When it comes to basketball, I've been a big fan of the Blue and White since I was probably 6 years old. Watching UAAP games isn't something new to me so WIN or LOSE, I'll be right there cheering for the Hail Mary Squad. So please don't be surprised if you see biased comments on this blog. Sometimes I get carried away!
Now that I'm also part of the Maroon side of things, I had to be creative. So for the Battle of Katipunan, I wore my PE uniform from way back in High School that was maroon! :P Cool huh?
Watching a game between these two schools can be stressful. Don't know who to cheer for. Whenever Ateneo executes oh so flawlessly, can't help but be proud! Whenever the Maroons fight hard and catch up with the lead, can't help but hope for the best! Nevertheless I observed the game a lot (77-57 for Ateneo) and here are my thoughts:
photo from goateneo.com
1. Ateneo is on top but the team still has long ways to go.
The Eagles boasts of the best combination of rookies, transferees and holdovers in years. A lot of attention has been given to Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter but analysts actually highlight the fact that the trio of Salva, Long and Monfort has been as formidable as any Big Three in the league - averaging 12-10-8 ppg respectively. In this particular game, all five starters had double figure scoring - with the 17-year old Ravena top scoring for the game with 15 points.
Yes, Ateneo definitely showed that its a class of its own - weathering the Diliman explosion early in the game. Ateneo showed a lot of discipline in playing defense and being organized on offense. Screens, decoys, re-posts - they did it almost mechanically.
But had the game been against top caliber team, Ateneo would have had a hard time winning. Why? Because for one, the bench hasn't been performing - even choking at times. Whenever Coach Norman cleared the starters off the floor, it takes a lot of time for Ateneo's 2nd stringers to settle in as a line up. Erram/Chua + Oping + Bacon + Gonzaga + Tiongson - not bad huh? And two, Kiefer and Greg still need to improve. They have not shown their true potential as of yet.
The Blue Eagles have yet to show their Championship form.
2. The UP Fighting Maroons isn't all about Mike Silungan
You guys might think that this is a knock on Mike - whose potential UP is banking on. This guy shot the lights out when he played in the summer leagues a year ago. But now, the team has a solid point guard in former Eaglet Mike Gamboa, Super Soph Jett Manuel and transferee Jelo Montecastro. Combine this with Mbah's presence inside and the leadership of Captain Miggy Maniego (who's actually a former classmate back in Ateneo Grade School), and we've got ourselves a solid team.
I'm not saying that his team is contending for a Final Four slot. I hate to say it but the Fighting Maroons need to mature under a system. It sounds like a oft-used excuse - considering the fact that the Woody Co-Martin Reyes-Migs De Asis era ended with a 0-14 season. But then again, they had 3 or 4 coaches in a span of 5 seasons.
This is why these Maroons need to buy into Ricky Dandan's system and flourish as a team. What I see is they're having a hard time executing plays and end up playing isolation. A lot of forced shots and mishandled possessions.
I'm projecting a late season run for these Diliman boys. A 4-10 record is pretty much possible. UP fight!
3. Greg is like pre-championship Pau Gasol
Tall. Skillful. but very SOFT.
I'm saying this because I don't want him to end up like EJ Feihl - who was more known for dominating just because of his height. Greg has a lot of upside but if there is one thing that he needs to improve on - its on toughness. Even if he scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, he didn't dominate. He freakin' shoots like a lady. He was even blocked by Mbah during the first quarter.
On the defensive end, he was blocking and changing shots here and there but he wasn't as active. He was letting small guys blow by him for easy fastbreak layups. Again, he didn't really dominate per se.
Now I know why he didn't end up on the final roster of Smart Gilas despite his size.
Good thing is he's buying into Norman Black's system - where the team concept is heavily preached. It's not like the team dumps the ball to Greg then let's see what happens. You'll see how he looks for the right time to post up, shoot, pass or even dribble.
I'm just waiting for this guy to peak. Wait for him to run up and down the floor just like Rabeh. He finishes well. There's a reason why other teams envy how Ateneo develops their big men.
4. The effects of two 0-14 seasons in 4 years is just bad for any team
I like the fact that the Maroons have been playing their hearts out every single game. I see the effort and determination. One thing is that when the team is pounded by a superior squad, sometimes you can see some signs of discouragement.
What's worse is that fans have tagged the team as perennial bottom-dwellers. When UP led the game early on, people were jumping up and down as if the team has won. Some fans even took pictures of the scoreboard - because they all thought it would not happen after a long time and Ateneo will catch up sooner or later.
It's just sad but true. I'm hoping that the Fighting Maroons break out of this slump - similar to how NU is now tagged as the league's darkhorse.
5. There's a lot of respect between UP and Ateneo
There's a reason why games between these two schools is called the Battle of Katipunan. Despite the obvious gap in basketball, their games are always easy to market and well-attended. For one, there's that age-old rivalry in terms of academics. Yeah, you can always debate which school is better and all that. Most of them will say it's UP but I'd beg to disagree as both schools are pretty much top-caliber and has their own strengths and weaknesses.
Just in case you didn't notice, a lot of Eaglets have ended up playing for the Maroons. Mike Gamboa used to rule the Juniors division with Bacon Austria. Paolo Romero used to shine along side Kiefer and Von Pessumal. Martin Pascual, I heard, came from the AHS Prada team. Mikee Reyes and Miggy Maniego used to strut it out for the AGS basketball teams. *got these facts straightened out from http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/2011/07/games-that-play-us-first-five.html *
For some reason, UP and Ateneo games are always interesting. Best of luck to both teams!
One Big Fight! UP Fight!
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