A trip down memory lane: Former Eagles, Tams reminisce old showdown

MANILA, Philippines—The anticipated nip-and-tuck finals clash between three-peat seeking Ateneo and title favorite Far Eastern U unfurls today, fetching memories of a not so distant past, when a different generation of Blue Eagles and Tamaraws battled for college basketball’s most prestigious diadem.  
In season 66, the Blue Eagles, paced by fiery guard LA Tenorio and the core of Ateneo’s 2002 champion squad, were gunning for back-to-back titles when they rammed straight into Arwind Santos and the Tamaraws, who were actually at the start of their reign.
 
But Tenorio, who is now an integral part of Alaska in the Philippine Basketball Association, is pretty confident that the current showdown between Ateneo and Far Eastern U won’t be an exact copy of that previous battle, where Santos and his fellow Tamaraws manhandled the Eagles in a sweep of the Finals.   This time, at least, “it will reach Game 3,” said Tenorio. 
 
“I hope Ateneo wins, but I really don’t know what to expect,” he admitted.   Denok Miranda, the guy Tenorio went head-to-head with in a classic backcourt duel, also expects the series to reach a winner-take-all, but thinks his alma mater has what it takes to win.   “No team has the clear edge,” said Miranda, who’s also in the pro league now with San Miguel.   “Ateneo has veterans also like (Emman) Monfort, (Eric) Salamat and (Ryan) Buenafe. It will come down to which team is hungrier.   “But I pick FEU in three games.”   Santos, now a stalwart with San Miguel Beer, essaying the same role he had as a Tamaraw, had a more clear-cut prediction. If you study his scenarios though, you’ll realize it favors his school, naturally.   “It’s hard to predict, but if FEU takes Game 1, it will be a sweep,” said  Santos. “If it reaches Game 3, the team that won Game 2 will have the momentum.”   “I believe FEU has the talent, but they also need to play with the heart of a champion from start to finish. FEU shouldn’t be intimidated, they should dictate the pace.”   Both Ateneo and FEU  finished atop the heap in 2003 with identical 13-1 slates, but Tenorio felt the Tamaraws had a better team than them back then.
 
“FEU really had mature players that time, and Ateneo was just starting with its  basketball program,” said Tenorio, who ran the show for the Blue Eagles along with two-time UAAP MVP Rich Alvarez, the sweet-shooting duo of Larry Fonacier and Wesley Gonzales.
 
The 2003 Tamaraws included the likes of Santos, Miranda, Jeff Chan and Mark Isip.   “During the 2003 series, we were very patient and at the same time our outside shots were going in so we gained confidence,” said Santos.   “We sort of peaked in the Finals that’s why the championship games were all blowout wins,” added Miranda. “We took a double-digit lead right in the first quarter and that helped our confidence. We just clicked.”   But Tenorio thinks Ateneo’s 2010 squad is more loaded than the 2003 version, with gunners like Eric Salamat, Kirk Long, Emman Monfort and Ryan Buenafe leading the pack.
 
This despite the Blue Eagles finishing with a 10-4 record. Interestingly, half of Ateneo’s losses came against FEU, the only team the Eagles failed to conquer in the elimination rounds.
 
But Tenorio thinks that Ateneo’s edge this season is its experience from  previous championships, which that cat-quick guard feels is enough fuel for yet another title run.
 
“They are not as talented as the previous years but they got a lot of experience from Norman Black,” Tenorio said.
 
This year’s Tamaraws, though veteran-laden, aren’t as experienced. FEU doesn’t have a single player in its roster that has experienced the intense pressure of being in the Finals.   Yet Tenorio believes that come game time, Ateneo will still have to pull some serious strings in order to topple the Tamaraws. 
 
“They really have to find a way to beat FEU,” said Tenorio. 
 
With a backcourt led by MVP RR Garcia and top rookie Terrence Romeo—along with a plethora of big men and wing players—the Tamaraws have proven to be the most talented and deepest team in the league much like the 2003 champion team.
 
The Eagles still are the defending champions but the Tamaraws have had their number all season long.
 
“FEU definitely has the advantage in this series. They’re the team to beat,”  Tenorio said. With reports from Cedelf P. Tupas, photos from Fabilioh.com, Pinoyexchange.com