Ateneo, UST see tougher series this time around

The UAAP championship showdown may be a repeat of the 2006 title clash, but both Ateneo and University of Santo Tomas are looking at it from different vantage points.

“This team is different from 2006,” said UST coach Pido Jarencio. “2006 was more of destiny, 2012 is more of preparation. We’re a mature team. We’re well prepared and the game plan is there.”

The Tigers shocked the favored Blue Eagles to cop the crown six seasons ago, but the Eagles had since risen from the heartbreak and reigned the last four years.

Ateneo team manager Paolo Trillo and coach Norman Black, however, think that this latest quest may be the toughest.

“We feel that this might be the hardest championship to win,” said Trillo. “In the preseason, coach Norman singled out UST as the team to beat. From the start we knew UST will be the team we’ll see in the end. From the start, we’ve respected UST as a contender.”

Both teams, however, agree that this is going to be one for the books and hope that the players will get a chance to decide it.

“We just want the officiating to be fair and let the players decide the game,” Jarencio said in the PSA Forum yesterday at Shakey’s Malate.

“I agree with what coach Pido said, let the players decide the game,” said Trillo. “As much as possible, we want the refs to call it consistently and to be fair on both sides.”

The teams split their elimination round assignments in games which were decided by just an average of 1.5 points.

Their last duel was so hotly contested that it even got dragged into a protest after the Tigers questioned two referees’ decisions in the dying seconds, prompting them to protest their 66-68 setback against the Eagles. League officials eventually junked the protest.

The trio of Greg Slaughter, Nico Salva and Kiefer Ravena hope to lead Ateneo to a school-best fifth straight crown against a UST squad powered by Karim Abdul, Jeric Teng, Aljon Mariano and Jeric Fortuna.

“We know UST is formidable,” said Trillo. “They’re very balanced, they’re complete. They have a lot of experience also. We expect the championship to be really a toss up.”