Adamson Falcons looking to make a lot of noise starting with 2017 FilOil Flying V Premier Cup

Adamson Falcons looking to make a lot of noise

by rick olivares

When the FilOil Flying V Premier Cup tips off this coming Monday, May 1 at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan, all eyes will also be on the Adamson University Soaring Falcons.

Head coach Franz Pumaren, now in his second season at the helm of the San Marcelino-based squad, made waves for the sterling program that was put in place and made an immediate impact in the last UAAP season.

The Soaring Falcons finished with an 8-6 record and made the semi-finals where they were ousted by eventual champion, La Salle. Now a year older and with more experience, a return trip to the UAAP Final Four isn’t only in the cards. They plan on actually challenging for the much coveted college basketball title.

Pumaren listed 21 players for the summer cage tournament. Of that list, only 16 will be lined up for the UAAP tournament that follows a little over two months after the end of the Premier Cup.

Yet from last year’s squad, gone are JD Tungcab, Jonathan Pasturan who is now with the College of St. Benilde Blazers, Harold Ng, and Jonathan Ballon who were all cut from the team.

The prominent holdovers are shooting guard Jerrick Ahanmisi; forward centers Kristian Bernardo, Simon Camacho, Dawn Ochea, and Papi Sarr; point guards Robbi Manalang, Jonathan Espeleta, and Terrence Mustre; and forward Sean Manganti.

Looking to make the squad are point guard Jerie Pingoy who looks to continue his college career after a difficult time at Ateneo. Other newcomers include the David brothers Japeth and Jopeth, Leo Frias, Tyrus Hill, Alex Noble, and the mysteriously named Kobe Bryan Vizcarra.

Should Pingoy make the squad, we wonder who will be cut unless someone slides to the two-spot to back-up Ahanmisi.

Adamson was the third-ranked defensive team in the UAAP last season; right behind leader Far Eastern University and Ateneo. Yet even with Sarr and Camacho among the best shot blockers in the league, Adamson surrendered the most points inside the paint with 13.3 points per game.

Offensively, they were even better behind the dynamic shooting of Ahanmisi, the clutch points of Manalang, and the inside presence of Papi Sarr. They were second only to La Salle in offensive output.

With a year of learning the Pumaren system, according to team assistant Awoo Lacson during the last Premier Cup coaches meeting, “The goal is to improve defensively and to be better in every aspect. That is what we aim to do this summer and see how we adjust and perform come the UAAP.”

The Falcons play the Jiovani Jalalon-less Arellano University Chiefs this May 1 at 5:15pm.

Tickets to the FilOil Flying V Premier Cup can be purchased at all Ticketnet branches as well as the gate of the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Ateneo Blue Eagles look to build on last year’s success beginning with the 2017 FilOil Flying V premier Cup

Blue Eagles look to build on last year’s success

by rick olivares

Several months after their UAAP Finals stint, the Ateneo Blue Eagles return for the new college basketball season, hopefully, better if not a year wiser from the experience gained.

The veterans include Vince Tolentino, Kris Porter, Chibueze Ikeh, Anton Asistio, Aaron Black, Thirdy Ravena Isaac Go, and brothers Matt and Mike Nieto. Entering their sophomore years are Jolo Mendoza, Jawuan White, Shaun Ildefonso, and Raffy Verano while making their debut are former youth player Gian Mamuyac and Bryan Andrade who both sat out last season while playing on Team B. Tyler Tio who also played in last year’s summer league but not the UAAP is also in the line-up. With Adrian Wong out with a knee injury, his younger brother, Dan, is suiting up for the upcoming FilOil Flying V Premier Cup that tips off this coming Monday, May 1, 2017.

The Blue Eagles, who made the semi-finals of last year’s summer league, will play on Opening Day against Lyceum of the Philippines University at 3:15pm at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Curiously, the Blue Eagles did not shore up their frontline. Although Ateneo was ranked second in team defense, they were fourth in both rebounding and inside points. Many of their points inside came from the wing players and the guards who in the second round began to attack the interior with more determination and ferocity.

One bright spot inside was the play of 6’7” center Isaac Go who began to become a force in the middle. In one stretch, he scored 15 points for three consecutive matches. He finished the season with an average of 6.1 points and 4.0 rebounds.

Ateneo was also known for its gritty team play and were second only to the University of the East in assists.

Second year head coach Tab Baldwin will have to look for someone to replace Wong’s 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per match as well as his penchant for being clutch on both ends of the court.

The team has a more home grown look with 10 players coming up from their juniors ranks in Porter, Asistio, Black, Ravena, the Nieto brothers, Mendoza, Ildefonso, Mamuyac, and Andrade.

  

Analysis: Ateneo’s Final Four win over FEU

Analysis: Ateneo’s Final Four win over FEU

by rick olivares

Remy Palma tried her best to be Jaja Santiago for her Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws. She stared down, scored, gave Ateneo fits, but at the end, it wasn’t enough. The Lady Eagles prevailed in four sets (25-22, 25-10, 16-25, 25-24) to take their final four match-up.

And for the sixth consecutive year, it’s going to be an Ateneo-La Salle finals for the UAAP Women’s volleyball crown.

Why couldn’t FEU get the job done?

If you look at how NU was able to defeat Ateneo, they got contributions from all sides of the court on offense – from the wings and from the middle. When you offer that kind of offense – as Ateneo does to its opponents – then the Lady Eagles or any team for the matter, will struggle defensively.

The Lady Bulldogs got double figures scoring sock from Jorelle Singh and Aiko Urdas with Santiago, Sato, and Nabor hammering them from the middle.

La Salle accomplished the same in last year’s finals with Kim Dy and Ara Galang firing from the wings and points coming from Mika Reyes, Cyd Demecillo, Kim Fajardo, and Majoy Baron in the middle. In contrast, Ateneo only got points from the open and utility position from Alyssa Valdez and Jhoana Maraguinot.

You might ask, didn’t La Salle offer the same this year – scoring from all sides? Sure, they did. But Ateneo answered them point for point and then some. It came down to defense and errors.

FEU can’t win with Palma and Bernadeth Pons the only scoring options. I thought that Toni Basas’ overall subpar season hurt them. Plus, the Lady Tams’ lack of stability at the setter position. I don’t think you can keep changing setters. That means there’s inconsistency. The UST Golden Tigresses, the other team in the Final Four also suffered from the same. And both teams with rotating setters got bundled out in a hurry.

You have to be solid at certain positions. To beat top sides like Ateneo and La Salle, you have to bring everything to the table and then some.

What can we glean from Ateneo’s game?

Let’s get this out of the way… they have this tendency to step off the gas pedal and commit errors or make poor attacking decisions in bunches. Not the first time we’ve seen this – against La Salle, NU, and FEU, of course.

However, they survived it and pulled off a huge win.

Think about that for a minute… they can see their game drop precariously and they still win. That steel-nerved resolve is due to many factors.

One of which is the championship experience gained so valuably from playing in the UAAP, the V-League, and the national team.

The return of Jhoana Maraguinot gave Ateneo its full complement of weaponry. And for the most part, they were firing on all cylinders today – Michelle Morente, Bea De Leon, Katrina Tolentino, Ana Gopico, and Jia Morado.

A lot has been said about Morado’s play, who in spite of her constant press and accolades, is someone who I call, “the quiet Phenom”. She refuses to draw attention to herself but is phenomenally amazing. Volleyball fans are blessed to see her, La Salle’s Kim Fajardo, and even NU’s Jasmine Nabor, all playing at the same time. Morado was once ore brilliant – on offense and defense.

We can point out to Morente as well who is one of the best two-way players in the league. But for this match, we have to single out two – De Leon and back up libero Deanna Wong.

De Leon has been this team’s emotional leader. But she has learned to temper her emotions. Having seen her during her senior year in high school, her rookie V-League collegiate conference with Ateneo, and all the way to her first UAAP season, how she has grown as a talent is a marvel to behold. How quickly she turned from a diamond in the rough to a vastly dependable all-around player! And she can get even better! How crazy is that?

As for Wong… you have to give a lot of credit to Ateneo head coach Anusorn Bundit who has really given his bench layers a massive break this second round and Final Four. Gopico might have overtaken Maddie Madayag but you know the latter is just there. And if you ask me, she arguably has the best serve on this team. Jules Samonte didn’t do too well in her Final Four debut but she’ll be better for that experience. But Wong… she was very good. That gives you a luxury with Gizelle Tan too there. I could be wrong here but do you know anyone who has won two different major individual awards in the V-league? Tan won Best Setter and then best Libero two years running (for the collegiate conference). Wong playing well is very good insurance for the Lady Eagles.

And they’ll have all that and more against La Salle this coming weekend. It’s going to be another bonanza finals for all fans.