Road to the UAAP Finals

As we approach the knockout stage of the Final Four of this year’s UAAP, please allow me to evaluate the  teams on their achievements and discuss what they can do, perhaps, to reach the Finals.

Let us take first the No. 1-ranked Ateneo Blue Eagles. Definitely, at the start of the season, no one in his right mind would have thought that Ateneo would be the top team after the eliminations.

Aside from the impressive overall performance of this year’s MVP Kiefer Ravena, the contribution of Chris Newsome and Von Pesumal must not be overlooked. The tenacity of Nico Elorde was also a factor for the team.

Ateneo’s performance in the Final Four would also depend on how its big men perform against its counterparts. NU’s Alfred Aroga and Troy Rosario will certainly be a major challenge for the Blue Eagles.

The Ateneo coaching staff has done a very good job for the team. The coaches’ synergy is highly visible on the bench. Their players have clearly defined roles and the coaches have found a way to utilize these to the max.

With their recent victory over highly favored La Salle in the playoff for the second seed, the FEU Tamaraws have made non-believers take a second look at their team as a strong contender in the Finals.

The FEU coaching staff has made terrific progress in adjusting its defensive patterns depending on which team they are playing. And with Mike Tolomia and Mac Belo, the Tamaraws now have the finishers to win big games. The loss of “shoot-first” guards RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo has been a blessing in disguise for coach Nash Racela’s wards who are now playing as a solid team.

The performance of the Green Archers has fallen short of expectations so far.

Although we must take into account the injuries their players have had to play through, the Archers have not displayed their powerhouse potential as a team.

The La Salle coaching staff has presented simple offensive patterns of “low post then kick out,” which makes the Archers look like a PBA team in the 1990s, when zoning was not allowed. Defenses are simply sending one or two guys as help defenders “cheating” in the paint, clogging the lane for a post move by Arnold Van Opstal, Norbert Torres, or Jason Perkins.

When the PBA had illegal defense, that offense worked, but hardly anybody runs it now. It might be time for La Salle to explore other offensive options to clear the path for their wings to do their jobs effectively. Maximize their talents and ability, not just settle for making them post-entry passers.

Can you blame Jeron Teng for being out of rhythm if he doesn’t get plays called for him unless he demands a clear-out? Could there be a chemistry problem as well among the players? Rumors are rife about some players who still have at least a year of eligibility wanting to go pro instead of coming back. However, I still feel that they have a chance of pulling through.

In all fairness to coach Juno Sauler, that stacked lineup of La Salle is definitely one of the hardest to coach, forcing him to bench some good players and relegate some to role players.

Long overdue to make the finals, National U definitely misses star player Bobby Ray Parks. Despite Parks’ departure, however, the Bulldogs still possess the manpower to make it through. They are proving to be the best defensive team among the Final Four cast, with the defensive depth to match up against virtually any lineup they face. What is key, though, is for the players to attain consistency. The coaches’ offensive creativity and imagination, specially on endgame, will also be crucial.

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