First Blood!!!

Ateneo draws first blood in the UAAP Men's Basketball Finals but not without a gallant effort from the Red Army. It was a game of runs and true enough Ateneo had the final push leading to the 78-71 victory.

The absence of Eric Salamat was not magnified because of the stellar play of Rabeh Al-Hussani and (yes..) Jai Reyes. Rabeh was very effective with his offense from the high post and that spelled trouble for the UE defenders. Jai Reyes and his usual pick and roll, one dribble three point shot connected 4 times in the 4th that really made it difficult for UE to catch up. Nico Salva showed why he is the 6th man of the year by providing quality minutes off the bench. Kirk Long did a decent job on Paul Lee in the 1st quarter but nobody can stop Paul Lee for the whole game. Ryan Buenafe made the steal and then dishing it to Rabeh for the running hook from Paul Lee and that was the turning point of the ballgame.

Raffy Reyes definitely wanted to upset the defending champion and he played his best game of the season thus far. Rebounds, slashing, passing he did it all today but unfortunately Ateneo just had better composure at the end of the game. Paul Lee and Val Acuna played an average game but they have to up their level of play if UE has a chance for an upset. Elmer Espiritu was a jumping jack for the entire game by swatting shots and rebounding as well. Pari Llagas was a very effective offensively by just sitting in the paint and waiting for the pass from his slashers or putting it back for 2nd chance points; however, he needs to learn how to defend Rabeh better especially at the high post where Rabeh consistently made his 18ft jumpers.

Game 2
KEYS TO WINNING FOR ATENEO:
C - Challenge Paul Lee
Challenge Paul Lee through out the ball game. Norman Black should throw different defenders at him. Kirk Long, Ryan Buenafe, and Sumalinog should take turns defending him in the perimeter and when he blows by them (which he would eventually..) he should be met by Baclao, Salva and Rabeh to challenge his shots but also be wary of his dishes to Mr. Tambay (Llagas) down low.

B - Baclao should not be afraid of Elmer Espiritu
It seems that through out the game Baclao was somehow intimidated by Espiritu. This shouldn't happen in game 2 because only Baclao can match Espiritu's leaping (or should i say flying) ability. Elmer change a lot of Baclao's shot. Baclao should challenge Espiritu and try to get him out of the game with fouls.

C - Continuous 3pt shots
In game 2, the shotgun of Jai Reyes must be fully loaded. Eman Monfort, Eric Salamt and Kirk Long should load up their guns as well. They were a little lucky this game because Acuna, Lee and Lingganay also struggled from the three point area but don't expect that to happen again especially with their backs against the wall come sunday afternoon.

C - Championship Character
Ateneo is the defending champion and they showed us why in game 1. They should continue to show that they are the top dog in the UAAP by their steady play, composure under pressure and ability to make shots when it matters the most. They certainly showed us today why they have won 12 straight games and they are one win away from a back-to-back championship.

KEYS TO WINNING FOR University of the East:
C - Change the Rotation
Paul Zamar should NOT be playing. He isn't doing anything productive. No offense, no defense. I do not agree with the starting 5 of coach Lawrence (zamar, reyes, espiritu, val and llagas). I would start the usual lingganay, lee, val, espiritu and arcibar (he will defend rabeh). llagas would be my 6th man and raffy reyes so they would match the intensity of long and salva off the bench for ateneo. Dig deep in your lineup. Put in a young player that will play his heart out and not Paul Zamar who looks like he was still sleepy during the game.

B - Bother Rabeh and Jai
Rabeh has too many open looks from 18ft out. and Jai Reyes had to many open shots off the pick and roll. UE has to defend this a lot lot better in game 2 or the series wil be over on Sunday. Let the guards bother Rabeh when he gets it near the free throw line. Switch on the pick and roll and let Jai Reyes shoot over Llagas or Espiritu. Jai Reyes is contagious and once he gets his shot going everyone in Ateneo makes shots as well.

C - Cut down on Hail Mary threes
Ok Paul Lee, you are on a hot streak right now and nobody in the league can stop you but you should stop jacking up threes 5ft beyond the three point line. It wastes one possesion for you team and it also alters your shooting touch because the next shot you shoot will definitely be strong. You won't be always as hot as the FEU final four game. Paul Lee has to pick his time when to light up the score board but he should realize that slashing to the hoop and handing it out to Mr. Tambay is a lot better that shooting from 25 ft out. But when you are hot, just keep shooting. (hahaha..)

C - Challenge the Character of Ateneo
They did it in the first game and they should do it again in game 2. They should keep the pressure for the whole game. UE has the tendency to be on a slump for 5 mins then they will turn it on for the next 5 mins. These inconsistencies will not win you ballgames against the defending champions. They should bring it from the first second upto final seconds of the game. Just like what UP did in the frist round.

Prediction: UE by 4

ADMU Draws First Blood

• Ateneo Blue Eagles wins over the UE Red Warriors 78-71 in Game 1 of UAAP Finals
• Both teams with some minor tweaks in their starting lineups. Austria started over Kirk Long for ADMU. UE started with Paul Lee in the bench. Zamar and Reyes started in their backcourt while it was the usual trio of Acuna, Espiritu and Llagas up front. UE started out pretty alright for the 1st couple of minutes without Lee but he started out slow and needed some time to get into the flow of the game.
• Rabeh dominated Llagas at the start of the game. Pari was just standing while Rabeh showed his full arsenal of moves. It was all business for the big man as he remained focused all game long. Pari needs to get more physical with Rabeh. He needs to push the former UAAP MVP out of his comfort spots. Rabeh is just unstoppable if he gets the ball where he wants. There is no way that UE can defend him one on one. As good as Eric is this year, Rabeh's the main reason why ADMU is one win away from back-to-back championships.
• As expected, you won't see a game blown wide open in this series. UE was able to make 19-1 run in the 2nd quarter to grab the lead by halftime. Coach Lawrence made great adjustment when he switched to smaller unit (Espiritu, Acuna, Lee, Reyes, Lingganay) and played zone defense. Nonoy Baclao isn't really known for his low post moves as this was evident as he failed to score on the hot shot small forward, Acuna. Rabeh also struggled to score on the small unit as they sent multiple defenders whenever he would get the ball down low. Plus, a great shot blocker was awaiting for him. Acuna gave Nonoy, known as a great defender, a lot of headaches on the other end. His height and ability to shoot and to drive proved too much for the former Finals MVP.
• UE did a great job taking care of ball in the 2nd and 3rd quarter. Unfortunately their turnovers late in the game were probably to blame for their loss. ADMU, known for their great execution, showed their end game brilliance in this game. You never saw a sign of panic from these Eagles even when UE finally took the lead. Their experience was a key factor in this game. UE needs to pick their shots. I know they've got guys who can knock down a shot from anywhere but you can't beat this Eagle team only with talent.
• UE needs to work on their defense. First of all, Jai can only hit a shot when he's open. The guy can brag all he wants but even a guy like me will be enough to stop the guy. You just have to challenge his shot and there's no way that he can make a shot. (So Jai, stop loading your gun. You gun is a measly water gun.) Jai is getting open shot after open shot when he comes off the screen. UE bigs need to show to prevent an open shot and it's not like the screener is rolling hard towards the basket. I know they're in a zone but they need to be aware of where Jai is on the floor. The only thing he can do is shoot so why is it so hard to stop him? Additionally, UE needs to defend harder on the free throw area. Rabeh is getting open shots in FT area for too often. He's already unstoppable down low so you might at least stop him from the perimeter. UE should also consider putting a quicker guy on Rabeh and have him front the man mountain from Ateneo. UE needs to change their defense to try to limit Rabeh.
• The Red Warriors got a lot of help from Raphy Reyes. He was very active all game long and provided the Warriors the much needed spark. He scored a lot of crucial baskets and gave UE a lot of hustle plays. UE needs to get a lot of help from the other guys. Zamar, Raphy Rudy and their other bench guys need to be part of the game. They have to provide something positive in Game 2 if UE wants to equalize the series.
• A well deserved SMOY award for Nico Salva. All season long, he has been able to provide ADMU quality minutes. This guy can score with the best of them. He'll knock down open shots and won't take bad shots. He has also been able to ability to score one-on-one. In one play in the 2nd quarter, he was able to score on DPOY, Elmer Espiritu, by throwing a couple fakes on him.
• Paul Lee had a slow start as he came off the bench. ADMU also did a great job clogging the lane whenever Paul was on attack mode. Unfortunately for ADMU, you can only limit great players and not stop them completely. He was usual self (taking and making difficult shots) come 2nd quarter.
• UE's very lucky Eric Salamat didn't show up. He was averaging 1.2 points in the finals for his career and his 4 points today surely didn't help. INVESTIGATE HIM FOR GAME-FIXING! OR BETTER YET TAKE HIM OFF THE TEAM TO IMPROVE TEAM CHEMISTRY. Just like how FEU did it.

Top 15 Players I'm Looking Forward to See Next NBA Season

15. Devin Harris - Along with Brook Lopez, these two guys are going to be the cornerstones of the Nets' franchise. Whether their owner is Russian or not, I'm sure this guy is going to dominate next season especially now with VC gone.

14. Luis Scola - This year, he'll have to step up his game being the best healthy big man of his team. Can he dominate the NBA scene like he does in the international scene?

13. Tyreke Evans - This guy impressed a lot of teams in workouts on how he can score on smaller guards. The only problem is the plethora of scorers on the Kings' roster. I still believe the Kings should have picked Rubio but maybe they really did see something special in this kid.

12. Andre Igoudala - He's going to be the main man for Sixers now that Andre has bolted to the Blazers. This guy can do a lot of things for his team. Hopefully he'll have a healthy Elton Brand alongside him this season because he can use all the help that he can get.

11. Jonny Flynn - Who needs Rubio if you have Flynn? Minnesota fans will forget about Rubio if this guy does not disappoint. He'll have to beat out another quick guard in Sessions if he wants to start for the T-Wolves though.

10. Baron Davis - This guy is one of the most talented PGs in the league period. He'll have Blake Griffin as his new playmate but he needs to get along with his coach (which I doubt) if he wants to go up in the standings.

9. Allen Iverson - Can he return to his glory days? Going to the Bobcats would have made a lot more sense especially with their need of a scorer. Memphis is stacked already stacked with scorers but just as Nike says, just do it.

8. Amare Stoudemire - They were already returning to their old style of play and he just scored back-t0-back 40+ point games when he injured his eye. This season, the Suns are going to play at the pace that made us all love them and that means more dunks for Amare. They might not be close to winning a championship but Stat can surely help you win a championship in your fantasy leagues.

7. Manu Ginobli - The Spurs surely missed this guy last season as they were ousted in the 1st round of the playoffs. He seems to be back in shape and the Spurs need the old Manu back if they want to challenge the Lakers.

6. Ron Artest - Blame him if the Lakers won't repeat. That's what he said. On paper, he's a better player than Ariza but how the pieces fit for the LA is another story. He's such a fun player to watch. I love him so much for bringing the Rockets past the 1st round and I hope he can finally win himself a ring.

5. Greg Oden - He's been under a lot of pressure from other people and from himself. He seems to be a little relaxed this season and I sure do hope he can bring that enthusiasm on the court. He's not a bust (yet) and I believe he can finally showcase his talent this season.

4. Derrick Rose - Just like Igoudala, he will now be the main guy for his team with Gordon's exit. Too often did we see Gordon dribble the shot clock away and jack up an ill-advised shot. We won't see that anymore this season as the ball will be in Derrick's hands 80% of the time. Is he ready to join the elite class of Lebron, Wade, Kobe and CP3 this season? He surely does have the talent to do so.

3. Lebron James - He's aching to win it all this season. The Cavs' management have already done their job of surrounding him with quality players. Now, it's all up to the king.

2. Gilbert Arenas - He's playing more and talking less now. Gil is Gil. He won't be able to shut up completely but he's more focused now and ready to show the world that he's back. Indications from Chicago says that he's ready to give Lebron some love in the playoffs once again.

1. Tracy McGrady - All of his career, he's never been known to as determined as his buddy Kobe. He's been so dependent on his talent. Now with a new contract on the line and probably his career, he has taken the necessary steps to make sure that people will not remember him as the best player we never saw. The Rockets are being cautious about his return. They don't want last year to happen again. They aren't going to lose anything as they are expected to be lottery team this season. (That's what you all think but this Rockets team is ready to crash the party in the Western Conference) Morey is not yet shopping him as he's waiting to see if T-Mac can return to his old self. I want to see the old T-Mac not an old T-Mac please.

Top Courtside Reporters

I was googling around to check if I spelled the name of Kyzelle O' Conner right and I stumbled upon this list. I was so inspired of his work that I decided to make my own. These courtside reporters combine the 2 things guys love the most. The opposite sex and sports. My version will only include my top 5 but I'll include a couple of honorable mentions. My basis for their rankings is the quality of their reports (10%) and their looks(90%.) You can click on their names if you want to see their pictures.

5. Rizza Diaz (EAC)- She's not probably going to win Miss Universe anytime soon but she's that not bad looking at all. She's a pretty damn good reporter as well and she is definitely what we call a veteran.

4. Kryzelle O' Conner (FEU)- Despite being a look-a-like of Karylle (as Maegan Young said), she won't anywhere higher than 4 in my list because of her bad reporting. (Maybe Maegan should replace her!)

3. Erika Flores (UP) - I didn't realize how beautiful this girl is until late in the season. Too bad UP wasn't close to being part of the F4 this year. Bring her back next year!

2. Michelle Mediana (AUF)- This girl is making me regret not watching AUF games. She might be beautiful but she can't compare to the next girl in reporting.

1. Jessica Mendoza (ADMU)- She's no. 1 on my list because I get to listen to her everyday at Magic 89.9. She's arguably the best reporter among this year's batch even without her looks.

Honorable Mentions

*Erin Torrejon (DLSU)

*Fairy Sy (UPHSD)

*Marcia Cruz (MIT)

So who's on your fave 5?

Ball Points (9-29-09)

• The SBP has organized a couple of exhibition games for the benefit of the victims of Typhoon Ondoy. The event, entitled "Pinoy Basketbol Kakampi Nyo", is scheduled on Monday at the Big Dome. The 1st game is a match up between the collegiate stars (UAAP and NCAA) and the stars from the PBL and Liga Pilipinas. In the main event, we will treated to a duel between the the two existing Philippine national teams, Smart-Gilas and Powerade. I know it's just a exhibition game but I can't help to think that maybe Noli Eala is trying to see if this Gilas team has what it takes to match up with Yeng's team. Smart-Gilas has to be competitive in the game. If Powerade does blowout Gilas, expect Yeng Guiao and other PBA officials to bash the Gilas program and use the game's result as a justification for Powerade to continue representing the country in international competitions.
• The juniors' and womens' finals in the UAAP have been postponed once again. The games will now be held on Saturday. The games were originally postponed from 9/26 to 9/29 due to Ondoy. There still no announcements if the UAAP mens' finals game 1 will also be moved. The Wedesday games (AUF vs MIT, SBC vs CSJL) in the NCAA have all been moved to Friday.
• A lot of players have already expressed their frustrations on media day. S-Jax has reiterated his trade request despite being retained as the team's captain. Lamarcus Aldridge has expressed his displeasure on contract negotiations. Also, Kenyon Martin still not found the heart to forgive Mark Cuban for his "thug" comments. Of course there are also a couple player who are looking forward to next season. There's T-Mac, Agent Zero and KG who are all looking to bounce back after injury-plagued seasons. There's Eddy Curry losing a lot of weight. Then of course there's the Shaq promising to get the king a ring.
• Media day also means a lot of gay pictures and amazing quotes that should make your day.

Ball Points (9-28-09)

• Ondoy has not spared anyone. It has affected so many lives including a couple of basketball personalities. I've heard reports that ADMU's Jai Reyes and Rain or Shine's Jay-R Reyes are all stranded at their homes together with their families. Purefoods' assistant coach Koy Banal (former head coach of the FEU Tamaraws during their championship runs with Arwind Santos) was also reportedly stranded and hanging on a tree. Also, Red Bull governer Tony Chua has passed away when a strong current dragged him while he was trying to get something from his car. The one good thing about Ondoy is this will unite us all. This is evident in the comments of some online basketball fans as they would rather worry about the status of our fellow countrymen rather than trash talking about the upcoming UAAP Finals. Of course there are still a couple of idiots who care only about their school winning in the Finals and doesn't give any shit about the calamity victims. I sure do hope that this will serve as a lesson for all Filipinos to unite as one for the benefit of our country.
• The big game today in the NCAA with no. 1 seeded SSC-R Golden Stags squaring off with the no. 2 seeded JRU Heavy Bombers (tied with San Beda at 2nd place) has been postponed. The new schedule for the game is still TBA. This game will have a lot implications on who will get the twice to beat incentive in the Final 4. (All NCAA games today have also been postponed.)
  
• Raja Bell is reportedly being shopped around the league. Look for the Bobcats to trade him to contender who can give them something of some value. The Lakers, Spurs and the Cavs are already loaded in the 2 spot and doesn't really have anything that the Bobcats want. The Magic could trade for him by sending JJ Redick and Anthony Johnson. Trading Bell to the Celtics for Brian Scalabrine and Tony Allen/JR Giddens will also work financially. Both trades will give the Bobcats a young player (JJ Redick/Giddens/Tony Allen) and an expiring contract (Scalabrine/Johnson) and they can save money by buying out either veteran. JJ Redick would be great addition to the Bobcats as the team does not have much shooters on the team but it's highly unlikely the Magic will trade him because of his strong showing in last year's playoffs against the likes of Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant. The Magic already has a couple of lockdown defenders in Barnes and Pietrus so trading for Raja seems unnecessary. Bell in Beantown might make more sense as I don't think acquiring Marquis Daniels will be enough to provide the Celtics the much needed depth in their championship run. Bell would be great pickup as the Celtics sorely missed the presence of a perimeter defender who can shoot like James Posey. Bell could help spell the aging duo of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The Celtics might need to send draft picks to convince the Bobcats to agree to a trade as Tony Allen has yet to show that he can be a consistent rotation player on a NBA team and Giddens has yet to showcase his potential on the hard court.
• A couple of veterans point guards, Rafer Alston and Antonio Daniels, are seeking to move to another team where they could play significant minutes. This will be contracts years for the both of them and this might be their last chance to earn a long term contract in their careers. Rafer's wish list includes New York and Miami. Rafer can finally give Mike D'Antoni a consistent PG to run his system but don't expect him to be the next Steve Nash. The Knicks could send the inconsistent Chris Duhon(6M) for Rafer(5.2M) and it will work under CBA rules. Miami has also been reported as a desirable destination for Skip To My Lou as Dwayne Wade would love to have him to in a Heat jersey this season. Both NY and Miami are willing to take on Rafer's contract as he is on an expiring deal and this will not hinder their 2010 free agency plans. There's not much interest in Daniels as he has not produced the last couple of years. A buyout is the logical choice so that a contender can sign him up for the vet's minimum.
  

Ang pwede mong maasahan sa UAAP Finals ngayong taon

*We've mentioned in the blog's description that this will not be your ordinary blog so I'm going to try something unorthodox. Once in a while, I'll being publishing posts in Filipino. I just hope that it won't result to a disaster.

1. Mga magandang panoorin na laro.

Ang 2 kupunan ay parehong galing sa mga sunod-sunod na panalo. Ang Ateneo ang nanalo sa kanilang huli laro at huli sila natalo sa UP. Habang ang UE naman ay nagtagumpay sa huling walong laro nila at ang huling nakatalo naman sa kanila ay ang mkakalaban nila sa Finals, ang mga Bughaw na Agila. Maasahan natin na ang ang dalawang magkakalabanan ay parehong may kompyansiya sa kanilang sarili kung kaya't maipapakita nila ang tunay nilang galing sa laro.

Magiging maganda and Finals dahil hindi rin siguro tayo mkakakita ng masyadong tambakan sa Finals ngayong taon. Napakita na nilang dalawa na kaya nila makahabol kapag sila ay nalalamangan ng lampas ng sampu. Pareho sila nanalo laban sa mahusay na FEU Tamaraws kahit na nga bang natambakan na sila sa simula o gitna ng laro. Kapag ay isang kupunan ay medyo nakakalayo na, sigurado ako na kayang kaya ng kabila na makasagot at makahabol kaagad. Alam kong hindi makakapayag ang mga manlalaro na basta-basta matalo na lang ang kanilang kupunan. Magiging masaya panoorin ang laban dahil para magiging boksing ang laban kung saan sila'y magpapalitan ng mga malalakas na suntok.

2. Matitinding magkakatunggali na indibidwal na manlalaro

Ang pinakainaabangan na labanan ay yung sa pagitan ng 2 manlalaro na dating magkakampi noong sila ay nasa hayskul pa, si Paul Lee at Eric Salamat. Silang dalawa ay parehong importante sa kanilang kupunan. Pareho silang mahusay sa takbuhan at sa paggawa ng mahihirap na tira. Pareho din silang masaya panoorin dahil sa istilo nila ng paglalaro.

Makikita rin natin ang labanan ng dalawang mahusay na malalaking mam sa loob sa pagitan ni Al-Hussaini at Llagas. Hindi tulod ng 2 mokong na si Lee at Salamat, sila Rabeh at Pari ay simple lamang ang mga galaw pero ipektibo naman sa pagkuha ng puntos para sa kanilang kupunan. Mahihirapan si Llagas na bantayan ang MVP noong isang taon pero kailangan muna ni Rabeh na tumigil sa kakadakdak nya sa referees at magpokus na lang sa paglalaro ng basketbol.

Mapapanood din natin ang dwelo laban sa 2 napakahusay sa panunupal na si Baclao at Espiritu. Pangalan pa lamang ay nakakatakot na si Nonoy Baclao. Siya ay isa sa pinakamagaling pumiwesto sa depensa sa buong UAAP. Napakagaling niya sa timing at paggamit ng malagagabang mga galamay niya sa pagsupal ng mga tinitira ng kanyang binabantayan. Si Espiritu naman ay isang taong di mo malaman kung may spring sa kanyang mga sapatos. Napakataas ng kanyang talon kung kaya't nakakasupal din siya ng mga binabato ng kanyang kalaban. Kaya ilayo ni Elmer si Nonoy sa loob upang madalian pumasok ang kanyang mga kakampi sa loob dahil sa kakayanan niya tumira ng tres. Meron din naman tira sa labas si Nonoy kahit papaano kung kaya mailalayo rin niya si Elmer kung sakali sila nga ang magbabantayan.

3. Mga astig na galaw

Hindi ito magiging SA-DET na finals kung saan ay magiging nakakaantok ang laro. Si Salamat at Paul Lee ay ang mga magbibigay ng mga nakakakuryente na galaw. Sila Baclao at Espiritu naman ang mga salarin sa pagbabalik ng mga tira sa lupa. Sigurado din ako makakakita tayo na mga dakdak galing kay Elmer. Siyembre hindi mawawalan ng mga ang mga tres galing kela Lingganay, Reyes, atbp.

4.Mahuhusay na courtside reporter

Sayang hindi naten makikita ang 2 magandang reporter na si Jessica Mendoza at Kryzelle O'Conner (Wala man lang kasi ung UP sa Final 4 wala tuloy si Erika. haha) Pero ayos lang dahil andyan parin si Jessica at magiging masaya na ako doon. Di lang siya maganda, magaling din talaga siya magsalita. (Medyo nahihirapan nga lang siya itugma ang pananalita niya sa basketbol) Si Tiff naman ay isang mahusay din na reporter(Hindi tulad ni Eric Torejon at Kyrzelle O' Conner).