#UAAP79 Roundup: Archers shoot down Falcons and Eagles swoop down on Red Warriors on Day 9!

Images by Arvin Lim/ABSCBN Sports.

Day 9 had the DLSU Green Archers remain unbeaten after they shot down the Adamson Soaring Falcons. The Ateneo Blue Eagles, meanwhile, got back on the winning track by cruising past the UE Red Warriors.

Here are comprehensive game recaps (adapted from Interaksyon): 

DLSU over ADU, 91-75
Box scores. 

The De La Salle Green Archers cruised to another big win, disposing of the No. 2 team Adamson, 91-75, as they picked up a fifth consecutive win in UAAP Season 79 on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Ben Mbala dominated again with 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting alongside 16 rebounds and three blocks for La Salle, which furthered its lead atop the standings.

#UAAP79 Roundup: Maroons beat Warriors and Falcons silence Bulldogs on Day 8!

Images from Arvin Lim/ABSCBN Sports.

Day 8 saw the UP Fighting Maroons finally break into the win column at UE’s expense even as Adamson outshot the NU Bulldogs!

Here are comprehensive game recaps (adapted from Interaksyon):

UP over UE, 75-71
Box scores. 

The UP Fighting Maroons picked up its first win of UAAP Season 79 after a strong showing against UE, 75-71, on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Jett Manuel and Paul Desiderio each had 17 points to lead UP, which improved to 1-3 for the season while keeping the Red Warriors winless at 0-4.

#UAAP79 Roundup: Archers survive Bulldogs while Tamaraws gore Red Warriors on Day 7!

Day 7 of #UAAP79 saw DLSU nearly get upset by NU while FEU bounced back with a win over UE.

Here are comprehensive game recaps (adapted from Interaksyon):

DLSU over NU, 75-66
Box scores. 

The De La Salle Green Archers got tested by the gritty NU Bulldogs, needing to erase a nine-point deficit in the second half to come up with a 75-66 win in UAAP Season 79 action Sunday at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Jeron Teng finished with 23 points while Ben Mbala collected 16 markers and 15 boards as the Green Archers improved to 4-0.

#UAAP79 Roundup: UST, DLSU, FEU, and NU are big winners on Days 3 and 4!

Image by Arvin Lim/ABSCBN Sports.

Days 3 and 4 of #UAAP79 saw DLSU and NU move up to 2-0, while UST and FEU got good bounce back wins after separate opening game losses.

Here are comprehensive game recaps (adapted from Interaksyon):

UST over UE, 88-87
Box scores. 

The UST Growling Tigers needed to make some big plays in the endgame as they held off a late UE run to preserve a big comeback win over the Red Warriors, 88-87, in UAAP Season 79 action on Saturday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

#UAAP79 Roundup: Bulldogs repulse UE and Archers survive FEU on Day 2!

Day 2 of #UAAP79 was full of action as NU leaned on their size against UE, while DLSU’s deadly duo of Ben Mbala and Jeron Teng came to fore in their win over bitter rival FEU.

Here are comprehensive game recaps (adapted from Interaksyon):

NU over UE, 72-66
Box scores. 

The NU Bulldogs leaned on some steady play in the end-game to outlast the UE Red Warriors, 72-66, in UAAP Season 79 action Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

2014 UAAP Power Rankings as of August 25, 2014

These rankings are based on each team's Current Efficiency Ratings, the point difference in its game results, and “bonus points” for beating a team based on its “tier” or how strong it is perceived. The formula I used was this:

I calculate Current Efficiency Ratings or CER this way: (points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks) - (turnovers + field goals missed + free throws missed) — for the remainder of the season, I wil be using team averages for these values.

As per the collected opinion of most UAAP pundits, I chose to segregate the eight UAAP schools into the following tiers (based on the teams’ first round performances):

Tier 1: DLSU Green Archers, UST Growling Tigers, NU Bulldogs, FEU Tamaraws, ADMU Blue Eagles, and UE Red Warriors (all Final Four contenders)

Tier 3: ADU Soaring Falcons and UP Fighting Maroons (Final Four long shots)

Any time a team beats a Tier 1 team, it gets 20 “bonus points.”

Any time a team beats a Tier 2 team, it gets 10 “bonus points.”

These are the top four teams right now, but are they all Final-Four-bound?
(images from Burn Sports)

2014 UAAP Power Rankings as of August 15, 2014

Ateneo, DLSU, NU, and FEU make up our top four  after the first round.

These rankings are based on each team's Current Efficiency Ratings, the point difference in its game results, and “bonus points” for beating a team based on its “tier” or how strong it is perceived. The formula I used was this:

I calculate Current Efficiency Ratings or CER this way: (points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks) - (turnovers + field goals missed + free throws missed) — for the remainder of the season, I wil be using team averages for these values.

As per the collected opinion of most UAAP pundits, I chose to segregate the eight UAAP schools into the following tiers:

Tier 1: DLSU Green Archers (defending champs and title favorites)

Tier 2: UST Growling Tigers, NU Bulldogs, FEU Tamaraws, ADMU Blue Eagles, and UE Red Warriors (all Final Four contenders)

Tier 3: ADU Soaring Falcons and UP Fighting Maroons (Final Four long shots)

The UAAP: Season 77: The King Eagle Flies HIGH!

Kiefer Ravena of Ateneo torched UE with a career-high
38 points in a thrilling overtime win for the Blue Eagles
(Image from: GMA Network)

The Blue Eagles knew what awaited them if they finished the first round of play with a win over the University of the East Red Warriors; solo first place atop the standings after most critics projected them to be in the middle of the pack (or missing out in the Final Four) due to this being a "rebuilding" year. Well after 7 games, the Eagles are not in the middle and definitely not at the bottom. Being at the top feels so very good but that feeling should not last too long since another 7 games await them.

The Games That Play Us: Live and Die

This season, it seems like "Live and Die" is an ominous theme.

The UE Red Warriors will live and die with Roi Sumang.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles will live and die with Kiefer Ravena.

                                                                                                   

Has Roi Sumang regressed?

Last weekend, we witnessed how Roi Sumang, who is supposed to be a leading candidate this season, melted down amidst the pressure, missing a potential game-winner against the league-leading NU Bulldogs. He actually shot relatively well in that game, making 44% of his field goals (his season peg is just 33%), but he misfired on the one that counted the most. He ended up with 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 turnovers. Meanwhile, the Red Warriors have dropped their third straight game and are just one notch higher than cellar-dwelling Adamson and UP.

Is Roi Sumang actually regressing in Season 77?
(image by Marlon Bernabe/Burn Sports)

A close look at Sumang’s stats reveals something glaring — he might actually be regressing. His scoring, steals, and rebounds are all down from last year. Ditto with his three-point shooting and overall field goal percentage. His minutes? Down as well from 36 minutes a game last season to just over 20 a game this year. He normed around 17 FG attempts in Season 76, but is only putting 13 this season.

The Games That Play Us: Well That Was Fun

It was a great weekend of UAAP action again as Ateneo, NU, and UE, remained
unbeaten while UST defeated FEU.

The De La Salle Green Archers might just be the most fun (or at least most interesting) team to watch this season. 

0-2? Sure, but consider the following:

- Last weekend, their coaching staff wore apple green pants that would make green apples scream, “APPLE GREEN!”
- In their loss to Ateneo, Arnold Van Opstal thought Ren Ren Ritualo was his teammate and, of course, threw the former King Archer a baseball pass from the low block.
- Admittedly, Jason Perkins is a beast, and that smirk after every made basket reminds me of DLSU players of old (Hello, Mac Cardona!).
- And, again, AVO provides some entertainment even after the game by possibly getting himself penalized for a forearm (closed fist?) to the back of former teammate Ponso Gotladera’s head. (http://www.rappler.com/sports/university/uaap/dlsu/63974-uaap-considering-suspension-arnold-van-opstal)

Man, these Archers might be staring at the other teams from the bottom of the barrel, but there isn’t any dull moment with them.

But on to the games now.

2014 UAAP Power Rankings as of July 14, 2014

How do the teams stack up after opening weekend?
(images by Jan Dizon/Inboundpass.com)

These rankings are based on each team's Current Efficiency Ratings, the point difference in its game results, and “bonus points” for beating a team based on its “tier” or how strong it is perceived. The formula I used was this:

I calculate Current Efficiency Ratings or CER this way: (points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks) - (turnovers + field goals missed + free throws missed) — for the remainder of the season, I wil be using team averages for these values.

As per the collected opinion of most UAAP pundits, I chose to segregate the eight UAAP schools into the following tiers:

The Games That Play Us: Of Statement Games and Green Pants

It's that time of the year again! #CollegeBasketball #UAAP77
Those green pants tho...

UAAP Season 77 opened with a bang this past weekend thanks to some statement games from UE, FEU, Ateneo, and NU, while DLSU made, well, its own fashion statement.

UE with a statement game against lowly UP

Raise your hand if you pegged Dan Alberto to lead UE in scoring in its first game of the season. Yes, he had that great game against Ateneo in Season 76, scoring 14 points in the Warriors’ first round W (72-68) over the Eagles. This time around, Alberto canned 5 triples on his way to a team-high 15 markers, leading the Reds to a rousing blowout of the hapless Maroons. This was unexpected, of course, but perhaps even more surprising was ace playmaker Roi Sumang dropping just 7 points. Sumang shot 3/8 from the field overall and was visibly content being the main facilitator for his teammates. He handed out a game-high 6 assists.

UAAP Season 77 preview – UP, UE, DLSU, FEU

The UAAP begins today and so we preview the first four teams who’ll see action – the Fighting Maroons, the Red Warriors, the Green Archers, and the Tamaraws!

Top left: Kyles Lao hopes to lead UP to its first win in years.
Top right: Roi Sumang is due for an MVP-type season.
Bottom left: Jeron Teng should lead DLSU back to the title.
Bottom right: FEU is now Mike Tolomia's team.

UP FIGHTING MAROONS

Last season: Finished last with zero wins.

Roster:

Name	Height	Position
AMAR, Agustini	6’2	G/F
ASILUM, Henry	5’9	PG
BEDERI, Darwish	6’7	C
DARIO, Diego	5’8	PG
ESCALAMBRE, Carlo		G
GALLARZA, Joseph	6’5	PF
GINGERICH, Moriah	6’2	SF
GONZALES, Nhomer
HARRIS, Andrew	6’4	PF
JURUENA, Mark	6’5	PF/C
LAO, Kyles	6’0	SG
LIM, Jarrell		G
MORALDE, Dave	6’2	SG/SF
PASCUAL, Martin	6’5	C
REYES, Mikee	5’9	PG
VITO, Angelo	6’5	C

UAAP Season 77 Men’s Basketball Team Rosters

The official UAAP Season 77 Men’s Basketball Tournament rosters have been released! Check them out below!

Notably absent, of course, are Jerie Pingoy and Hubert Cani from Ateneo.

Some lineups, however, reflect more than 16 names even if 16 is the limit. AFAIK, the following are NOT part of their team’s final roster though their names appear on this official list:

Ateneo: Anton Asisitio (confirmed he’s part of Team Glory B and not Team A).
UPDATE as of JULY 5, 2014: Anton Asistio, apparently, is part of Team A. It's Paul Siarot, instead, who got cut.

FEU: Spin.ph reported that Arnie Padilla and Billy Joe Belga were cut from the final 16.
UST: Former Hope Christian HS star PG Janrey Garrido is cut from the team after coach Bong Dela Cruz finally decides to let DLSZ product Renzo Subido play in Team A.

Are you ready for the new UAAP season?

The 2014 Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup: April 26, 2014 Roundup

Action in the 2014 Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup heated up yesterday as the men’s teams took to the hardwood. At the end of the day, FEU, San Sebastian, San Beda, and De La Salle all came away with debut wins.

(Left) Arthur Dela Cruz saves the ball, (Middle-Top) Terence Mustre debuts for DLSU,
(Middle-Bottom) Mike Tolomia drives strong, and (Right) Jaymark Perez impresses anew for Baste.

Roundup:

In the day’s opener, the San Sebastian Golden Stags leaned on their frontline to fashion out an 81-78 win over the UP Fighting Maroons. Rhanzel Yong led the Stags here, shooting 7/13 from the floor to finish with 16 points in just 18 minutes of action. He was backstopped by Jaymark Perez, who recorded an all-around stat-line – 14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Fil-Aussie Bradwyn Guinto also impressed, recording 11 markers, 4 boards, and 2 blocked shots. It was a tight game all throughout, but the Stags held sway mainly because they clobbered the Maroons on the glass, 59-39, and had 22 second-chance points to just 2 for UP. Former San Beda Red Lion Dave Moralde led UP with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists, while the backcourt trio of Henry Asilum, Kyles Lao, and the returning Mikee Reyes combined for 42 markers.

The Games That Play Us: Ain’t It Fun?

There’s this song that’s been ringing in my head these past few weeks. It’s one of the new songs from Paramore’s new self-titled album. It talks about how people are thrust into the real world (or any new situation) and forced to face the challenges of living independently or simply living a life where they have to look out for themselves.

Some standout lines from the song’s lyrics go this way (from AZLyrics.com):

“If it don't hurt now, then just wait, just wait a while.

You're not the big fish in the pond no more.

You are what they're feeding on.

So what are you gonna do when the world don't orbit around you?

Ain't it fun living in the real world?

Ain't it good being all alone?

Where you're from, you might be the one who's running things.

Well, you can ring anybody's bell to get what you want.

See it's easy to ignore trouble when you're living in a bubble.”

The song resonates with me, especially on the level of a high school teacher, since I have met (and continue to meet) a good number of students who could very well be on the receiving end of these lines. These are kids who, whether they do so willfully or unwittingly (which might be worse), go around feeling entitled, feeling as if the world owes them. These are kids who feel they are above the rules. These are those who feel they are at the center of the universe, and everyone has to adjust to them and not the other way around. Not all students are like this, of course. I daresay that most students eventually outgrow this “self-entitlement/self-centered” stage, but some do persist (even into adulthood I might add).

Eerily enough, it seems the song is also a good fit for the current issues hounding the Generation Me version of the UAAP – things like personnel suspensions, eligibility rules, and two highly-admired coaches calling it a day (Ricky Dandan & Leo Austria). Specifically, though, for the Ateneo fans out there, the lines, “You're not the big fish in the pond no more/ You are what they're feeding on,” should resonate even more.

Coach Sandy Arespacochaga piloted Ateneo to a big
comeback win over UE.
(image by Philip Sison/Fabilioh)

The Games That Play Us: Controversial Wednesday

I have to admit, I didn’t watch the Wednesday games with much intensity. I was, instead, focused on twitterverse, where updates about the UAAP Board’s decision (read: reaction) regarding the Temporary Restraining Order handed down by Judge Manuel Sta. Cruz of Regional Trial Court Branch 226 and updates about decisions on personnel suspensions and appeals were being shared.

Even Ray Parks's superb outing against UP was in the background
as other pressing issues seized the imagination of UAAP observers.

Thanks to the tweets of fellow sportswriters, it was revealed that the UAAP Board honored the TRO, but didn’t allow Mikee Bartolome (the plaintiff) to swim for UP. That was, of course, in contradiction to what the RTC actually wanted. Judge Sta. Cruz clearly stated that the UAAP should “cease and desist from imposing the residency rule and allow the plaintiff to be eligible so she can participate in the UAAP swimming competition this coming Sept. 19, 2013.”

Crystal clear.

The Games That Play Us: Whattaweekend

That was quite a weekend of UAAP basketball. Most of the games were pretty tight (yes, even the customary shellacking of UP had some “tight” moments), and there were several storylines that underscored the importance of each encounter. More than these, however, the consequent implications of the game results, as well as other… actions, are the ones really worth focusing on. Another UE suspension, anyone? How about a near tussle between a coach and a fan? Oh, man. Whattaweekend indeed.

Kiefer Ravena struggled with his shots against
the intense Archer defense.
(image by Reiley Udasco/Fabilioh)

It all started, of course, with Adamson trouncing the bejeezus out of the UP Fighting Maroons. Nothing really new there, of course, since this is the Diliman quintet’s tenth loss of the season. The more UP plays, the more I am convinced that no matter whom the coach is, this team is bound to fail. It’s not really because of the lack of talent (there is considerable depth here). It’s not because of the playing/coaching system. It’s not because the team doesn’t have a backer (because they DO have a backer already!). I daresay it’s just the way the university approaches the basketball team. I am not even really talking about the administration or the people behind the athletics program. I am sure they care. But how about the rest of the university? Do they really feel they have a stake in how well (or how miserable) this basketball team does? Do people care about this team?

The Games That Play Us: Welcome to the Tempest

I am calling it right now, early as it may seem. FEU and NU will be in the UAAP Season 76 Final Four. The jury is still out on whether either or both will have twice-to-beat advantages entering the semifinals, but I am SURE they will both be among the four teams advancing into the knockout stage.

I am also 100% sure UP is out of it, and am pretty confident the Soaring Falcons can now change their moniker to Spoiling Falcons. Simply put, we now have two of the Final Four spots taken, and we also have two teams who will basically play spoilers’ roles.

And that leaves four teams – Ateneo, De La Salle, UE, and UST – fighting for the last two Final Sour berths.

Oh, and you might have heard about the latest slew of suspensions meted out by the commissioner’s office. DLSU’s Thomas Torres will miss the Ateneo-La Salle match after incurring his second unsportsmanlike foul of the season (he punched former Green Archer Sam Marata last Saturday, August 22, 2013). Likewise, UE’s Charles Mammie and Lord Casajeros will each miss the Reds’ next two games (against NU and DLSU) after they took potshots at FEU’s Terrence Romeo this past Sunday. This is Mammie’s second suspension this season and Casajeros’s first.

Considering all these developments, it’s safe to say there’s no shortage of excitement, drama, and controversy in the UAAP. Come to think of it, however, was there ever a season devoid of all three?

Can Kiefer Ravena lead the Eagles back into the postseason?

But I digress.

Let’s look at each of the aforementioned teams who are still in the thick of the Final Four race.

Some Early UAAP Second Round Impressions & Projections

As Maring exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility and the Habagat continues to paralyze the nation’s capital, I am forced to, among other things, reflect on the early second round games of the UAAP and what lies ahead. Here are some team-by-team thoughts that have stood out so far:

Are Terrence Romeo's Tamaraws ready for a Final Four run,
or another Final Four failure?

UP: Sadly, the Maroons still suck.

The Maroons are still winless, and things aren't exactly looking to improve moving forward DESPITE (or because of) the controversial change in coaching. I am happy for Sam Marata and Kyles Lao, though. Marata is getting the shots he always wanted (was promised?) when he was with DLSU, and though he's never going to be the league's best scorer, at least the Maroons have a post-Mike Silungan go-to-guy. Lao, however, is another story. When I first saw this kid play for Xavier in the Milo SBP several years ago, I already sensed something special about him. His talent definitely shone through in helping the Golden Stallions perform well in the last few Tiong Lian tournaments and in being a stalwart of the the Energen Pilipinas Youth Team. So far, he has been a fearless and peerless neophyte contributor for the Maroons, and, with just 6 games to go, I have no doubt we already have a runaway Rookie of the Year winner.