Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles Season 72 team preview

from the next issue of Blue Blood

Repeat the Feat
The Ateneo Blue Eagles are talented enough to win it all. But then again, so is everyone else.
words and pic by rick olivares

Great expectations
The problem with greatness is that everyone expects you to do better next time.

In 2008, such was the outstanding play of the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles as they steamrolled through the pre-season and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. Many basketball analysts had to do a 180-degree turn to install the Hail Mary Team as the prohibitive favorite to win the championship.

The team did and they accomplished it in devastating fashion.

And for the first time since 2003, the Blue Eagles find themselves opening the season as defending champs.

Since joining the UAAP in 1978, Ateneo has made it to the pinnacle seven times. In those seven appearances, they’ve come away with the title on four occasions.

Interestingly, every time they’ve won a title they made it back to the finals the following year. Whether they defended their crown is altogether another matter.

Yet that is mere coincidence and Norman Black does not put his faith in such. “I wasn’t there last time, was I?” said the multi-titled coach.

The only numbers the fifth-year mentor of the Blue Eagles cites as indisputable are in wins, losses, and a bunch of stats that are culled during and after every match. “That I place stock in.”

Say this though about tangible numbers: Black has four-fifths of his starting unit back. And Eric Salamat, the star in waiting, is finally given a chance to show what he can do as a full-fledged starter. “Eric will give the starting five a different dimension,” succinctly put the coach.

The captain of the heart
The questions about this team however aren’t about Salamat’s skills since everyone in the league knows of his larcenous ways and penchant for the big play. It’s more on who will fill the shoes of Chris Tiu.

Tiu, who has graduated and used up his years of eligibility, was more than the starter. He was the captain of the Blue Eagles for two years running. He had more than a presence that sent the female and third-sex population of the coliseum into a frenzy. He had that big game moxie and willingness to take the last shot. He brought clutch shooting, leadership, playmaking, tough defense, and mental fortitude to the Blue Eagles.

Black concedes that it will not be easy to replace Tiu but at the same time, he expresses confidence that the team and its veterans will step up.

Even last season, Eric willingly deferred to Chris in leading. That says something about his (Salamat) character. And now, he’s ready to carry this team,” added the American head coach.

Either Salamat or super soph Ryan Buenafe will pick up the slack, but the cool and even-keeled leadership will have to come from this year’s three co-captains Nonoy Baclao, Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Jai Reyes.

Salamat, Buenafe, or Al-Hussaini, the UAAP’s reigning Most Valuable Player can all turn the tide on the floor to the Blue Eagles’ favor. But the three can just as easily trade barbs and taunts as they can manufacture points. Their propensity to engage in verbal sparring is something opponents, especially teams which are well schooled in the art of psy-war (like La Salle), will be sure to exploit.

Baclao, who is on his last playing year, is the lead captain. He is well liked and respected by his teammates who are willing to follow him. Al-Hussaini has become even more vocal lately, even chiding teammates who are late to practice (the center is never late). But it will be Reyes, a second generation Blue Eagle, who will and must accept a larger leadership role.

Despite last year’s bumper crop of rookies in Buenafe, Nico Salva, Justin Chua, and Vince Burke, it was Al-Hussaini who made a huge difference. His outstanding play vaulted Ateneo to heavy favorite as many college analysts had to adjust their prognostications.

Without a doubt, Al-Hussaini will be more than tested this year as opponents will home in on his short fuse, as seen in the post-Season 71 and pre-Season 72 tournaments.

Our preparations are the same but the mental challenges are not,” explained Black who impressed concern about steeling his temperamental center’s emotions.

Once more our foes assail in strong array
Every team this year has improved their roster and can’t wait to shoot the Blue Eagles down from the sky. If Ateneo was the tallest team last year, they lose that distinction this campaign. Every team has increased their ceiling to counter Ateneo’s bigs in the lane.

La Salle is fielding the RP Youth team that its coach Franz Pumaren, once mentored during a FIBA tournament in Iran. Although questions about their inexperience linger, everyone is of the same mind that this team cannot be taken lightly. They’ve stocked up on virtually every position and have built a championship contender for years to come. Plus they have Pumaren, the best coach in the college game today bar none. His squads are always prepared and are always a force to reckon with.

The University of the Philippines has been quietly putting together the pieces to revive its shattered Maroon Pride. They’ve picked themselves up and out of the cellar to vault them to sixth place last season. This year, they also tabbed the UAAP Juniors MVP Mark Juruena from Adamson who will be a force inside giving them a Twin Towers combination with the rapidly improving Magi King Sison. Woody Co and Martin Reyes will be more comfortable with the system installed by second-year mentor Aboy Castro and now run by point guard Arvin Braganza.

The University of Santo Tomas for the second straight year will field a player who should have gone to Ateneo. Last year, they picked up Clark Bautista who could very well be the next big-time gunner in the collegiate ranks. And this campaign, UST coach Pido Jarencio took in the son of a former pro teammate, Jeric Teng, the son of his former San Miguel teammate, Alvin. The younger Teng was initially slated to go to Ateneo but is now in EspaƱa where he hopes to get more playing time.

This team is missing vital cogs from their 2006 title team but they’ll still be a handful.

Dylan Ababou, who has improved his range and shooting while playing for Rajko Toroman in the Smart Gilas Philippine Men’s Basketball Team could very well lead the league in scoring this year.

The UST swingman however, isn’t the only one to raise his game. On the strength of the quantum improvement of Andy Mark Barroca, JR Cawaling, and Aldrech Ramos also during their stint with the National Team, many basketball observers have installed the Far Eastern University Tamaraws as the favorites – even ahead of the Blue Eagles – to bag the UAAP title.

“That’s fine,” says a completely unfazed Black. “But no one has ever won it on paper. We still have to settle things on the basketball court.”

The replacement killers
While almost every team has their heralded rookies in tow, the Blue Eagles have quietly added three new faces and a familiar face to the line-up.

It wasn’t only Tiu they lost but also back up point guard Yuri Escueta who was terrific on the defensive end and could throw up huge treys on occasion. Forward-center Jobe Nkemakolam has opted to leave the team for non-basketball pursuits. And about a month prior to the UAAP opening, forward-center Mike Baldos was declared ineligible to play due to academic deficiencies.

While the team has lost one-fourth of its championship line-up, the true blue faithful would be delighted to know that the Blue Eagles’ home grown population got a little bigger with the addition of point guard Juami Tiongson and forward-center Frank Golla to join holdovers Reyes, Raymond Austria, and Tonino Gonzaga.

Tiongson was a Mythical Five Selection in the Juniors circuit who possesses great court vision; a perfect complement to Black’s fastbreaking machine where there is a premium on speed and making the extra pass for a higher percentage shot.

To fuel the break and to compensate for the loss of Nkemakolam, the team picked up its own RP Youth player. “Frank is a banger,” described Black of Golla who also saw time on Team B. “He has that homegrown pride and his physical nature should replace what we lost in Jobe. And this guy has a decent outside shot.”

The three-point shot has always been a weapon for the Blue Eagles in years past but surprisingly last season, they didn’t call on their long range artillery to pound foes into submission with the emergence of Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao.

Tiu’s presence outside the arc, along with Reyes, had foes scrambling to be creative with their double-teaming lest they got nailed by a trey. This year they added Chris De Chavez from Benedictine International and penciled back in Emman Monfort who last saw action for the Blue Eagles in Season 70 as the third point guard.

De Chavez has good range but it remains to be seen if he can puncture the hoop with regularity and consistency.

The return of Monfort stabilizes the point guard position as the jury is still out on Juami Tiongson. Monfort will send the Blue Eagles’ fastbreak into overdrive. However, the downside of this backcourt is that they are small and might have match-up problems with opponents of bigger-sized (see our loss to UST in the 2006 UAAP Men’s Basketball Finals).

The verve of the veterans
As for Reyes, he became an even better player when he distributed the ball first before looking for his shot. His maturity and effectiveness even without Tiu alongside has not been lost on opponents as teams will look to throw taller guards to cover him. But his primary task remains as playmaker. He is aware of an opportunity to duplicate a feat by his uncle Jun who led the blue and white to consecutive UAAP crowns in 1987 and 1988. “To accomplish a back-to-back title for the school is a great achievement,” described Reyes. “It will also mean much to my family.”

Salamat and Buenafe while able to hit from the outside will never be confused for specialists like Rainier Sison or Magnum Membrere. That leaves the Blue Eagles to look to third-year player Oping Sumalinog to finally show what he can do alongside Tonino Gonzaga. And both can very well be the x-factors for this squad. If they play to their potential, they could literally be like shock troopers; tactical strike weapons who could reenergize the squad with a frightening blend of three-point shooting, barreling drives, defense, rebounding, and lots of hustle.

Some quarters like to think that Ryan Buenafe will be the breakout star of this team. But his being in and out of the team after the past UAAP season to catch up with schoolwork might derail any game improvement. This also curtailed his tenure with the Smart Gilas National Team where he would have greatly benefited from the international experience.

In last year’s second round of eliminations, opposing defenses keyed in on his crossover moves and hang time shots. For Buenafe to become fully effective and dangerous he will have to stick that outside shot more consistently and during big game situations.

Without Baldos and Nkemakolam, Justin Chua will be forced to grow up in a hurry. He showed a willingness to mix it up inside the paint in the pre-season and this sophomore is just eager for minutes to show what he can do. Vince Burke, Salva and Golla should also see more minutes especially if and when the Blue Eagles embark on a win streak during which Black would like to keep his starters fresh for a play-off run.

If some attributed Kirk Long’s season-long invisible act to the sophomore jinx, does that apply to Ryan Buenafe? Maybe more appropriately, will Long break out of it? Last season he was gun shy and turnover prone and ultimately, he lost his starting spot. If he finds his offense, then he’ll be a huge addition and one less question mark for this team.

Which leads us to Nonoy Baclao and Rabeh Al-Hussaini.

There is a reason why Nonoy Baclao has won numerous awards since coming on board. He is one of a rare breed who can change the course of the game with his defense. While his impossibly long arms alter many an errant shot, they are also crucial to Ateneo’s getting out on the break. But that suits Ateneo well if he is able to stay foul free. After last season, Black hopes that his valuable power forward could hike his point totals. Like another defensive maven, Zion Laterre, Baclao showed that he can score some during his time spent time on Team B. He’s got good range but he needs to be able to bury them more consistently.

And then there’s Al-Hussaini. He is a marked man without a doubt. He knows what to do. The question is, can he build on his breakout season of last year? He was the singular biggest surprise of the season the way he elevated his game like no one before. He gave Ateneo their biggest low post threat since Enrico Villanueva of the 2002 squad which was coincidentally the last title team of Ateneo.

And Norman Black knows that the long and winding road back to a finals berth will largely depend on Al-Hussaini’s shoulders.

That is something he does place stock in.


The 2009-10 Ateneo Blue Eagles
Rabeh Al-Hussaini
Bacon Austria
Nonoy Baclao
Ryan Buenafe
Vince Burke
Justin Chua
Chris De Chavez
Frank Golla
Tonino Gonzaga
Kirk Long
Emman Monfort
Jai Reyes
Eric Salamat
Nico Salva
Oping Sumalinog
Juami Tiongson

Coaching Staff:
Norman Black
Sandy Arespacochaga
Gene Afable
Jamike Jarin
Gabby Severino
Jon Jacinto
Dennis Aenlle


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The Lady Eagles preview wait lang. The Juniors team. Sorry it won't appear here. Both will also appear in the next issue of Blue Blood which will be out next month. The photos of the Lady Eagles are super cool. Alongside the Season 72 Championship Story that will be released in a book/magazine format with intros by Fr. Benvienido Nebres S.J. and Chris Tiu.

On another note. Please don't get me wrong here. I'm just grateful.

The other day while checking out the WWE Smackdown tickets at the Araneta Coliseum, a couple of guys called out my name. Turned out they were from Naga City and were fans of Brew -- the print and the online versions. They recognized and followed me. It was embarrassing but they asked for a pic. That has happened a lot since last year. Not just in ADMU during games or in Gesu or the bonfire. During regular days. Several times in the mall or some other place too. Mostly Ateneans but there are a lot from other schools too. One even chided me for not writing for her alma mater. Perhaps the best compliment came from one athlete (from another school) who told me I got (understood and know) their team better than their school newspaper ever did. Binigyan pa niya ng kopya yung school newspaper nila for reference. Incidentally, the school paper folks of that school I have become friends now with. I once told some of them, "Hey, Chris (Tiu) is over there." But they also wanted daw. Hahaha. Thanks. Really. Nakakhiya lang talaga. Thanks.

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