Team Standings as of July 25, 2011:
Power Rankings as of July 25, 2011:
1 - Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles
The Ateneans unexpectedly romped past the Bulldogs and unexpectedly shot poorly against the Warriors. They have the only unblemished record in the league, and things shouldn't go bad anytime soon. The Eagles just have one assignment next week, but it's an assignment that has bitten them on the behind before, so they have to either regain their shooting form, or unearth the real Ateneo bench, lest they want UP to feel they have any chance at an upset.
2 - Adamson Soaring Falcons
Coach Austria's boys followed their dismantling of the Tamaraws with a masterful victory over the then undefeated Growling Tigers. Janus Lozada, Alex Nuyles, and Eric Camson have been an impressive scoring trio of late, while Austin Manyara's defense has kept opposing teams from driving without fear. They're the hottest team now (yes, even hotter than the Eagles), and their next opponents (UE & NU) should be ready for hell.
3 - De La Salle Green Archers
The Archers jump 3 places because of how they trampled UP. Yutien Andrada wasn't around in the Ateneo game and he clearly could've made a difference there. With an intact lineup, they showed how potent and balanced they could be. Coach Pumaren reduced his regular rotation by one to 14 players, benching Papot Paredes. Can he keep on cutting his player-shuffle, or will he resort to giving blanket playing time across the board again? Dangerous NU and cellar-dweller UE await. Best case is they get a 3-game win streak, worst case is a loss to NU before a win against UE.
4 - FEU Tamaraws
FEU expectedly goes up to the 2nd spot in the standings, but they were far from impressive in doing so. Ping Exciminiano sparked the decisive run against UE, and he anchored the defense against NU. JR Cawaling has reverted back to the realm of the underwhelming and Terrence Romeo, despite hitting that game-clinching shot versus NU, is still far from his ROY form. Soph slump alert? Their below-expectations-play notwithstanding, the Tams should still have enough to beat UST on Saturday.
5 - UST Growling Tigers
UST failed its big test against Adamson, but only because they ended up with the lower score. They weren't awful against the Falcons. It was a case of a good team, UST, running into a red-hot team, Adamson. Does this mean coach Pido Jarencio shouldn't feel threatened? The opposite, actually. His team has been able to get by on someone getting hot from beyond the arc (Fortuna against NU & Ferrer against UE), but they only converted 2 of 14 against Adamson. They have to find another weapon. One possibility? The interior -- Camus, Abdul & Afuang combined for 35 points against the Falcons. A good inside-outside combo could do wonders for this team, especially against the difficult assignment up next: FEU.
6 - NU Bulldogs
It's too early to label the NU Bulldogs a bust, but they sure played like it against Ateneo. And when the going got tough three days later versus FEU? They scored a grand total of 5 4th quarter points, and league-leader Ray Parks managed 11 in total. A preseason of promise has translated into a below-expectations 1-3 slate. Can NU regain its form or not? They'll be battling DLSU and Adamson this week, which means two more losses could be in the cards.
7 - UP Fighting Maroons
Another day, another atrocious 3rd quarter. That seems to be the pattern UP's squad is falling in love with. The main problem? They're lacking a true playmaker. Mike Gamboa and Jelo Montecastro are converted floor generals who, let's face it, would rather go to the hole themselves (or take the ill-advised three in Gamboa's case) rather than make some plays for their teammates. That PG duo hoists a combined 19.7 shots per game, making just 39%, or about 11-12 missed shots/opportunities. In fairness, they do average a combined 7 assists an outing, but the end result still often leaves their fans wanting. UP needs a Chris Paul, but what they've got is a pair of Russell Westbrooks.
8 - UE Red Warriors
The Warriors will go up against two of the hottest teams at the moment -- Adamson & La Salle. At least UE can rest in the knowledge they will make other people happy -- other teams' fans that is.
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