The Games That Play Us: There’s Something About These New Tamaraws

So let’s see.

The UP Fighting Maroons are flat on their backs.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles and the DLSU Green Archers have a total of 4 wins between them.

Adamson, NU, UE, and UST all have at least 2 losses already in a weird rock-paper-scissors menagerie.

The only team that has really been able to separate itself from the rest of the field is the FEU Tamaraws.

RR Garcia and the FEU Tamaraws have been unstoppable
through the first few weeks of the UAAP.

You are allowed to be even a little surprised.

But after six straight wins in almost as many different fashions – they’ve had to come back from several big deficits – I believe we can all safely say this team mentored by coach Nash Racela is, indeed, the real deal.

This is not the same FEU team that went 4-0 last season only to falter and tumble out of the Final Four race.

This is not the same FEU team that was known more for bruising and spitballing.

This is not the same FEU team that had three great guards playing disjointedly.

This is now, in fact, a real, honest-to-goodness, TEAM.

This is a team eerily reminiscent of the FEU squads that won in 2003 and 2005 (yes, they technically have the 2004 trophy, but I do not want to get into that right now). They have a sprinkling of PBA-caliber players working together under a tight system and one clear leader. It was Arwind Santos in those golden years and now, with all due respect to RR Garcia, the mantle of leadership has definitely fallen on Terrence Romeo’s shoulders.

But are they championship-bound?

Too early to tell, really, but if we glance at the numbers we can see a team that is definitely headed in a great direction.

Boys and girls, here’s how the FEU Tamaraws stack after 6 games:

#1 in scoring, 3-pt FG%, perimeter scoring, FT%, assists, blocks, bench scoring, taking care of the basketball (least TOs), fast break points, and points off turnovers 

#2 in 2-pt FG% and steals

#3 in total FG% and rebounds

Terrence Romeo leads the league in scoring (22.0ppg), FGs made (45 total), 3-pointers made (18 total), FT% (92.3%), and steals (1.7spg). He is #2 in assists (4.5apg).

Gryann Mendoza is the top 3-point shooter (at least 5 makes) at 46.2%.

Christian Sentcheu is #2 in blocks (2.0bpg).

I am going to bite the bullet here and say that, despite the parity in Season 76 and despite the fact that there are maybe four or five other teams with deeper rosters than the Tams, FEU will make the Final Four as one of the top two seeds. Only a monumental meltdown even worse than last season can derail their charge, but with coach Nash firmly at the helm, I just don’t see that happening.

These Tamaraws are as real as real can be, folks, and we all better get ready for a good ol’ trampling.

Karim Abdul and the Growling Tigers ran smack into a
well-organized FEU squad yesterday.

*My head has been intensely wrapped up in FIBA Asia stuff, so I haven’t and won’t be able to do the usual TGTPU per game pieces. I plan to come out with at least two articles a week before the FIBA Asia tourney kicks in and then resume “regular programming” after that. Unless, of course, Gilas tanks and misses the bus to the 2014 World Cup in Spain. In case that happens, you can find me under a rock for the rest of eternity (or until the next FIBA Asia tournament).

All images by Jan Dizon/Inboundpass.com.