A blast from Ateneo's past -- Men's Basketball, Women's Volleyball, Baseball etc

I was looking at some old files in my very first Macbook and I found these old videos that I put together when we were shooting the very first Ateneo Sports calendar way back in 2009. These were meant to promote the calendar using outtakes and some cool music classics like The Lovin' Spoonfuls' "Do you believe in magic?", Hootie and the Blowfish's "Only wanna be with you", and Sly and the Family Stone's "Everyday people." In this video you'll find some of the varsity athletes of the day such as Jai Reyes, Kirk Long and Noy Baclao for the basketball team, a long haired-Bea Pascual for the volleyball team, the three-peat Judo team and more.

Hope you enjoy these vids!

Andy Murray strikes gold

Roger Federer will go down as the greatest tennis player of all time but one night in London, a long suffering Briton finally got one against the Swiss juggernaut. You think about how it hasn't gone well for tennis players like Tim Henman and Andy Murray as they've left a string of broken British hearts through the years. 

And then there was redemption in Wimbledon for Murray about a month after losing to Federer in an epic finals match as he took all three sets 6-2, 6-1, and 6-4 for the gold medal. The incredible thing is Murray leads the head-to-head match up with Federer 9-8 but has yet to beat him in a finals series.

Murray may not have won a tennis Grand Slam but how many people can say that they have an Olympic Gold Medal? Those tears in your eyes? They're good ones because they sympathize with one who deserves to come out aces. And it's for  joy and for a winner whose time has come. A truly great Olympic moment.

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Photo from Doug Mills/New York Times

What ails the La Salle Green Archers?

This appears in INSIGHT section of abs-cbnnews.com.

What ails the La Salle Green Archers?

by rick olivares

If you ask me what is plaguing the La Salle Green Archers nowadays I will point to two things: one, inexperience (and offensive woes), and two, the lack of continuity.

When you go back and take a look at the history of champion teams, it’s almost always a veteran squad that was brought up together through the years. Every year they mature with experience and they improve their skill set. Likewise, the coaching staff adds new pieces to their championship puzzle.

This season, La Salle easily landed the bluest of the blue chip rookies in Jeron Teng out of Xavier. He is said to be the missing piece to their title aspirations. While Teng is putting up great numbers as he looks to be the runaway rookie of the year, the team has stumbled out of the gates and is currently 2-3 with rejuvenated NU and tough Adamson remaining in their schedules.

But easily, two of the three loses could have gone either way (a pair of two-point loses to FEU and UST). And if that were so, we wouldn’t really be analyzing La Salle’s woes.

So why did I point out to lack of Inexperience and continuity? Glad you asked.

Inexperience and offensive woes

The current squad features only two super seniors in Joshua Webb and Jovet Mendoza and they do not even get a lot of minutes.

They are led by a “junior” and a sophomore” in LA Revilla and Norbert Torres who technically aren’t what their school status says because both have been around but have missed playing years either because of injury or eligibility.

It’s a young team that had loads of potential.

Here is how they are broken down by class:

Super seniors: Jovet Mendoza and Joshua Webb

Senior: Yutien Andrada

Juniors: LA Revilla, Jarelan Tampus, Luigi dela Paz, Almond Vosotros, Jed Manguera, and Papot Paredes

Sophomores: Norbert Torres, Arnold Van Opstal and Alfonzo Gotladera

Rookies: Mark Tallo, Thomas Torres, Jeron Teng, and Gab Reyes.

In five matches, here are the minutes played by the different players:

Of those logging loads of playing time, the only players who contributed significantly to La Salle’s previous campaign were Norbert Torres, Revilla, Andrada, dela Paz, and Van Opstal. That means many of the younger players are being asked to shoulder the offense.

After Rico Maierhofer and Jayvee Casio moved on following Season 71, La Salle struggled to for someone to lead the team in scoring.

Take a look at the difference.

Let’s break that down further.

This year, La Salle finally has a couple of players who they can count on for points – LA Revilla and Jeron Teng. Whether they can continue that remains to be seen.

Here’s a contrast of two of La Salle’s best offensive players:

Teng

Wins: 11.0 ppg; 57% FG; 2.0 rpg

Losses: 7.7ppg; 40% FG; 4.0 rpg

Revilla

Wins: 8.5 ppg; FG 55% 3.0; rpg 1.5 apg

Losses: 11.5 ppg 47%FG 3.5 rpg 1.3 apg

Incredibly, La Salle’s stats are nearly the same whether they win or lose.

So what causes the losses? It isn’t their defense. It’s their offense or lack of it. It’s also their inexperience.

In their three loses, La Salle only took three of the 12 quarters (not counting the extension periods). In the final quarter of play, they have had more turnovers.

In the final extension period against the Growling Tigers, the Green Archers had three TOs to UST’s one. Against Ateneo, La Salle incurred seven TOs to the Blue Eagles’ three. In the first loss of the season, DLSU had five turnovers to the two of FEU.

That is a sure sign of inexperience. Once this crew jells they’ll be a tough unit to beat.

Continuity.

In 2009, it was hoped that by taking in several players from the RP Youth Team, La Salle would have brought in terrific new weapons to the squad that lost to Ateneo in the 2008 Finals. They brought in Joel Tolentino (UPIS), Tata Marata (UPIS), Jed Manguera (DLSZ), Gab Banal (Xavier), and Papot Paredes (Sacred Heart CD) from the national team. But La Salle was not able to get best of that team – RR Garcia went to FEU, Kevin Alas went up to the senior team in Letran, ditto with Frank Golla in Ateneo while Joseph Terso to NU. Jaypee Mendoza (Tarlac State University) went to San Beda. Jai Flores and Jon Sumido (both from Iloilo Central HS) joined the UE Red Warriors.

Nevertheless, the Green Archers also got Arvie Bringas and Yutien Andrada from many-time NCAA juniors champion San Sebastian Staglets.

That sounded like not just a great recruiting class but a future dream and champion team right there. Except that the dream never turned into a reality.

Three years later, Tolentino is now with the College of Saint Benilde, Banal is in Mapua, Bringas is in FEU, and Marata back in UP.

In 2010, they brought in Nico Elorde from DLSZ but two years later, he transferred to Ateneo. In 2011, they recruited Roldan Sara from the San Beda Red Cubs. One year later, he returned to Mendiola.

In the meantime, the changes in the coaching staff have seen Papot Paredes, Joshua Webb, and Jovet Mendoza relegated to the bench.

For Webb, it has been particularly more difficult because he came out of DLSZ as a highly touted rookie who got serious minutes under Franz Pumaren. Now, he isn’t even the star of his squad and it is his final year. He has gone through three head coaches in his five years in Taft.

If Bringas were still around, he’d be in his third year in green and white. And he would have formed a terrific frontline with Andrada, Mendoza, Paredes, Arnold Van Opstal, and Norbert Torres. Much was expected from Marata and Banal. Marata was given the minutes while Banal hardly got off the bench.

La Salle used to be the paragon of stability not just in their coaching staff but also in their program.

Will the Green Archers ever been champions again? Sure they will. They could even win it all this year – don’t laugh – in spite of their 2-3 record. Two of those losses were by two points that could have gone anywhere. Besides, there’s still the second round and really, anything can happen.

To say that the suspension hurt them is a fallacy because they won it when they returned in 2007 and that remains an incredible feat. But as it is with change there is a learning curve. After competing for the finals in almost every year of its existence in the UAAP it sure is painful for the green and white faithful to see their team struggling.

But as the saying goes, the only place to go when you’re down is up.

Five ways of looking at an ugly win by Ateneo over UE

This appears in the Monday, August 6, 2012 edition of the Business Mirror.

Five ways of looking at an ugly win by Ateneo over UE

by rick olivares pic by brosi g.

By all rights, Ateneo should have beaten UE by 83 points. Okay that might be exaggerated (not at least by US Olympic standards) but this is a bad team they played. And in the first half, the Red Warriors looked like they were 4-0 instead of 0-4.

Yes, a win is a win but some games you just have to crush the opposition from that UAAP some board member will eventually propose a mercy rule to basketball.

But they insist that the show must go on so lucky for us that there are five ways of looking at this 68-51 win over the down-on-their luck Red Warriors.

This was an opportunity to give the bench (the third team) some serious minutes

In a recent post-match press conference, a member of the media pointed out to Ateneo head coach Norman Black that the starters were logging heavy minutes. Black replied that Ateneo faced the contenders in a gauntlet run in the first two weeks and that forced him to play a smaller rotation. Come the less heralded teams he hoped to get the bench some court time.

Now had blown them off the court – more so since in the first four matches saw the Blue Eagles get off to a hot start – then the bench would have gotten some serious experience and not just in the last few minutes when you’re just waiting for the game to end.

We can opine that the team seems to get up for the big teams then relax (although some times too much) against the supposedly lower tier squads until challenged. The good thing about this is that there is a halftime to put things in perspective.

We cannot tell the coaching staff whom to play but it sure would be nice if there are more weapons, confident ones at that, who can contribute during the UAAP and not the post or pre-season games.

This was as probably the best half that UE played as they wanted to present to everyone that they were more than a Roi Sumang show. And they did as Chris Javier suddenly looked like he back in his high school days in San Beda and not the befuddled center he mostly been in the UAAP. Peds Galanza hit a couple of treys and JR Sumido was challenging Greg Slaughter with lane incursions.

Tonino Gonzaga owes Ryan Buenafe lunch

Sometimes I get the feeling that we will never see the best of Ryan Buenafe while in blue and white. I saw him play in San Sebastian’s uptempo game and he was like Magic Johnson rebounding, running the break, hitting threes, showing some hangtime moves, and generally making everyone look better.

In the current system, he is not the primary ball carrier and he doesn’t start. The only time he did was when he was a rookie before he became the fire starter for the bench mob in his second year.

But boy can he create. He is still the best by far passer on the team.

In years past, Nico Salva had Buenafe to thank for his many open looks at the basket. And then it became Justin Chua. Now it’s Tonino Gonzaga. And you can throw in Frank Golla in there for this game.

Gonzaga has struggled with his shot. Mostly because he’s too wound up and he admits that early on he was looking for his shot. While that has changed he still rushes shots. When Buenafe would find him, he got his groove going and this was the Tonino of last year zigging and zagging his way to a deuce.

I have always believed and I wrote about this a couple of years ago that Buenafe is an underrated defender. While the Blue Eagles got going in the second half of play it was Buenafe’s entry that really sparked the team.

And I’d like to say that the official statisticians didn’t do Ryan any justice. Buenafe’s official stat line is: 23 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 turnover. They missed one more steal and a blocked shot. The referees aren’t the only ones in need of an extra pair of eyes. But the intangibles? He put on a show. He is still the only one with enough cojones to throw a bounce pass in traffic and through the lane. And that hang time baseline jumper? Stupendous.

He is the Player of the Game.

It was nice to see Oping Sumalinog back in the starting unit

And Oping’s numbers don’t tell it all. But in a Kirk Long minute, he stole the ball, passed he ball to a teammate and was rewarded with a return pass for a lay-up.

That should get his confidence up because FEU is just around the corner.

There was a Frank Golla sighting

In years past, Frank was referred to by Black as “the glue guy” as he did a lot of the literal dirty work on the court. In the first two games of the season, Golla has missed a lot of easy shots and has looked lost on the court. In the last few games, he has burned a hole on the bench. The game against UE was a good one to get his confidence going because we’re going to need the tough guy for the long haul.

Golla got a bucket (courtesy of Ryan Buenafe) and he got 3 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. He played well in the second unit and here’s to seeing him contribute more.

A win is a win doesn’t matter how you get it

Sure we’d like our foes to be handed their behinds. Some just don’t like those cardiac games. When you look at FEU and UST, their head coaches, Bert Flores and Pido Jarencio, like to say, “nakadali na naman” or “naka-tsamba ulit”. They don’t particularly care about it because at the end of the day, it’s the win that is important. And that gets them closer to the Final Four. And look at La Salle. Some of their loses (not against us though) could have gone either way but the fact of the matter is they are 2-3 and they are left to think, “Crap, we didn’t expect us to be in this hole.”

The first half of Ateneo against UE was ugly. Close to the butt ugly half against UP. But know that every team gets up for us and bar none. They will always bring their best against us. But look what happens when we decided, “Oh, this is enough.” We cream them when we have to cream them. We’re 5-1 and it could be better but look at it this way, our spot in the standings is not a bad place to be in.

Six played and eight to go.

With Coach Erik Spoelstra at the Gatorade livestream Facebook chat

We held a livestream video chat with Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra at the Marriott Hotel yesterday. There were supposed to be a few more other college basketball players but none of them were available except for Ateneo's Nico Salva. Jinno Ruffino hosted the 40-minute show. In the picture above, Nico gives Coach Spo pointers on defending a championship.

Some of the fans who were lucky enough to win in the Gatorade Philippines Facebook promo attended the event where they got to briefly talk to Coach Spo and get his autograph and pic taken.

Interviewing Nico Salva in the pre-chat segment. And below with Coach Spo and the Larry O'Brien trophy. Got to talk to coach and will write about that tomorrow.

Me & the Larry O'Brien, World Series, UFL & UAAP trophies

Me and the Larry O'Brien trophy that the Miami Heat won a few months ago. As Coach Erik Spoelstra said, "It sure is a beauty." Never thought I'd stand next to it. And guys like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Pat Riley carried this trophy. Wow!

With the New York Yankees' 27th World Series trophy. Baseball is my field of dreams. Being the only Filipino in this event made it even special. The Yankees' brass was very pleased to see the interest from someone from the Philippines. Told them that I lived in New York for a while but that wasn't why I root for the Bronx Bombers. Have been a lifelong fan of the Yankees. Have seen over a hundred live matches of NY. Saved every one of those tickets too. I have almost all the DVDs of the team that has been released. 

Cradling the UFL's Perpetual Trophy and below planting a smacker on the 2011 UAAP Men's Basketball Trophy inside the dugout of the Ateneo Blue Eagles. 

I have other shots of other trophies (including the EURO trophy replica that is posted in my Facebook) but these are the ones I want to share. What I hope to get in my lifetime -- the World Cup and UEFA Champions League trophy.

Does this win save NU’s season?

Terrence Romeo misses a game tying three.

Does this win save NU’s season?

by rick olivares pics by brosi gonzales

This was a game where National University’s season was on the line. At 2-2, the Bulldogs were reeling. Another loss and well... who knows.

They were in this situation before. One year ago in fact.

In UAAP Season 74, in the first year of Eric Altamirano as head coach and Ray Ray Parks as the team’s big time savior, they started the season 1-4. Then came the low point when they lost to UE 72-71 after Parks missed two free throws and an offensive putback as time expired. Although they got their bearings in the second round, it wasn’t enough to get on the Final Four bus as the Bulldogs fell flat on their faces at 6-8 to end the tournament.

That yea, the Bulldogs dueled with FEU in a pair of nailbiters but the Tamaraws prevailed 62-59 and 84-82 in their head-to-head match-ups.

Thus far this Season 75, FEU looked to be the masters of the clutch win as all their previous victories were assured after the final shot had been taken. And the script went the same route with this game.

With 59 seconds left in the match, Bobby Ray Parks went to the 15-foot line to shoot a pair off free throws. The first rimmed out and not all of Parks’ body English could get it to stay in. But Parks adjusted and swished the second. 58-57 for NU.

The Tamaraws had the ball back and they moved it around to find the open man. The predictable thing about the Tams is that you know they are not going inside as they have no real post-up threat. To be fair, it isn’t such a bad idea when FEU’s Terrence Romeo, RR Garcia, Mike Tolomia and the Bruise Brothers (Mark and Arvie Bringas) all have touches from the outside. At that point in time, Romeo had scored 18 points including four treys.

Romeo passed to Garcia who dribbled a couple of times but couldn’t find any room to shoot or drive so he passed it back to his teammate. Romeo, who was on the top of the key this time sent it to the left to Mike Tolomia but he too returned it to the sender. Guess neither Garcia (who has struggled with his shot all game long) nor Tolomia wanted to take the last shot. The problem was the three-guard lineup of coach Bert Flores took too much time to figure out what they wanted to do that by the time Romeo released a desperation trey they were assessed a 24-second shot clock violation. Not that it mattered because Romeo hoisted up a brick.

With a chance to further buffer the lead, Parks lost the ball and teammate Emmanuel Mbe was whistled for a foul. Except that Tamaraw rookie forward Rey Belo missed both free throws. Parks was fouled once more by Garcia and this time he nailed both freebies for a 60-57 lead. From the same spot where he bricked his trey attempt, Romeo tried another. Parks tried to block the ball and Romeo missed. NU Bulldog Mark de Guzman, himself trying to recapture his form when he was with the College of Saint Benilde, tacked on another free throw for the match’s final points and a huge come from behind 61-57 win.

The game was a classic one except that it got overly physical and dirty when the Bruise Brothers (you can actually throw in Carl Cruz as well there) tried to get into the head of Mbe and Parks.

At one point, Arvie Bringas did a Scottie Pippen on Mbe (the Chicago Bull once talked to the Utah Jazz’ Karl Malone before he took a pair of important free throws and the Mailman promptly missed). Cruz pointed to his temple to signify that he was using his brain in the ongoing psy-war. Mbe grinned and when played resumed planted an elbow to Bringas’ jaw in retaliation for getting hacked twice on one play.

Hoping to send the match into an extra five minutes, Romeo took another three-ball attempt from the very same spot where he airballed the previous one. This one missed and as Mark de Guzman tacked on an insurance free throw, NU celebrated a 61-57 comeback win.

FEU led by 13 points during the first half as their game plan worked. Borrowing a tactic from Ateneo’s earlier win over the Bulldogs, the Tamaraws sent two bigs on Parks the moment he got the ball. Unfortunately for NU, his teammates were unable to stick the shot. Either that or they turned the ball over.

NU tried to work some other players to step up. Jeff Javillionar contributed a bit. So did Lee Villamor, Robin Roño and Troy Rosario. But the one player they needed to step up as well was de Guzman.

While at the College of Saint Benilde, de Guzman was the man. He had this punk attitude of trying to do it by himself and picking fights with opponents. I guess the UAAP is another animal as de Guzman is a shade of his former self. For sure he knows that these Bulldogs are Parks’ and Mbe’s team so he’s been a role player. But he’s been known to hit big shots.

At the 6:20 mark of the fourth period, Parks gave the ball to de Guzman to create something. Instead, he airballed a shot. A couple of minutes later, he fumbled an attempt and missed another jumper.

But in the final second of play, he hit a free throw to end the scoring. The look on de Guzman’s face was one of relief (it was his only point in 19 minutes; he also missed his four field goal attempts).

While talking to Coach Eric after the game, he hoped that this game would turn their season around. Henri Betayene (provided a huge lift during NU’s rally when he was huge on defense and when he scored on a drive), Javillionar, Villamor, Roño, and Rosario got their team back in the thick of things but when it’s winning time, the ball was only going to Ray Parks. Conspicuously missing was starting point guard Gelo Alolino. After the UST loss, a few NU officials privately griped if he is the floor general they need to dictate the pace they want. Alolino played 20 minutes, scored six points but had zero assists.

I’d say their offense is much like when LeBron James was in Cleveland – let the superstar create while everyone waits for the dime drop and the kick-out. And if that analogy is correct, then you know that James finally won in Miami when he had other players step up (although he was the man in the end).

The Bulldogs showed they can pull out a rabbit especially since they finally won against a top tier opponent (FEU). But La Salle and Adamson are their final opponents in the first round.

The win saved their season for now. But their next two games will determine how far they will go.

Robin Roño celebrates a massive win for NU.

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Personally, I have no idea why Glenn Khobuntin is not playing. I think he's a terrific athlete and could be a nightmare match up with his willingness to drive and take a hit.

On another note, I was appalled at the quality of the officiating yesterday. Especially the Ateneo-UP game. I sat next to someone who was cheering for UP and he too thought that the calls were atrocious and puzzling. In the second game that featured FEU vs. NU, the refs allowed way too much trash talking and physical stuff that I thought a fight was going to break out anytime soon. At one point, Ray Parks sat in front of me (third quarter) and I briefly counseled him to go with the flow and not force things. And to make his guards pay for their physical play. He did. With about three seconds left in the game, he strode over to where I was and he whispered in my ear thanks and some French words for FEU.

Five things you have to know why we won against UP

Five things you have to know why we won against UP

by rick olivares

Did you expect a blowout?

Me? I didn’t. Just didn’t figure it would be this close no thanks to Larry, Moe, and Curly better known as the three stooges referees. But you really have to credit the Fighting Maroons. They had a game plan in mind and they nearly executed it to perfection – for a half at least.

While a 76-70 win is a lot closer than many would like, these nailbiters might serve us good in the long run. And here’s why.

We played better with 24-second shot clock on

Tip-off was delayed for about eight minutes because the shot clock on the north basket of the Araneta Coliseum malfunctioned. The solution was to switch off the shot clock located at the south basket so both Ateneo and UP played with only the game barker announcing how many seconds one had left before they were whistled for a violation.

The disadvantage was Ateneo’s because they try to make the most of their walk-it-up offense. Without Juami Tiongson who injured an ankle in practice last Monday and UP playing very physical and coming out with a lot of energy, the Blue Eagles looked, well, lost.

UP scored 40 points in the first 20 minutes. That’s the most they’ve scored in four matches. In their first three assignments, the Maroons averaged a measly 25 points after a half of hoops.

I expect every team – wherever they may be in the standings -- to bring out its A-game against us. The Maroons are no exception.

However, when Araneta Coliseum technicians fixed the shot clock during the halftime break, I felt that UP’s game was numbered both literally and figuratively.

After making their mental and sets adjustment, it was Ateneo’s turn to put in a season best in quarter scoring when they pumped in 29 points during an incandescent third quarter that turned the match around. And the triumvirate of Nico Salva, Greg Slaughter, and Oping Sumalinog outscored the entire UP team 25-17 during that quarter.

Although far from a textbook perfect game, Ateneo executed better in the second half as they went inside to Greg Slaughter. For their supreme efforts they were awarded 24 free throws (22-24 for 92.7%) while UP opted to bomb from the outside and ended up with 13 free throw attempts (they made nine).

Nico Elorde is a tough SOB

You all know that Nico is the grandson of the late Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde who was the greatest boxer in our history before this guy from General Santos City came along (no, not Rolando Navarette, you slime).

Nico’s two older brothers – Migs and Bai are both professional boxers so you know that toughness is in their genes.

Now if this were a boxing match, the referee would have stopped the fight for the sheer number of times that Nico has been knocked down to the floor. Only it’s a basketball game and UP got away with several charges.

Elorde grimaced after getting decked on several occasions that he could have filed for assault and battery. But his grit and warrior attitude was infectious.

Nico has played great defense on opposing guards not named LA Revilla while ably quarterbacking the team. His stat line for the day – 2 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 3 turnovers.

Oping Sumalinog hit a couple of big threes

Just so that you know, he is on the lineup for a reason. While he is probably even our best three-point threat (and that says a lot considering the Cebu native has made 3 of only 6 attempts from trifecta land), Sumalinog also does a lot of things.

After he nailed a trey from the right side of the court to make it 72-64 with 2:51 left to play, Sumalinog stripped Mike Silungan off the ball in UP’s side of the court. The graduating swingman hightailed it to the Ateneo basket where he was promptly fouled.

Now worries. Two swishes and it was 74-64, Ateneo.

Sumalinog finished with 10 points (his best production so far this year) to go with 5 rebounds and his steal – all in number’s 17’s 17 minutes on the floor.

With his strong showing on both ends of the court as he has also compiled an average of 4 rebounds per outing, it looks like Oping has worked himself back into the rotation.

Greg Slaughter decided to do something more constructive with his anger.

The knock on the Big Fella is simple – he loses his concentration when opponents play him physical and rough. Larry, Moe and Curly, those three stooges that officiated the match, swallowed their whistles as Raul Soyud, Chris Ball, and Alinko Mbah were tenderizing Slaughter.

The Big Fella had valid reason to complain but he should know that no amount of complaining will change a call that has already been made. It took a halftime talk to settle the team and Slaughter down.

Before the Blue Eagles returned to the floor for the second half, I pulled Slaughter aside and urged him to go out and execute. Never mind the rough stuff or the numbers hacks, elbows, knees and body picks that are designed to hurt – just play the game. In fact in one play late in the fourth period, Soyud took out Kiefer Ravena and Nico Salva with his butt alone and there was no whistle.

Slaughter had a paltry two points in the first half but he awoke from his slumber to score 11 in the second half.

Ateneo dug deep inside to pull out an ugly win.

For the first time this Season 75, Ateneo didn’t jump out to a huge lead after the first 20 minutes. In fact, it was the Fighting Maroons who came out with a lot of energy that surprised the Blue Eagles. Why they were surprised I will never know because they should know by now that they are the hunted. They have to bring it every single game. As it was UP fought hard and refused to help go away.

While discussing with media colleagues Eddie Ching and Josiah Albelda about who at this point has been the league MVP, we all agreed that it was a toss up between Slaughter and Salva although the latter has been greatly impressing people in the last few years.

Salva finished with a game-high 21 points and his two free throws with 11.9 seconds left in the match saved the outcome for Ateneo. This season, he has been easily the most consistent player on the team.

When the team was unable to get points, it was Salva to the rescue.

The Fighting Maroons beat us in almost every statistical category save for the free throws and the field goal percentage. In the intangibles department, Ateneo played great situational defense in the final 16 seconds of play. UP was whistled for a 24-second shot clock violation as suddenly the Blue Eagles remembered how to defend. It was the third shot clock violation for the Maroons… in the fourth period.

Just as Ateneo played great defense against La Salle in the final minute of play, so did they once more against UP. Suddenly with FEU’s loss to NU in the nightcap, we’re back atop the standings with a 4-1 record.

The season certainly hasn’t been easy. There are ups and downs and challenges.

Five played and nine to go.

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Here's a companion piece to this analysis and it appears on ateneo.edu.


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Here's an interesting stat line about my good friend Mike Silungan (who is one of my former Gatorade Brand Ambassadors): 
Season 73 24.8 mins; 11.3 ppg; 33FG%; and 4.0 rpg
Season 74 31.6 mins; 11.4 ppg, 33FG%; and 5.2 rpg
Season 75 29 mins; 10.7 ppg, 32FG%; and 4.0 rpg

Wednesday rambling

Lots of work at the office. Have to hold back my temper when I feel others are not pulling their own weight. This raging sea of work has left me spent and too tired to write. I haven't really been able to watch anything on television save for the occasional newscast. Hearing that some of our athletes went to London to better their personal times is the ultimate cop out. If you're not going there to win then maybe you shouldn't go. Wish I could watch more stuff from the Olympics but it's real difficult. There is simply not enough time in the day to do so. When it isn't catching a short newscast, I've been catching up on my reading of Lee Kuan Yew's From Third World to First that I find immensely inspiring. Makes me think. And sometimes I wonder if I think too much. Like last night. I woke up at 2am when my dog got agitated over a mouse. I never really got to sleep soundly because just when drowsiness once more set, I had an hour to go before I stood up to prep for work. Work. I always say that it is good because that means one is busy. It's hard to justify paying someone when he doesn't do anything at all. I am rambling I guess. Today I finally got to watch The Dark Knight Rises and I loved it as only a true Batman fan can. Have been following Batman since Alan Moore penned The Killing Joke (the first printing green color on the lettering). And then Coach Erik Spoelstra is coming over. In fact, he's going to be here tomorrow. Homecoming king, huh? Who says LeBron is the only royalty around? Now I am hoping that we get some great weather because it's been rather crappy for several days now. Gotta hit the sack and end this rambling. Maybe I will rediscover some passion for writing when I wake up or I meet up with Coach Spo.

Stuff I wrote for NBA Philippines and Ateneo-La Salle

In this Olympic summer, there is still a lot of talk about the fabled 1992 American Dream Team. While countries like Spain, Argentina, and France are contenders for Olympic gold, a lot of the Olympic chatter regarding hoops is whether this US team is better than the Dream Team.

Rather than weigh in my thoughts on that matter, I ask, whatever happened to Croatia?

Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, the splintered states of the former Yugoslavia – Serbia and Croatia regularly sent players to the NBA.

The silver-medal winning Croatian team in Barcelona that the Americans played twice had at that point two NBA players in the New Jersey Nets’ Drazen Petrovic and the Boston Celtic’s Stojko Vrankovic. Within two years, Toni Kukoc would join the Chicago Bulls while forward Dino Radja became a Celtic.

Kukoc became a star with the Bulls while Radja was for a couple of seasons, the lone bright spot on a Boston team that was dealing with life post-Larry Bird. READ MORE

When La Salle announced that Gee Abanilla was taking over the coaching reins of the Green Archers, some quarters raised their eyebrows. Who is this exactly?

For those whose basketball memory only goes back to the past decade, Abanilla is a relative unknown. However, he is a link to their glorious past. A past when La Salle first made a name for themselves in the UAAP. More than that, he was a part of the team that unseated Ateneo during its back-to-back reign during the late 1980s.

Abanilla honed his coaching chops backing up Franz Pumaren, first in La Salle, then will working as an assistant to Ato Agustin with San Miguel/Petron in the PBA. Some ever swear that he is one of the brains behind the Beermen/Blaze Boosters’ strong play.

Yes, the 1980’s. The old glory years. And Abanilla isn’t the only one making a comeback as Eduardo Cojuangco, the team’s former patron, is once more financing the team.

On the opposite side of the court is none other than an old hand of San Miguel’s. One who led them to arguably the finest run of any PBA coach not named Baby Dalupan – Norman Black. READ MORE.