Yearend Report

Here are some bits of information that some UAAP and NCAA fans might have missed in the past few weeks.

To Green Pastures. Siblings Axel and Thomas Torres, together with Gabby Reyes have already committed to join the Green Archers as soon as they step into the UAAP seniors' playing field. Axel Torres and Gabby Reyes belonged to the Season 74 DLSZ Junior Archers that were eliminated by the champions the National University Bullpups, while Thomas Torres was part of the LSGH Greenies team that faced the San Beda Red Cubs in the Finals. It's great to have stellar guards, but judging from what the DLSU Green Archers have gone through these past seasons, it's problematic to have that many. How will new head coach Gee Abanilla take care of a Green Archers team that has been likened to a security agency with lots of 1's and 2's at their disposal?

On the other side of the Metro, where the UAAP Seniors' Basketball championship sits for four straight years, NBTC All-Star Game MVP Ace Basas continues to impress the Ateneo Blue Eagles staff. The 5'10" forward from MIT / Malayan Science High School has already expressed his hopes of becoming part of the Blue Eagles, regardless of what team he may initially belong to. Plus, one thing that he has to face is the fact that he has to change his position, considering his frame and height.

Early Absences. Due to the brawl that occurred between the SSC-R men's volleyball team and the SBC Red Lions, the NCAA board has imposed respective sanctions on the following people:

Frankie Lim (SBC Men's Basketball coach) - 2 seasons
Roger Gorayeb (SSC-R Women's Volleyball coach) - 2 seasons
Ola Adeogun (SBC Red Lions) - 1 season
Julius Armon (SBC Red Lions) - 1 season
Dave Marcelo (SBC Red Lions) - 3 games
Ed Cordero (SBC Men's Basketball assistant coach) - 1 game
Kyle Pascual (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Jake Pascual (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
JP Mendoza (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Ryusei Koga (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Garvo Lanete (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Rome dela Rosa (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Melo Lim (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Mar Villahermosa (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Sudan Daniel (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Baser Amer (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game
Anjo Caram (SBC Red Lions) - 1 game

One pertinent question here is: where will Daniel, Marcelo, Villahermosa, and Lanete serve their suspensions, considering that both of them have used up all of their years of eligibility in the NCAA?

After the announced suspension, Coach Frankie Lim finally announced his resignation and head coach of the Red Lions, ultimately parting ways with the powerhouse team that he built since winning the men's basketball championship since 2008. Coach Ronnie Magsanoc was then chosen to take over for Season 88 onwards. With no foreign player at their disposal for next year, it seems that San Beda will again have a tough time defending their title as NCAA Season 88 comes, and it will all depend on what Coach Magsanoc can bring to this team.

Coach Gorayeb, on the other hand, still has the Ateneo Women's Volleyball team to lead come Season 75, and this will be a good thing for the ladies of Katipunan who have long been wanting to take revenge against their rivals, the DLSU Lady Archers, for defeating them during the Season 74 Women's Volleyball Championship series.

Chiefs Get Slight Revamp. Coach Koy Banal, who led the FEU Tamaraws and the SBC Red Lions to championships in the UAAP and NCAA respectively, has been named the head coach for the Arellano University Chiefs. Can he transform this sophomore team to become a Final Four contender in the coming years?

New Term, New Students. The Fil-Oil Pre-Season Tournament will kick off on April 14, 2012, at The Arena in San Juan City. The Ateneo Blue Eagles will face the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights in the first game, while the De La Salle Green Archers clash with the San Beda Red Lions after.

Credits to respective websites for the images.

6 Points: AdMU vs. SBC (2011 PCCL Final Four)

Ateneo 76, San Beda 63

-As far as the PCCL is concerned, the San Beda Red Lions did not come out full force, as they missed a lot of players, key players Jake Pascual, Garvo Lanete, and Sudan Daniel included, for various reasons. The Ateneo Blue Eagles, on the other hand, sans Emman Monfort due to PBADL duties, seems to be in an early rebuilding phase, giving some time for second string players to step up and show what they have got, to prepare for another probable rematch with the SSC-R Golden Stags, and perhaps for Season 75. But despite these losses, these two teams, especially the seemingly short-handed Red Lions, fought hard and brought out what was available at their arsenal to earn that one spot for the Finals. And knowing that they still have another championship to defend besides the UAAP, that slot was Ateneo's for the taking.

-In this match, we have seen the improvements of the team members who participated in the SEA Games. Kiefer Ravena flexibly shuffled between the one and two positions, shifting his style of play occasionally from being a pass-first point guard to a finishing shooting guard and back again. We have also seen Greg Slaughter's improved domination in the paint, as well as Salva's quicker decision-making especially when running breaks. Truly, the SEAGames experienced helped them in fulfilling their role as the foundations of this team come Season 75.

-This game also pointed out the things that the Ateneo crowd will miss. Kirk Long came to play, and as usual, contributed the small things that matter most in the end. And Bacon Austria? Did we not mention that he largely improved since the day he suited up for Freego Jeans in the PBADL?

-The second stringers have also shown what they have learned from the Unigames. Tonino Gonzaga seriously assumed the starting role and provided the hustle that the team needs during those crucial stretches. Most significant among his contributions were his offensive boards that gave Ateneo second chance opportunities. The way he played this game serves as a hint that it is possible for him to be inserted into the starting lineup come Season 75. JP Erram also showed that he learned some neat things in the Unigames, especially in terms of off-ball movement. On the other hand, former third stringers Von Pessumal and Gwynne Capacio seems to need more improvement in defense, something that they might want to focus on in the next few months or so. Also, Juami Tiongson needs to get a lesson in serious ballhandling, if he really wants to become the starting point guard for Season 75.

-The absence of most players in their roster did not hinder the Red Lions from playing well despite losing to the Blue Eagles in this match. Dave Marcelo somehow had his way in the paint despite being stopped by Justin Chua and Greg Slaughter, sometimes settling for perfect midrange jumpers. Rome dela Rosa, Melo Lim, and Mar Villahermosa stepped up as well, immediately sensing the urge to play the game of catching up with the rest of the Blue Eagles. For what was expected to be a walk in the park for the almost-complete Blue Eagles, these Red Lions exceeded expectations.

-The question now that remains will be, Can the Blue Eagles handle the Golden Stags twice? The Blue Eagles have suffered close losses against the Golden Stags twice, one in the Fil-Oil Preseason tournament and another just a few days ago in the PCCL Final Four. The way the Pinatubo Big Three of Calvin Abueva, Ronald Pascual, and Ian Sangalang have somehow neutralized the power of the Slaughter-Ravena-Salva trio. And being a team that specializes in defense, perhaps the best thing for the Blue Eagles to do here is to neutralize SSC-R's own trio, while keeping their offense steady in order to prevent meltdowns similar to last week's game. The Blue Eagles might have gotten away during the UAAP when Adamson was eliminated by FEU, but this is a point of no escape for them, inevitably facing a team that defeated them twice. But then, being down 1-0 (due to twice-to-beat advantage) is familiar ground to them, as they were in the same situation as they were in their last 2 PCCL championships. Expect this PCCL Finals, therefore, to be exciting and adrenaline-filled for both teams.

The Scores:

Ateneo 76 – Slaughter 20, Ravena 18, Salva 17, Chua 6, Gonzaga 5, Austria 4, Long 4, Tiongson 2, Golla 0, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0, Erram 0

San Beda 63 – Villahermosa 21, de la Rosa 14, Marcelo 7, Pascual 6, Amer 6, Lim 5, Caram 4, Sorela 0, Koga 0, Pontejos 0

Quarter scoring: 23-19, 37-28, 55-44, 76-63

Credits to Abante Tonite for the pic and Inboundpass for the box.

Game Notes: RP vs. Vietnam (2011 SEA Games)

Sinag Pilipinas 107, Vietnam 53


-After having scored just 5 points in the national team's bout against Cambodia, Greg Slaughter came out to score 20 and lead the team to another lopsided game. Coach Norman Black now utilized his size and strengthe to wreak havoc on both sides of the floor, as he muscled his way into the basket for easy scores, hit his free throws, and, on the other hand, disrupt any opponent who would dare score from the paint.

-Bobby Ray Parks came out as well as he gave his own big contribution to this win. This time, he played most of the game as a shooting guard, partnered with Kiefer Ravena who takes up the one position. Isn't it a splendid sight when we see two of them running together and leading breaks after a steal or a turnover from Vietnam?

-Still lacking team chemistry, it was a good thing that the national team's defense clicked and went for the kill, becoming the main ingredient for this win that goes together with Sinag Pilipinas' explosive and potent offense. The national team exploited the 1-on-1 offense of the opponent and made sure that the Vietnamese would work double to get their baskets. Case in point: the 32-4 first quarter dominance that gave Sinag Pilipinas an opportunity to breathe but at the same time maintain their pace during the whole game.

-Dave Marcelo's game was no less than fantastic. Besides providing his part in completing offensive plays in the post, he was able to hold off the Vietnamese big men especially in the boards, where he got 10 of his own.

-Another thing that came up in this bout against Vietnam is the execution of what Chris Soler of inboundpass.com calls as "secondary breaks," wherein when a fastbreak attempt would not be feasible, players would make quick passes to free up someone who can easily score the basket. This will perhaps be one of the most dangerous weapons Sinag Pilipinas has, and other teams have to be on the look when these secondary breaks are executed.

-Thank heavens, the TV coverage was better compared to the game against Cambodia.

The Scores:

Sinag Pilipinas 107 – Slaughter 20, Parks 19, Ellis 11, Lanete 11, Marcelo 9, Pascual 8, Ravena 8, Hodge 8, Salva 4, Tiu 4, Monfort 3.

Vietnam 53 – Nguyen Huy 11, Le 10, Trieu 8, Duong 7, Doan 7, Hoang 6, Ngo 2, Vu 2, Nguyen San 0, Le Tien 0, Du 0.

Quarterscores: 32-4; 59-23; 84-41; 107-53.

Credits to Interaksyon for the box scores.

Game Notes: RP vs. Cambodia (2011 SEA Games)

Philippines 127, Cambodia 68


-This 59-point wallop of Cambodia, a team that has almost always landed the bottom spot in the Southeast Asian Games, really does not say much of Sinag Pilipinas.However, this first game may well be a preview of how Coach Norman Black will run the team for the rest of the tournament. And for this first match, they relied on what was tried, tested, and used for their practices: effectively setting up plays for the team's most reliable scorers and scoring off turnovers and from transition baskets.

-However, defense and chemistry, if not problems, are concerns that need to be addressed in the next few games. Despite having found people who can reliably score, the team still has not melded as a unit. There are still things need to be polished in terms of setting plays from both ends of the court, and that includes off-ball movement, something essential in their plays. Hopefully, each member of the Sinag Pilipinas finds their niche and play effectively in the coming games.

-On the other hand, despite not blending the way they should be, Sinag Pilipinas shot 71% from the field and held the Cambodian national team to a 35% clip, en route to this big 59-point win, bigger than the last one against this same team (a 52 point margin 4 years ago).

-The national team relied on a lot of transition baskets, having the guards run for easy points after rebounds or steals. Did we not see that a few months ago when the Ateneo Blue Eagles defended their crown in the UAAP? It's obvious that Coach Norman Black still has the same strategies in mind, and it proved to be effective so far.

-Ravena showed why he is worthy of being selected as a Mythical Five member of last year's FIBA U-18. He led Sinag Pilipinas in scoring, dropping 17 huge points all through out the game, squeaking his way past larger and older opponents, plus a dunk off a transition basket. Furthermore, it's also important to note that the two MVPs of Metro Manila's major collegiate leagues have stepped up. Nico Salva and Dave Marcelo had a combined 26 point effort in this win.

-When was the last time Greg Slaughter had a single digit output? Perhaps the lockdown defense put on the Cambodian team against him, most probably because of his towering figure, had Coach Norman pull him out and had him replaced by Cliff Hodge, who is obviously faster than Slaughter and can more easily shake off their undersized big men. Perhaps one thing that Slaughter has to work on will be his quickness and footwork when it comes to those situations. We never know, but we might need him in tighter stretches.

-Selection of Emman Monfort questionable? Perhaps it's time for doubters to think again. Earlier in the game he forced two turnovers, snagged the ball once, and had a good defensive effort despite scoring 2 points. And he was able to lead the team, effectively implementing Coach Norman Black's system despite having a different set of guys in the lineup. And speaking of which, did anyone notice that the first five of the game is the Ateneo first five, with Parks replacing American guard Kirk Long?

-One note on the coverage, though. Can Indonesia have the production staff for the basketball games replaced? We viewers seem to have a hard time watching the game with their camera angles and all that.

The Scores:

Sinag Pilipinas 127 – Ravena 17, Garcia 16, Lanete 15, Salva 14, Marcelo 12, Ellis 12, Parks 10, Tiu 9, Hodge 9, Pascual 6, Slaughter 5, Monfort 2.

Cambodia 68 – Sophoeun 24, Pek 24, Boroth 15, Kim, V. 3, Kim 0, Sovann 0, Meas 0, Monh 0, Lov 0, Chom 0.

Quarterscores: 35-20; 61-39; 93-56; 127-68

Credits to Baseballdeworld.com for the pic, Interaksyon for the box.

The Semerads To Ateneo

According to chinoyhoopsfan, a source close to the San Beda Red Lions announced that the Semerad Twins, David and Anthony, withdrew from San Beda College and are set to enroll at Ateneo de Manila University this coming March. The source said that they plan to "play in a bigger stage," hence the decision to transfer.

The only question that remains now is the duration of their residency. It is possible that they will sit out only for a year and will start playing for the Blue Eagles for Season 76 (SY 2013-2014), it will still be determined because they already played in the PBA Development League. And, as chinoyhoopsfan says, they might be sitting out for an extra year.

Anthony Semerad is a 6-foot-4 small forward coming off the bench, and is known for his perimeter shooting. David, on the other hand, is a 6-foot-5 center whose name rose after the Red Lions' second Finals game against the San Sebastian Stags. Averaging only 3.1ppg, he scored 15 points in that championship-clinching game, including a split on the charity line after a Calvin Abueva technical and a driving layup that led to the win.

It will be interesting to see how they will be integrated into the Ateneo system in the few coming years.

Credits to chinoyhoopsfan for the info, and Yahoo! Meme for the pic.

Game Notes: SBC vs. SSC-R (NCAA S87 Finals)

San Beda 75, San Sebastian 63 
SBC leads 1-0

San Beda 57, San Sebastian 55
SBC clinches second straight championship
Finals MVP: Dave Marcelo

-The two best squads in the NCAA entered the Finals with a tied record. In the first round, the SSC-R Stags escaped with a win over the SBC Red Lions, 70-68, with Dave Marcelo and Garvo Lanete failed to hit shots that could have given them the lead. But in the second round, it was the Red Lions' turn to squeak past the Stags that gained them not only the win, but also the number one spot in the league. This series, as they say, was supposed to be the series tiebreaker, as the Stags had their win way back in Season 85, while the Red Lions avenged their loss last season.

-It turned out to be actually close in the first game, as the teams entered in a deadlock. What turned the tables and gave the Red Lions an advantage was Coach Topex Robinson's ejection 3 minutes before the end of Game 1. But then, what he complained over was nothing new for those who have watched the NCAA for the past three years: Calvin Abueva's cheap shots that were unfortunately spotted by the referees. Had he kept his composure, there could have been a chance for them to overcome the nine-point lead.

-Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang have won well-deserved awards, but the Pinatubo Trio as a combo looked iffy all through out the series. Abueva, unquestionably, was quite consistent, doing what he used to do during the twenty Stags games prior to the Finals. Sangalang and Ronald Pascual struggled all through out. The former struggled all through out the first game, clamped down to just a mere 10 points and 6 rebounds; the latter, however, had his own scoring bursts, but when it mattered most (i.e. taking the last shot that could have given the Stags the lead and could have forced a third game), he was too tired to finish

-Everyone was relying on shooter Garvo Lanete during the last stretch of the Red Lions' season. However, his injury brought him to the bench, playing limited minutes. Fortunately, there were his teammates ready to step up and take over. There was Dave Marcelo who manned the paint and garnered double digits in markers and boards. Mar Villahermosa also stepped up in terms of scoring. And of course, in Game 2, David Semerad tallied a game-high 15 points to keep the Red Lions in control for the rest of the game.

-With the way the Red Lions and the Stags played in this season, this will be one of the most memorable games of the NCAA. The series was simply epic. Unfortunately, there should only be one team who can secure the championship, and it was the Red Lions' for the taking. But will the Red Lions continue go for another championship come Season 88?

The scores:

Game 1
San Beda 75 – Villahermosa 15, Marcelo 14, J. Pascual 14, de la Rosa 11, Amer 9, Lanete 6, A. Semerad 4, Caram 2, D. Semerad 0, K. Pascual 0

San Sebastian 63 – Pascual 14, Abueva 12, Antipuesto 11, Sangalang 10, J. dela Cruz 7, del Rio 5, Miranda 2, Vitug 2, Maiquez 0, Balucanag 0

Quarter scoring: 20-20, 35-38, 52-52, 75-63

Game 2
San Beda 57 – D. Semerad 15, Caram 10, Villahermosa 8, Amer 7, de la Rosa 5, K. Pascual 4, Marcelo 2, Lanete 2, A. Semerad 2, J. Pascual 2.

San Sebastian 55 – Pascual 15, Sangalang 13, Abueva 12, Miranda 5, dela Cruz 4, Antipuesto 4, del Rio 2, Vitug 0, Maiquez 0

Credits to inboundpass.com for the image and the info.

Blue Eagle Flashback #1: They Have Arrived

Blue Eagle Flashback is a series of immediate trips down the memory lane of UAAP Season 74, to celebrate and relish the Ateneo Blue Eagles' fourth consecutive championship. Enjoy the moments!

The Ateneo Blue Eagles formally opened their campaign for a fourth straight title with their match against the NCAA Season 86 champions, the San Beda Red Lions in the Fil-Oil Preseason Cup. And as many expected it to become, it was one epic preseason game. Both teams exchanged baskets and leads with one another, ultimately trying to prove who really is the team to beat.

With the Blue Eagles ahead by 5 points with 32 seconds left in the game, new Blue Eagle Kiefer Ravena had the ball in his hands. Already delivering amazing performances early in the game, he brought the Ateneo supporters off their feet once again as he lobbed a pass to fellow rookie Greg Slaughter, who finished the play with a huge dunk, giving the Blue Eagles the win.

At this point, many were actually speculating that the crown will stay in Katipunan because of the presence of these two rookies.

And it did. They eventually became the preseason champions by defeating San Beda again, this time with a lopsided win over the Red Lions. And a few months after, the UAAP crown was for the Blue Eagles to take.

Credits to MrAirwolf23 for the video.

Sinag Pilipinas

According to Bleachersbrew, Coach Norman Black has chosen fifteen players who will soon become members of "Sinag Pilipinas," the national team who will suit up for the South East Asian Games in Indonesia. However, after a few weeks, the number will be trimmed down to 12 to conform to the rules set for the maximum number of players. The primarily chosen ones are:

ELLIS, Chris (PBADL: NLEx Road Warriors)
GARCIA, RR (UAAP: Far Eastern University Tamaraws)
HODGE, Cliff (PBADL: NLEx Road Warriors)
LANETE, Garvo (NCAA: San Beda Red Lions)
MONFORT, Emman (UAAP: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles)
NEWSOME, Chris (UAAP: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles B)
PASCUAL, Jake (NCAA: San Beda Red Lions)
PASCUAL, Ronald (NCAA: San Sebastian Golden Stags)
PARKS, Bobby Ray (UAAP: National University Bulldogs)
RAVENA, Kiefer (UAAP: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles)
SALVA, Nico (UAAP: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles)
SANGALANG, Ian (NCAA: San Sebastian Golden Stags)
SLAUGHTER, Greg (UAAP: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles)
TENG, Jeric (UAAP: University of Sto. Tomas Growling Tigers)
TIU, Chris (Smart Gilas Pilipinas)

Furthermore, there are four additional players to join them in practice games, namely:

BUENSUCESO, JR (US NCAA: Brigham Young University-Hawaii Seasiders)
CHUA, Justin (UAAP: Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles)
FORTUNA, Jeric (UAAP: University of Sto. Tomas Growling Tigers)
JENSEN, Keith (US NCAA: New York University Violets)

Joining Coach Black would be assistant Coaches Glenn Capacio (who last coached the FEU Tamaraws in 2009 and 2010) and Gene Afable (part of the present Ateneo coaching staff).

It's really nice to see them set aside their school (and league) colors temporarily to work for a common cause, and as we can see, this team is clearly a threat, not only because it has stars but these stars also play dynamic team basketball when asked to (Oh, and surprising to see once again two prospects from US NCAA schools!).

And another piece of information from Mr. Olivares is that because of five players being considered for the SEAG national team, the Blue Eagles who will slug it out in the Unigames would be composed of the following (also consider the leave of Bacon Austria and Oping Sumalinog, who are playing under Freego Jeans in the PBADL right now):

CAPACIO, Gwynne
CIPRIANO, Bon Jovi
ERRAM, John Paul
ESTRADA, Jeric
GONZAGA, Tonino
GOLLA, Frank
PESSUMAL, Von
TIONGSON, Juami

Eight Team B players will join them (including Elorde and Adornado, perhaps?), with the team's coaching reins taken over by Coach Sandy Arespacochaga.

One Big Fight to Sinag Pilipinas and the Ateneo Blue Eagles!

All thanks to Bleachersbrew for the info.

6 Points: AdMU vs. SBC (Fil-Oil Flying V Pre-season Tournament)

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Ateneo 90, San Beda 87

-In this hard-fought battle for the first pre-season win, we start with the most obvious and most basic thing to take notice of: The Phenom. Kiefer Ravena's 24 points that went with 3 boards and 4 assists doesn't even say a lot about his explosive game as a fresh Blue Eagle. Rather, it's how his presence became threatening to the opponent. It was just the first game and he was making fade-away shots near the baseline, running the breaks for an easy lay up or an assist, or fake a pass, tilt his upper body and go for a shot with legs apart. And of course, he also has that alley-oop pass to Greg Slaughter who in turn jams it in to give the Eagles the game. He is the most-awaited man of the Blue Squad, and he lives up to the fans' expectations by controlling most of the game on both ends of the court. To put simply, he became greatness and success personified… and this is just the first of many games we will see him.

-But of course, we also bring to another person credit that is due, and that is to Greg Slaughter, who acted as the star rookie number two for the Blue Eagles. Not only did the Smart Gilas big man play great defense by preventing the Red Lions' African big men from the post, he also scored off post moves and free throws (including several crucial ones when the game went to deadlock situations late in the final canto). However, he still needs to develop his speed and versatility, needing to be able to zip on both ends of the court and make bullet passes if ever he gets doubled or tripled.

-One good observation from this game is that both the Eagles and the Lions tuned their players up with their bread-and-butter strategies. San Beda used their usual screen plays from the mid-post, which would end up either with a jumper on the top or on the wings, or with their massive African player scoring from inside. Ateneo, on the other hand, used the usual zone defense where the backcourt slides back and forth and fights off screens. Both of them actually worked most of the time, but then, the difference that gave the game for Ateneo would be the discipline and the hustle of Ravena (who benefitted from SBC turnovers and misses by quickly sprinting to the other side to finish off a fastbreak play) and Slaughter (who kept Adeogun out of the paint and making his life inside it difficult) in the last stretch.

-The final score didn't say much about Ateneo's strength, for in the middle of the third quarter, they nearly pulled away with a huge 11-point lead, 60-49, over San Beda. However, due to unnecessary turnovers and missed shots, the Red Lions were able to make a huge run, through Garvo Lanete and Melo Lim treys, with a few baskets from Adeogun. This just shows that Ateneo needs to play at a level that could equal that of Season 73 in order to maintain their momentum during games. It is true that because of Ravena and Slaughter's presence, most of the pressure experienced during the last season were relieved, most especially from the big men; however, the Blue Eagles should, as a team, should stay keen, determined, and prepared to deal with anything that might hinder them from winning. As one, they should stay focused all through out the One Big Fight towards the championship.

-When we talk about Ateneo's reserves, we're talking several feet deep. With only Salamat and Balmaceda leaving the team, along with Ryan Buenafe, Art dela Cruz, Jeric Estrada, and Chris de Chavez who will altogether take an indefinite leave, the Blue Eagles relatively has the Season 73 core intact. But more than that, the team will have new faces that can deliver in an outstanding manner. Besides Ravena and Slaughter, Ateneo still has high school stars Gwynne Capacio and Mark Jayven Tallo. Also, Oping Sumalinog will be making his comeback after a grave ACL injury. In short, the Blue Eagles is just so jampacked and fully loaded that any team cannot take a rest when bench players enter. Imagine pulling out Ravena or Salva from the game to rest, and just be replaced with Kirk Long and Gwynne Capacio, or Sumalinog. Have Slaughter out to be replaced by Golla or Chua. That's just crazy, and this is going to be a headache for all who would stand against the Blue Eagles' run for its fourth straight title.

-Everyone thinks that the Fil-Oil preseason game is just a warm-up, but boy, did it become too serious when the top teams from the two big basketball leagues in the Metro faced each other. With the game's pace as well as the action that went with it, both Ateneo and San Beda took this game seriously, with school pride at stake but a single win on the tournament as a prize. This game was seen by everyone as a statement, the answer to the question of who is going to be the best college basketball team in Manila for this year. If one would look at the rotation of the players, it seems that it will be what Coach Norman will use for the UAAP; on the other hand, with Adeogun still redshirting for another season, the SBC rotation might just be what Coach Frankie Lim will use, only that Sudan Daniel will fill in the center spot. (Side comment: by the way, the best combo for the Blue Eagles during this game was during the closing minutes, when Ravena, Slaughter, Salva, and Long were in the court, while Monfort and Gonzaga subbed for each other for the O and D respectively)

Post Script:

-The potential for JP Erram is still there, as he was able to move well as well as find his scoring spots.
-The Blue fans wanted to still see Buenafe in action, but an indefinite leave prevents him from playing this year. Interestingly, we have forwards who can duly replace his spot and become threats to the opponent.
-When we speak of the future, the Red Lions can rely on outstanding figures present in the game. One is Ola Adeogun, who filled in the five spot for the Red Lions. Based on this game's performance, he could be a very athletic center who can muscle his way in and out, as well as score off feeds from the Red Lions' guards. Give him another year to develop and he can be the real beast of the NCAA.
-Baser Amer is the other big thing to happen besides the Phenom, so how did he fare? All good for a rookie. Despite being hounded all throughout the game by Tonino Gonzaga, he played at a level quite above the expectations of everyone, though he only managed to tally in 4 points, 4 rebs, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Not a Phenom enough, but could be promising as well.

-Interesting question: Why did Su Daniel play limited minutes?

Scores:

Ateneo 90 – Slaughter 26, Ravena 25, Salva 21, Gonzaga 7, Erram 5, Long 3, Golla 2, Austria 1, Monfort 0, Chua 0.

San Beda 87 – Adeogun 30, Lanete 15, Lim 10, A. Semerad 8, Marcelo 6, Daniel 5, Amer 4, J. Pascual 4, de la Rosa 3, Pontejos 2, Villahermosa 0, Caram 0, K. Pascual 0.

Quarter scores: 18-18, 41-39, 68-58, 90-87

Credit to inboundpass.com and chinoyhoopsfan for the scores, some info, and the Phenom video.