Three for History
The Ateneo Blue Eagles go for a historic three-peat. It’s possible but as history shows, it will not be easy.
by rick olivares
Is the fifth time the charm?
There’s this saying that if you mean something, then you must say it thrice. Does that follow when it comes to winning three straight basketball championships?
Former Chicago Bull player and current team General Manager John Paxson put it best after his team accomplished the first wave of three titles when he said: “The first time, you’re just happy to be there. The second time, you’re on a mission. The third – you’re out to make history.”
How many modern Philippine college basketball teams have accomplished that?
Most recently there was the San Beda. Before them it was De La Salle, San Sebastian, and the University of Santo Tomas.
The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles are the hard luck team when it comes to three-peats. After they accomplished the task from 1931-33 over at the National Collegiate Athletic Association, they came close again four times – 1953-54, 1957-58, 1975-76, and 1987-88. But each time they ended up as the bridesmaid. In 1955 and 1977, the Red Lions stopped cold the drive for a three-peat. During the other occasions, they failed to make the championship round.
This 2010, well, it will be a mountain to climb for the two time defending champs. More than looking at the failed three-peats, one must first look to a trend of the Blue Eagles missing key players.
Since the new millennium, every time Ateneo have lost three players from their starting unit, they faltered in the Final Four of the following year.
After making the finals in 2003, the team lost Wesley Gonzales, Rich Alvarez, and Paolo Bugia. They cracked the semis the following year but were eliminated by DLSU.
In 2006, Ateneo saw JC Intal, Doug Kramer, and Macky Escalona came within a basket short of winning against UST in Game 3. And when they departed, the team faltered once more in the next year to La Salle.
After their back-to-back title of 2009, the team lost MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, and Jai Reyes. To compound matters, Chris Sumalinog, whose playing time increased towards the end of the second round of Season 72 and who played a superb University Games and Philippine Collegiate Champions League, suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
To replace the lost firepower, the Blue Eagles braintrust dug deep into their Team B and pulled our forward-centers John Paul Erram, Jason Escueta, and point guard Carlo Balmaceda. Also coming on board are rookies Art de la Cruz Jr. from San Beda Red Cubs and Jeric Estrada from the San Sebastian Staglets.
Sixth year head coach Norman Black isn’t big on what transpired years ago and is only concerned with the here and now. “It’s a different time with different circumstances. And, I wasn’t there,” he said with a knowing grin. “We will give it our best shot though.”
Erram and Escueta are interchangeable as starters while Nico Salva has been penciled in to the starting unit alongside team captain Eric Salamat, point guard Emman Monfort, and small forward Kirk Long.
Salva had a great pre-season and based on all indications, he should have a breakout year. His range, athleticism, and speed make him a force to reckon with. The third-year forward along with Monfort, Salamat, and Long means that the Blue Eagles will get out on the break.
Ryan Buenafe will still lead the second unit that now features de la Cruz, Escueta, Austria, and Gonzaga. Second year point guard Juami Tiongson will be inserted here once in a while. During the pre-season, Tiongson has shown some toughness and has been a source of bonus points. And when need be, he can stroke the trifecta. Jai Reyes redux? Possibly.
But a huge factor for the success of Ateneo will be the second unit. The more minutes Ryan Buenafe plays means that the bench is performing well. If he remains in Black’s doghouse that will place even more pressure on the starting unit to produce and will leave the coaching staff scrambling for combinations that will work.
Carlo Balmaceda, after several years on Team B has been promoted to the senior line-up. While he’s made a name for himself as a hustling and scrappy player, if he can contribute quality minutes and on perimeter defense then Black can count on several players to bring that ball up (Austria, Buenafe, Gonzaga, Long and Salva are the others aside from the guards).
The questions remain reserved for the forwards and centers. Black, who played the guard position in the United States but shifted to center here in the Philippines obviously, obviously likes a tall team and he has a collection of centers; weapons from which he can choose and count on.
Escueta is an excellent offensive rebounder. His bulk inside means he cannot be pushed around. Opposing players such as FEU’s Pippo Noundou and La Salle’s Ferdinand couldn’t make hay during the sunshine with Al-Hussaini around and Escueta is another tough customer. What he does not have in speed, hopefully, Erram can make up with his long limbs and height. The jury is still out on Erram despite a year on Team B and a summer with the Team A with regards to his stamina and decision making. But the UAAP is a strange time. Who would have thought that Ford Arao and Rabeh Al-Hussaini would have such breakout performances when in the immediate pre-season tournament they were hardly spectacular?
But wait. There are more trees in the forest with another 6’7” beanpole in Jeric Estrada and a pair of 6’5” players in Justin Chua and Frank Golla, they will platoon inside the paint. Some might argue a lack of consistency, intimidation, and toughness in some of them. Save for Estrada who is new to the team, the other have shown flashes. It is up to them to bring it on a consistent basis.
If their defense holds up and they turn the lane into a no-fly zone, then the Blue Eagles will hardly miss a beat to that historic three-peat.
The opposing teams have all reloaded. Even NU with Emmanuel Mbe who will be the best import in this league this year. Recruitment is in. There will be no automatic wins for Ateneo. Every win will have to be earned. No one Is expecting another 13-1 season but that is the farthest from their minds. Adamson believes that they now have the personnel and experience to finally beat Ateneo on a UAAP court. La Salle has picked up even more blue chip rookies. Almond Vosotros, who we all thought was going to the blue and white is going to be plenty dangerous for the Green Archers. He is a possible Rookie of the Year candidate.
On the other side of Katipunan are the UP Fighting Maroons who are bristling with offensive weaponry. There will be no one-sided match-ups for sure now that they have scoring threat Mike Silungan, the vastly improved Magi Sison, and NCAA juniors scoring star Joshua Saret.
Despite losing their stars and proven scoring sock, the UE Red Warriors and UST Growling Tigers return with a new crew that could pull some surprises.
The immediate goal is the Final Four. Far Eastern University looks even more potent. But the Tamaraws despite all that talents still have not won as they lost in the two pre-season tournaments. But that will make them even hungrier come July 11 when they face Ateneo.
Nobody said it was ever easy.
Ateneo Blue Eagles 2010-11
Emman Monfort
Eric Salamat
Kirk Long
Nico Salva
JP Erram
Jason Escueta
Ryan Buenafe
Juami Tiongson
Raymond Austria
Art de la Cruz Jr.
Tonino Gonzaga
Frank Golla
Chris de Chavez
Justin Chua
Jeric Estrada
Carlo Balmaceda
Notes: In 1988, after Ateneo won its second UAAP men's hoops crown, they lost starters Danny Francisco, Jet Nieto, and Jay Gayoso. Francisco went down to a heart ailment, Nieto went on to med school while Gayoso didn't enroll in enough units to play. Back-up center Alex Araneta also missed the line-up for the same reasons as Gayoso.
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