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The Peak before the Summit
By: Toby Pavon
Good morning, klasmeyts. You’re waking up to the Adamson Soaring Falcons- part of the UAAP Season 85 Final Four cast. After the arduous climb, the shared anticipation, stress and hopefulness that comes with cheering for this team, you feel like you’re on top of the world right now, and rightfully so. Go grab that cup of coffee, it’s going to taste really good right now.
After all, why not celebrate this momentous occasion? The Soaring Falcons, often counted out, have barged their way into post-elimination round basketball through a culmination of all the lessons they learned within the season. Once the victory high wears off and the caffeine starts to kick in, you’re going to realize how much more there is for the Soaring Falcons to climb- and it’s okay.
The reality is, that after making it through a grueling play-off against DLSU, Adamson’s journey doesn’t end, in fact it only gets tougher from here. In front of them is the mountain that is Ateneo, a team they have not beaten since the season opener of Season 81 when Adamson was arguably at its best form it has ever been. Under the tutelage of coach Nash Racela, Ateneo has proven to be a persistent thorn on Adamson’s side, never quite figuring out how to beat them, or even come close. And so, facing off against them, with a twice-to-win disadvantage, it’s a cold splash of reality that the summit is still so far off.
Yet that’s not reason to despair, because looking at where they are, they’ve already climbed up so high. Just a round ago, the Soaring Falcons were sitting at 6th, well away from the Final Four picture. AP Manlapaz was sidelined after just one game, Joem Sabandal sat out a few games too, and the climb started to feel even more arduous when Jerom Lastimosa and Vince Magbuhos sustained injuries at the start of the 2nd round. There was a real sinking feeling that… maybe we wouldn’t get there, that the Final Four would yet again be too steep a climb and that we’d have to wait another season to try again.
But you’re sipping that delicious Final-Four-placer coffee right now, and that’s because of a second wind, a sudden realization, that started with a loss. Yes, a loss to DLSU in the 2nd round, the one where CJ Austria hit that glorious game-winning three pointer against Adamson. It was in that game that we fans realized that, there’s a lot more fight in this team that we thought.
Without Jerom Lastimosa, Vince Magbuhos and AP Manlapaz, the Soaring Falcons went toe-to-toe with DLSU on hot shooting by Joshua Yerro and Aaron Flowers. They showed that they can make their shots, which boosted their confidence, and raised the hopes of the Adamson hopefuls. And that extra energy fueled their continued ascent. Step by step they climbed the path, confident that they have the strength to pull through, but careful not to falter.
First it was against UE that they showed that Adamson is not a one-man team. Then against FEU where they showed that they have the flexibility to change their style when needed. Jerom Lastimosa played significant minutes for the first time since his injury, en route to the most efficient scoring performance he’s had all season long. Against NU, it was back to basics, a grind out game that ended with heroics from Jerom Lastimosa, something everyone knew he had in him.
Then came their biggest road block, Ateneo. If they could overcome them now, then their ascent to the Final Four would have been asured. Alas, they got close, they forced a late game run, but ultimately didn’t have enough in them to get the job done, yet.
Reaching the Final Four came down to one game, against DLSU, the same team against whom they found their second wind. In this all-or-nothing game, the Falcons looked nothing like the team that lost their opening day game to UST.
When you look back at where Adamson started its climb, you’ll find a team that shot 20% from beyond the arc against UST. You’ll see a team that was plagued by trap after trap against Jerom Lastimosa. You’ll find a team that could hardly keep their turnovers below 20. You’ll find a team that looked lost whenever their top scorer went to the bench.
How far they’ve climbed.
Atop the Final Four peak, Adamson shot 38.7% from beyond the arc. Jerom Lastimosa no longer finds himself bothered by traps, en route to that 11-0 personal run he went on in the 3rd quarter. The team, against one of the stingiest defenses in the league, kept their turnovers to 15. And most importantly, even if it was always going to be the Jerom Lastimosa show, at no point in the game did it feel like he was alone.
The Soaring Falcons have unlocked their final form. They have reached the Final Four with the summit still in sight. Yes, there’s still a tough climb ahead, but it doesn’t mean we can’t stop to appreciate just how high and how far they’ve come. This is the first time the Falcons have been in the Final Four since tragedy struck in Season 81. It has been an uphill climb ever since then, and even until now, it still is. But if they stick to their gameplan, keep their confidence and push on forward, no mountain will be too high for these Falcons to soar above.
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What’s next for the UE Red Warriors?
By Gio Gloria
Those with nothing to lose are often the most dangerous. Of course, playing for certain purposes like family, alma mater, and country can raise the level of play, but having no agenda can give teams the ultimate chance to fill in the void with their potential.
Wins were hard to come by for the UE Red Warriors. Each season felt like they were starting from the top again both on and off the court and thus, each succeeding season came with lower and lower expectations. In UAAP Season 85, though, that was not the case.
The Red Warriors won three of their first five games, with their best win so far this season coming in the second round against the UST Growling Tigers, who they went on a barrage against enroute to an 81-51 win.
Things were looking towards a tight battle towards the Final Four deep into the second round, but some tough losses down the stretch doomed UE’s chances at making the postseason. With that out of sight, the Red Warriors instead focused on ending Season 85 on a high note and did so while putting a dent on the DLSU Green Archers’ Final Four chances.
UE’s five wins in Season 85 eclipsed their win total for the past two seasons, finishing with their best single-season win total since Season 77 back in 2014, when the Red Warriors went 9-5 and lost to the eventual champion NU Bulldogs in a playoff for the last Final Four spot. Much of UE’s success can be attributed to how their bench has been the most productive offensively in Season 85, but that also comes largely due to the shuffling within the lineups.
No Red Warrior started all 14 games, with only Harvey Pagsanjan (13), Nick Paranada (11), CJ Payawal (10), and leading scorer Luis Villegas (10) having started at least 10 games. Meanwhile, Kyle Paranada, who was UE’s second leading scorer at 11.6 points per game, has come off the bench in all the 14 games he has played in.
Shooting has been the Red Warriors’ best asset in Season 85, as their UAAP-best 33.8 perimeter points in the game and the 30.5 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line (2nd best in the league behind the UP Fighting Maroons) has not only kept them in games, but it has also helped compensate for UE’s sub-par efforts in fastbreak situations and in getting to the free throw line.
The Red Warriors being a perimeter-oriented team (to a fault) also reflects on the defensive end, where their low rebounding and blocks (Ange Kouame and Adama Faye have blocked more shots per game than UE’s 1.7 blocks per game.) coupled with the league-high 73.4 points per game they allow indicating a soft interior defense. Teams have no problems scoring inside, making it hard for the Red Warriors to generate fastbreak and second chance points.
UE head coach Jack Santiago has had to figure out the ideal rotation even when he has learned to rely on the likes of Villegas, Payawal, and the Paranada brothers as Season 85 has gone on. The success (relative to the Red Warriors’ recent history) has certainly helped him redeem what was a turbulent Season 84 that saw him sit out multiple games after accusations of instructing UE to harm then Fighting Maroon Ricci Rivero. With that issue now behind him, Santiago and the Red Warriors were able to minimize the distractions for Season 85.
Moving forward, Santiago will have to look for ways to replace the likes of Villegas, Payawal, and Nick Paranada, who all have used up their playing years. It’ll be tough to find a big man who can do a lot of everything like Villegas, but the former long-time assistant coach at Adamson and DLSU will have to find someone who can make big shots in crucial stretches in the game. Of course, the likes of Kyle Paranada and Pagsanjan have the experience to do so, but Santiago can also look outside while the latter two continue to work their way towards that goal.
The UE Red Warriors of recent years had been acting as if they were playing with house money, but that doesn’t seem to be the case in UAAP Season 85. A Final Four was within reach until the second to the last day of the preliminaries, and with a campaign like this to build on, who’s to say that they won’t find themselves in the big stage in Season 86?
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Ruthless Aggression: How the Ateneo Blue Eagles brought the fight to the UP Fighting Maroons
By Eriko C. dela Cruz
As children, we were often taught that aggression was a bad thing. It was bad to instigate physicality, and it would get us in trouble if we did. But as a blonde sensei from a world renowned series said:
Some kids need a little aggression.
It was a throwaway line. It seemed like bad advice from a grownup who seemed stuck in the 80s. But the more you think about it, he was right. In basketball for example, a bit of well-placed, ruthless aggression can get you wins. Case in point, the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
In the past few matchups with the UP Fighting Maroons, Ateneo was often on the backfoot. UP would usually rough them up and they would just end up reacting to what was being thrown at them. In their most recent matchup, the Blue Eagles played the aggressors and relished in the physicality of the game.
The Fighting Maroons were still physical in this game. Having a defensive bulldog (pun may or may not be intended, up to you) in Gerry Abadiano pressuring *that* Ateneo Point Guard or anyone who brings the ball down is a massive luxury. An uber long center in Malick Diouf, a Korea-ready close to generational talent in Carl Tamayo, and the Incredible Hulk wearing a UP jersey in Henry Galinato gives you massive walls in the post. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Ateneo attacked all these and more. They relished the contact and were ready to dish as much. Ateneo’s foul trouble in the power forward position spoke highly of that.
Usually, Ateneo’s play would involve a screen from either Ange Kouame or Kai Ballungay at the three point line. UP countered that in the first round by blitzing out of the screen to pressure the ball. Now, Ateneo added a few variations to their offense. They explored starting with high post action at the elbow with Kai, or have Ange seal at the low post then pass out of a double (sometimes triple!) team. This gives the Blue Eagles space to either have BJ shoot from the outside, Dave Ildefonso initiate an attack by rolling downhill, or just Ange do some Ange things.
For every UP run, there was an Ateneo counter-run to keep the game close. As Ateneo padded onto the lead and UP was threatening to come back into the game, the Blue Eagles answered with mini runs of their own fearlessly. Ateneo was playing THEIR game, and not letting the opponent control the tempo.
Even when the game turned really physical, the Blue Eagles maintained the slow pace and remained patient. They were not in a hurry to bury UP even more. UP on the other hand, got lost in the magnitude of the game. Harold Alarcon and Henry Galinato in particular were whistled with avoidable technical fouls because of their reactions when things were not particularly going their way. In a game that mattered a lot, the Fighting Maroons lost the composure of champions that got them to the top last season.
The Blue Eagles also found unsung heroes. As Ballungay and Josh Lazaro accumulated some fouls, Matthew Daves stepped up in a HUGE way to fill in the gap. Not only did he fearlessly attack the basket, he even got a fadeaway in; something you would not expect from the Pumpernickel himself. These points were big, especially when you count the fact that he never played big minutes this season.
Gab Gomez, Bellissimo. He is more of an off guard, slotted to play as a point guard out of necessity. When *that* Ateneo Point Guard came down with an injury, he was already making a lot of questionable decisions. When the Italian Supreme took over at point, he steadied the ship. He was more methodical in attacking, using the picks given to him very effectively. He even took a shot from dead center himself as he got open.
Finally, Angel Baby Dave Ildefonso. For a few games now, it seems like he is taking time to warm up to really get going. But when he does, man he is such a joy to watch. He scored just as much in the third quarter as the whole UP team combined. In the fourth, with just a little over seven minutes left, He drilled a three and sniffed the smoke out of his fingers so hard that his TikTok fans wished they were those digits. You could see the intensity and will to win against UP, without being distracted by the unnecessary stuff.
With a game vs the Adamson Soaring Falcons left, Coach Tab and the Blue Eagles are poised to cement their Number One slot coming into the Final Four. You can see it in the team. They are not about to go on the backfoot again. They are getting their plays and rotations down pat. They are not dodging anybody. They will take on any comers that will hinder them from completing this revenge tour.
The Blue Eagles have Ruthless Aggression. Let’s see if it can be enough for them to become the face that runs the place.
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Is this the Soaring Falcons’ final form?
by: Toby Pavon
The Adamson Soaring Falcons had a rough takeoff in Season 85. Dropping their first game to UST was a massive disappointment for a team that was expected to better their previous season’s record, considering they’ve had more time to learn the system and get used to playing as a team. Their pre-season exploits gave fans a lot to be optimistic about, but until recently there was the constant feeling of Adamson’s failure to launch.
Early in the season it was the tendency of every team trapping Jerom Lastimosa into oblivion. This was coupled with an utter inability to make threes despite how open they were, often shooting at percentages lower than 20%. Sure they’ve had moments of reprieve where they squeezed out wins here and there, but nothing really showed them to be a championship caliber team– until now.
It all started with the FIBA break. UAAP hostilities were put on hold for a couple of weeks to give way to UAAP standouts Angelo Kouame, Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo who were set to represent the Philippines in the FIBA tournament held in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. This was a much-needed cease-fire because leading scorers Jerom Lastimosa and Vince Magbuhos were forced to miss games due to injuries sustained in their match against UP. Neither had a clear timetable for their return, and for the Falcons which were already playing hurt with AP Manlapaz missing most of the season, this meant a huge disruption to their gameplan.
Fortunately the first sign of a switch being flipped was spotted in their 2nd round game against UST. It looked like a repeat of the opening day game was bound to happen until the 4th quarter happened. The Soaring Falcons hunkered down and decided to go with what worked, which was giving Cedrick Manzano touches in the paint. This allowed them to claw their way back from a 19-point deficit leading to the beauty that is the out of timeout play drawn up by Coach Nash to get the game winner.
This game was right before the FIBA break and the question on people’s minds was, “What is life for the Falcons without Lastimosa and Magbuhos?”
Everyone expected it to be a more Manzano-centric affair, building off the success they found against UST. But in their game against DLSU, the Falcons looked different.
They started making threes. An aspect of their game that plagued them all season long. Not only did they make their threes, it was Joshua Yerro and Aaron Flowers who were making threes, players that were previously criticized for not being known to hit threes.
Yerro and Flowers shot a astounding 50% from beyond the arc that game, effort that had the Soaring Falcons in the driver’s seat for most the game until the game winner by DLSU at the end. This DLSU later went on to down the top 2 seeds in UP and NU, so going toe-to-toe against them without their top scorers was no easy feat.
Okay, so the Falcons are going with, Yerro and Flowers as their new go-to guys, right?
Nope.
Against UE, the Soaring Falcons moved the ball again and found contribution from new players again. Didat Hanapi who had not scored well all season dropped an efficient 13 points in a game which saw the Falcons lead by as much as 22 points. He shot an astounding 3/5 from beyond the arc that game and was complemented by Lenda Douanga who did his damage from the freethrow line with 7/8 shooting from the stripe. Cedrick Manzano was a beast in the paint getting 11 points and 12 rebounds.
The air of consistency and unpredictability was starting to grow for the Soaring Falcons. They weren’t solely reliant on any one or two players, and they had the ability to stay poised while finding their shots.
Then came the game against FEU. At the end of the first quarter the score board read 27-4 in favor of Adamson. It wasn’t a glitch, it wasn’t an error, that was really the score.
How did they do it? Poor shooting by FEU against stingy defense from Adamson, and Lenda Douanga.
Lenda Douanga has been much maligned by fans and critics alike because of supposed blunders he does on the court, but even then he has shown flashes of brilliance. This game, the flash was so bright it was blinding.
Lenda Douanga was perfect. A perfect 7 of 7 from inside the arc, a perfect 1 of 1 from beyond. Those 7 of 7 shots he took weren’t easy either. They were mid range shots, the “awkward” jumper that would have had most coaches pulling their hair at the sight of him even starting to attempt it. But not today. They went in, every single one of them. And that played a huge part in Adamson getting the win.
Lenda Douanga led the way to the amazing 27-4 first quarter against FEU by being a jumpshooter. It’s like they’ve finally found a way to maximize Douanga’s sweet spots. And that wasn’t even the biggest revelation in that game.
Ever since a foot happened to be on his landing spot, Jerom Lastimosa the timetable for his return was hazy at best. Articles circulated that he was done for the season, so when he suited up against UE, was inserted to the game for 30 seconds to make freethrows, it was a huge boost of morale for the team and fans alike.
Against FEU, the coaching staff was wary of Lastimosa’s less than 100% state, and adjusted not only his minutes, but also his role. In the 16:35 mintues Lastimosa was on the court, this absolute madman shot 5/8 from beyond the arc, scoring 23 points without being the main ballhandler for the Falcons. While scoring has always been in Jerom’s blood, watching him rack up points in such an efficient manner was night and day from the struggles he and the Falcons had in the earlier portions of the season.
Jerom Lastimosa switches up his attack style to become a crazy efficient off-ball scorer, opting to pull the trigger soon after receiving the ball instead of starting the attack himself. This new identity, the ability to look like a legitimate contender, it starts with the motor and persistence they’ve been bringing to the court since game one, but blossomed the moment they started making their jumpshots. When shots start dropping, the W’s come pouring.
These recent flashes of resilience, brilliance and composure are marks of a championship contender team, this looks a lot more like the Soaring Falcons that fans expected them to be, and it’s happening at the right time, BUT, there’s still one big hurdle to this claim. All their big wins have been against teams that are now out of contention from the Final Four.
Tied at 4th against DLSU, the Falcons need to sweep their remaining games in order to ensure that their chance at a Final Four spot stays within their control. But it will be a tough road as they will go against two teams that are vying for a twice-to-beat advantage, and so will play with utmost determination.
The Soaring Falcons are discovering their championship caliber form but the true test awaits them in their final games of the elimination round. Is this the peak for the Falcons, or will they have one more booster in reserve waiting to push them to even greater heights?
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The UP Fighting Maroons can’t let up with the emerging prospect of back-to-back titles
By Gio Gloria
The UP Fighting Maroons are by and large, the best team in the UAAP this season. The Fighting Maroons have thus far absorbed the best punches of their league peers from a talent and schematic standpoint and yet still sit at the top of the UAAP Season 85 standings at 10-1.
UP’s championship run in Season 84 was a product of years of struggles and small wins along the way. Naturally stability in terms of team management has helped make them an appealing destination for prospects, but the biggest element to success has perhaps been the addition of head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
A bevy of recruits is well and good, but what good is it if it doesn’t translate to championships? Monteverde becoming a part of the Fighting Maroons proved to be the last piece needed to secure a title that had eluded UP for more than three decades. Of course, his familiarity with the likes of Carl Tamayo, Terrence Fortea, and Gerry Abadiano to name a few helped make the transition seamless, but how he has helped his players adjust to developing situations on the court is commendable.
Having finally overcome the hump of breaking a title drought, what’s next for the Fighting Maroons?
Obviously it’s a quest for another one, but the circumstances are far more distinct.
For one, UP has fully shed the underdog label not just with the resources they have, but also with their play this season.
Four Fighting Maroons are currently averaging double-figures in terms of points, but as we’ve seen in parts this season, a different player has usually answered the call. This depth was on display in UP’s most recent win against the FEU Tamaraws, where James Spencer scored a career and game-high 19 points to lead UP to its seventh consecutive victory.
If there’s anything the Fighting Maroons have to worry about, it’s themselves. Being more than a game ahead of the next team certainly gives UP some breathing room with three more games left to play. The Fighting Maroons also pretty much locked up a spot in the Final Four and the coveted twice-to-beat advantage is a win (or two) away.
However, these last three games should help UP prepare for those times when the shots aren’t falling and things just seem to be coming together for the opponents. Moreover, the Fighting Maroons turn the ball over a lot and these will matter especially when the games get together. Making the most out of their depth is one way of working on these, especially with Tamayo still recovering from an ankle injury. Even at this stage, experience is the best teacher.
Comfort is the enemy of progress and the UP Fighting Maroons currently find themselves in a snug spot with less than a handful of games left to play in the preliminary round of Season 85. The tactics and the tools are there, but games are won on the court, where it matters the most.
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