vosotros.
It’s clear that the team improved as the season progressed. After struggling to find their rhythm, the Archers hit the bullseye in the second round and made it to the Final Four with a playoff against FEU for the twice-to-beat advantage that they won.
The only question that remains—and this applies as well to either National University or UST that are battling for the other finals slot—is whether a team can survive the stress of the playoffs. The playoffs and the championship are an altogether different pressure cooker to be in.
School communities are all over the teams involved, both in person and on social networks, simultaneously encouraging team spirit and lambasting external variables like the officiating and the opposing schools.
Media of all kinds, whether traditional or online, are looking for a story and angle. The hoopla can be treacherous territory for the teams who are, after all, made up of young individuals who are playing sports for formation and realistically, possible future careers as professional athletes. If the elders around them do not handle the external distractions well, the pressure could unravel weaknesses and affect performance.
As the finals approaches, all those familiar sports adages and clichés like “focus,” “wanting it more” and “staying on the same page” will surface again and either fall on deaf ears or tired ones, or it could perk up sagging spirits affected by the physical challenges and duress of playing hard in the limelight.
Teams will just have to cope because there are no more tomorrows for those who will not come together. They who will fall short will end up lost in the pressure cooker.