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UP is Strong Because UP is Strong: Why You Should Trust the Fighting Maroons
I had some jokes to make after that required UP-Ateneo classic.
Ateneo lost not because Ateneo lost. Ateneo lost because UP won.
It’s a joke format that’s been repeated ad nauseam, and it’s probably growing tired already at this point. But allow me to use the format one more time.
UP is strong not because Ateneo is weak. UP is strong because UP is strong.
Is it an oversimplification? Yes. But it’s an oversimplification that perfectly captures why among the teams in the field, the Fighting Maroons are the smartest group to bet on to be UAAP champions.
Season 85 has been extremely unpredictable, with shades of the deep field the league had during Season 77. During that season, there wasn’t an undisputed favorite. Upsets were aplenty, perfectly emulated with how the 4th seed NU Bulldogs went from barely scraping past the UE Red Warriors in a do-or-die playoff, to winning it all against a talented FEU Tamaraws team.
Unpredictability bears fruit excitement. But it also creates distrust. Fans, for the sake of their mental health and heart rates, need some form of trust and comfort with their sports teams. Quite frankly, the UP Fighting Maroons have all the qualities of a team that you shouldn’t believe in.
“I expected Ateneo to win,” said a good friend who happens to be a UP fan. He checked out the numbers, and the numbers said the Blue Eagles were a really good team who you should favor to beat the Fighting Maroons.
First in offense. Second in defense. Defense wins championships and offense wins games. Ateneo happened to have both in check. Along with UP’s tendency to have close games and the Fighting Maroons’ own offense being sub-par, it was understandable why this friend of mine had his apprehensions about how UP would perform against the Blue Eagles.
But he was also willing to question his own gut feel.
“Maybe I’m just a pessimist though,” he said. Despite their tendency to get into close games, and their lack of consistent offense outside of their close-to-generational talent, there’s a reason why the UP Fighting Maroons are the defending champions.
UP is strong not because Ateneo is weak. UP is strong because UP is strong.
Their strength starts with having that close to generational talent. Carl Tamayo. His strengths cover up a lot of what UP lacks with their scoring. He’s developed into an offensive hub of himself.
This was best shown during the first two possessions UP had at the start of the second half.
Possession 1: Carl backs down Kai Ballungay, scores off a turnaround fade
Possession 2: Carl posts up Ballungay again, he attracts the double and kicks out a pass to Gerry Abadiano for a three
He can score buckets on his own because he’s that damn good, but he can also use the gravity he pulls in to create opportunities for his teammates. Truth be told, his teammates aren’t the best at completing these opportunities, but they’re good enough. In a UAAP field this deep, good enough is a luxury. None of the UAAP teams are perfect, including UP.
What you can’t call just good enough is the game of the rest of Carl’s supporting cast. They may not be A+ scorers, but they make up for it by providing the correct qualities that UP needs to be a championship team.
Terrence Fortea does just enough heating up to supplement Carl’s work in the post. JD Cagulangan’s playmaking helps UP steady the ship during turbulent moments. James Spencer glues everything together, and games when he heats up turn the Fighting Maroons into a different beast. Malick Diouf, Zav Lucero, and Henry Galinato, all with unique qualities as big men, present such different looks on defense that they make scoring against UP a nightmare.
Long story short, UP’s talented. And talent is the one thing that raises ceilings in an instant. UP has that championship-level ceiling because of the pieces that they have.
What provides this team their floor is their coaching. Goldwin Monteverde not only teaches the right principles and implements the correct schemes to maximize this roster, but he’s also helped build a culture within this group that’s made them the most mentally tough basketball team in college basketball.
This team thrives under pressure. They don’t get into close games because of carelessness, it’s just the nature of how they play. And they love dragging teams into those moments of discomfort. Others falter when put under pressure. UP doesn’t, for the most part. But even when they do falter, they just rise back up and live to fight another day.
Life isn’t about how many times you get knocked down; it’s how many times you get up. And UP gets up. They f**king get up. That’s why last Sunday, at MOA, they fought the Ateneo Blue Eagles, and reminded everyone of who they are.
Close to generational talent + deep supporting cast + holistic coaching = a strong basketball team you can trust
You can trust these UP Fighting Maroons. They’re going to get you into a roller coaster and make sure you get to vomit for the fun of it, but at the end of the day, they’re going to kneel on one knee and get you a ring.
A championship ring.
This was Diliman, where the weak were killed and eaten. The Fighting Maroons weren’t weak. They were strong. Damn strong.
UP is strong not because Ateneo is weak. UP is strong because UP is strong.
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The Rewind: Just Another UAAP Weekday
By Eriko dela Cruz
In a league where every university gets 14 games per season (more if you enter the Final Four), every day counts.
However, Saturday and Sunday games usually get the most hype because a lot of people are in school or at work during the weekday games. This is usually the UAAP’s downtime, where ticket sales dip a bit.
Weekdays however, is where a lot of the UAAP’s magic happens.
Titos probably remember that Thursday in 2002 when Gec Chia stepped back and drained a game winner against the UE Red Warriors to get to the finals. Gec Chia was having a sub-par game but his last two field goals sealed the win for Ateneo, extending their season for three more games.
Remember in 2006, when UST beat UE to enter the Finals? They were counted out by everybody and their mother after starting the season horribly. That was a Thursday.
In 2007, the 13-0 UE Red Warriors met the DLSU Green Archers. It is not as immortalized as the game where Brian Ilad channeled his inner Manny Salgado and gave Mark Fampulme a cheap shot on the nape. Few remember however how close this game was. Classic.
But these were not just any other weekday. These were just a few examples of how wild these games can get.
In 2008, it was also a UAAP weekday when Rabeh Al-Hussaini introduced his Super Saiyan MVP form to the UAAP, scoring 33 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. The Blue Eagles fell short that day, but Rabeh’s star continued to rise.
It was a gloomy Wednesday afternoon in 2015 when Ateneo and NU battled it out through two overtimes. Kiefer Ravena hit a crazy stepback 3-pointer to tie the game. He swished in a layup off the break to tie the game again in overtime, then finished it off on the second OT.
Who can forget the legend that is Alvin Pasaol? Air Sambokojin poured a mind-blowing 49 points, the highest point total by a local since Jeff Napa (coach Jeff Napa for the young ones) in 2002. Oh, did I mention that he did this against Ben Mbala and the DLSU Green Archers? And they almost won that one? La Salle did not even have the Animo Squad in the game.
Finally, in 2018, UP vs DLSU in round 2 had very serious implications. Should UP win, they book their first Final Four appearance since 1997. If La Salle wins, they seal their spot in the semis, while closing the door on UP. Juan Gomez De Liano was a house on fire that game, scoring 27 points to beat La Salle, 97-81. The weekday shenanigans do not end there, as the playoff between FEU and DLSU was also played on a Wednesday. FEU completed a 7-2 run late in the game, including an Arvin Tolentino game-winning three, to send the Green Archers packing.
Today is also a UAAP weekday. NU beat the heavily-favored UP Fighting Maroons, ensuring there is a Final Four. UE won against a DLSU team that took Ateneo down just a few days prior.
You gotta love UAAP basketball, because crazy exciting things can happen on any day.
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On To The Next: This is just the beginning for the DLSU Green Archers
By Gio Gloria
Five years is a long time, especially in a rivalry as storied as the DLSU Green Archers and the ADMU Blue Eagles. Within that span of time, the Blue Eagles pretty much had the Green Archers’ number despite their best efforts and talent, and the championships Ateneo won certainly rubbed salt on DLSU’s wounds.
But on October 9, La Salle flipped the script.
Being down double-digits to ADMU was nothing new in recent times, as the Blue Eagles would either go on their vaunted third-quarter runs or get hot at the right time. Things seemed to be playing out as expected as Ateneo pulled away early in the first half thanks to strong effort on the boards that resulted in a ton of second chance points. But then, Schonny Winston and the rest of DLSU clawed their way back into the game and emerged victorious.
Elation among the Lasallian community was a given, and while a win was bound to happen eventually, that it happened was still something to celebrate. The joy among those who patiently waited through the down times were proud of the team and the steps they took not just this season, but in the past to prepare for that moment. Funnily enough, those that drifted away or were drawn to other eye candy suddenly came back, but nonetheless it was a great day for Green Archers nation.
When the emotions settled down, though, one has to remember that there’s more basketball to be played. Much of the discussion following the game focused on how the win was great, but a long road lies ahead of La Salle and the victory is just the start.
The furor over DLSU’s offense has lessened since Season 84, but consistency and ball movement remain crucial when the shots aren’t falling. When the likes of Winston, Kevin Quiambao, Evan Nelle, and even Michael Phillips are willing passers, there are a lot of shots to go around. Free throws will likely continue to be a thorn on the Green Archers’ side considering how it remains a perennial problem, but as long as La Salle can make them when it counts, they should still be okay.
Defense was what helped DLSU inch closer and take the victory from ADMU, and a year together has helped the core group of the Green Archers run Derrick Pumaren’s system well. Furthermore, exploiting mismatches on both ends of the floor added to how La Salle took the Blue Eagles out of their element.
Obviously Ateneo will regroup and bounce back, so DLSU should do the same. A team approach to basketball and of course, riding the hot hand have been helpful for the Green Archers, but the numbers and past experiences get thrown out the window when in-game adjustments and strategies take precedence.
One game will rarely define a season, but the DLSU Green Archers earned a much-needed breakthrough win over their archrivals the ADMU Blue Eagles after nearly five years. Celebrations and excitement are in order, but when the feelings die down, the job’s not finished until championship is back in Taft Avenue.
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Pressing the Panic button: Where do the Ateneo Blue Eagles go from here?
By Eriko dela Cruz
*Before we begin, I would like to apologize as I would not be talking about the game that much. We all have our analyses and speculations about it. What’s more pressing is the cryptic post-game interview of Coach Tab Baldwin.*
After Ateneo lost their first game against the La Salle Green Archers in five years, Ateneo head Coach Tab Baldwin had very spicy words directed toward his players.
He talked about something along the lines of “self-imposed composure” and doing things as a team that are going to be extremely detrimental to their capability of vying for a championship.
We all know coach Tab. He doesn’t talk about titles. He always says that his priority is preparing his players to be the best he can so they can make it to the professional ranks, and winning titles would be a happy bonus of doing that. Now, all of a sudden, he is talking about gunning for a title this season? This would be the first time he openly talked about it since taking over in 2016. This is certainly uncharacteristic of him.
Finally, he ended it by saying that if they don’t fix said “self imposed composure” issue, then we should just be looking at Season 86.
For the average Ateneo fan, there might be two questions that come to mind after that media scrum:
- What in the blue hell is Coach Tab talking about? And
- Is this the time to panic?
Call me overdramatic, but when the head coach of your basketball team says something like that, you are bound to overthink this. As we were about to go home, my sister, one of the biggest Ateneo fans I know, told me:
Kuya, start na ng downfall ng Ateneo.I scoffed at the idea. After all, Coach Tab is the greatest basketball mind currently in the country, and produces pro-ready players better than any coach on any level of play in the country. But after hearing about coach Tab’s statement, it made me pause; was my sister right in saying that? Is this really the crash after the rise of the Ateneo Blue Eagles?
Before I get hunted by former Blue Eagles and team administrators AGAIN, I am here to say that NO, this is not the time to panic.
The way I see it, they need to just go back to their roots. Try to see how they became very successful as a program to begin with. To quote a great Okinawan man, Inside you have strong root. No need nothing except what inside you to grow.
This team is looking for their identity. Comparing the current Blue Eagles to possibly the greatest UAAP team of all time is a very high bar to clear. Almost all of the pieces from the season 80-82 championship are gone, and they are the next men up. As coach Tab said, the adjustment has to come from them. If their roots are strong, then they would respond to Coach Tab’s challenge well and thrive. If the roots are weak, then maybe it’s time to just really look forward to next season as he suggested.
But I don’t believe their roots are weak. Far from it. The Blue Eagles have been through far greater ordeals, and came out the other side tougher.
Oh, and I choose to believe what I told my sister after that downfall remark. Isang game lang yan. Babawi yan sa susunod. Kalma lang.
Your best basketball is still inside you Ateneo, now’s the time to let it out.
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Jeff Napa may be onto something with the NU Bulldogs
By Gio Gloria
Coaches can take on multiple roles within their teams, but a select few have the distinction of being known as program builders. They don’t need to make bold proclamations as their results speak for themselves; the championships and the success their players have with them and even after their time together loudly proclaim their ability to thrive in the competitive and fast-paced world of college basketball.
Such is the case for Jeff Napa, who over a nearly two-decade coaching career has had stints at the high school, college, and professional levels. In that span of time, he has led teams to the postseason and won championships, while along the way helping his players move on to opportunities to shine and greener pastures.
The titles and the wins are all easy to see, but the culture that has come with it has been the greatest asset he has brought to all the stops he has made. Sustained success is, after all, the goal for any college hoops program looking to remain relevant over the passage of time.
Of course, a coach must first and foremost have players buy into the system. After all, no buy-in means no success. A track record certainly helps, one that spans various levels and leagues of varying environments. Napa has done that, thanks to stints at the high school and college level, both in top-flight leagues like the UAAP and the NCAA.
That buy-in is evident in his current stint with the NU Bulldogs, who have been competitive regardless of what was on the scoreboard. Throughout Season 84, the Bulldogs were always in the hunt, and the energy and effort they displayed was both laudable and what kept them in the thick of things for much of their 14 games that season. It also helps that Napa himself was a former player with NU.
In the offseason, winning became commonplace for the Bulldogs, who won the PG Flex Linoleum-UCBL Preseason Tournament and swept the 2022 FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup that had all the NCAA and most of the UAAP squads in the field. Napa may have mentioned that the FilOil Preseason tournament was “not a big deal”, but it wasn’t meant to downplay the teams in the tournament nor was it an indictment on the competition itself. Rather, it was an assertion that NU has bigger goals in mind.
Things got off to a great start in Season 85, as the Bulldogs overcame the feisty UE Red Warriors in their season opener.
NU’s ball movement and activity inside were evident since the Red Warriors themselves were trying to break a long losing streak. Patience was another thing that stood out as everyone got touches and the scoring was relatively balanced.
The patience may pay off, but with 13 games still to be played, there’s still a lot to work on and best believe that Napa will work on these moving forward. Maintaining that consistency is one thing, but considering the advantages that marquee tems have, Napa will have to make sure his team is more disciplined on both ends of the floor.
The Bulldogs management have so far been patient with Napa as he continues to build the program back to title contention and this also comes from his body of work with the NU’s juniors program. Giving him time will be critical since they’re running a marathon and not a sprint.
Jeff Napa laid down the foundation of success in his various stops and that in itself the best legacy he can ever hope for. He’s still adding to that and Season 85 with the NU Bulldogs could be the beginning of a great story.
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