Looking at today's UAAP basketball matches

Ateneo vs Adamson 2pm

This is a huge game for both teams. 

Let's tackle the Blue Eagles first. The game against FEU should have been won. Now it puts them in a precarious situation where they can go down in a 0-2 hole. Again there are no easy wins this season. I will not second guess the coaching staff at the moment with their decision to use Eric Salamat as a point guard. As Norman Black said in the post-game, if he had been a facilitator more than a scorer for the game, it would have helped. Their outside shots better be falling because it's going to be a long day against a taller Adamson team. And JP Erram has to be more visible inside or else he'll reprise Rabeh Al-Hussaini in his first couple of years -- ginagawang asintahan ng kalaban. But I like this team. They hung tough and were it not for a few TOs in the end against FEU then it's a different scenario. 

The Falcons know their pre-season win over Ateneo means nothing. But this game means everything. For one, it pushes this team to another gear and they can finally get the Eagle over their backs. Plus, to beat a top-seeded team validates their constant harping that they are a contender. Adamson is still adjusting to not playing Austin Manyara and Will Stinnett at the same time. But they will not lose much as Stinnett is an excellent defender as well. They might put this guy on either Nico Salva or Kirk Long but I figure it's more of the former.

NU vs DLSU 4pm

I told a friend after NU's loss to Adamson: "New faces. Same result." The turnovers really really hurt them. Glenn Khobuntin you better learn to take care of that ball, kid. This isn't the junior circuit anymore. What hurt them even more was the disappearing act by point guard Joseph Terso who in 15 minutes had 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, and 1 foul. Okay, Khobuntin had more turnovers but what that means is Terso was not in the game. After a while, he was benched. Oh, by the way, he only had one field goal attempt. At least Emmanuel Mbe in even less minutes scored 4 points. But what they have to do is get this guy going. Set him up. Now they are going to find that tough against a taller and rangier La Salle team. Say this for the Bulldogs though, even as bad as they were playing in the first half against Adamson, they kept it close. They will win as a team. No way can Mervin Baloran and Kokoy Hermosisima win it alone.

As for La Salle, look for them to pull out all the stops in getting this win. They might not have a better two guard in the match-up but they are good on every other. The more the wins come, it will be better for their confidence. The go-to guy will eventually emerge. If the Bulldogs don't hold the fort inside, this is going to be a rout.


POST-GAME: And hold the fort inside did the NU bigs. Emmanuel Mbe 21 points and 19 rebounds. And Jewel Ponferrada added 8 huge points in the fourth!