PCCL 2011 - FEU vs CSJL

Three Up

• Letran's team defense deserves a huge round of applause for their 25-7 fourth quarter shutdown of FEU. All in all, the Tams went 3 for 19 from the field, with two made shots by Russel Escoto and one by Carl Bryan Cruz, and 1 of 7 from the stripe, also by Cruz. The UAAP runners-up got nothing from their explosive trio of guards, as RR Garcia, Terrence Romeo and Mike Tolomia combined to go 0 of 9 on field goals, and 0 of 2 from the line. 
• Mark Cruz simply knows how to play in big moments, helping to fuel the Knights' rally in the final period. Playing eight of the last ten minutes, Cruz had a point for each minute and dished out all four of his assists in that span. Overall, the rookie floor general had 25 markers, enough to offset his nine turnovers.
• An Aldrech Ramos versus Raymond Alamazan match-up would have been fun to watch, but alas, Ramos was off practicing with his ABL team already. That left Almazan to dominate the interior to the tune of 14 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks, as the likes of Escoto, Cruz, Foronda, and Bringas were unable to match-up with the big man. Makes you wonder why the FEU braintrust didn't roll with Christian Sentcheu for longer than his one minute of play. 

 Three Down

• RR Garcia rushed over from his PBA-DL, getting onto the court in the second quarter, but he was clearly winded, playing 20 ineffective minutes for eight points on 2 of 9 shooting, plus a rebound, two assists, a steal, three turnovers and four fouls. 
• After a season in the UAAP trying to learn the point guard position, Terrence Romeo dishes out a massive...zero assists in 36 minutes. Though he's listed as the point guard, Romeo, especially early on without Garcia, seemed to relish dominating the rock. To a certain extent, he was successful, with a team-best 17 points on so-so 7 of 18 shooting, but he failed to come up with anything in the final quarter when they needed him to make something out of nothing. 
• Jam Cortes can't seem to get going against UAAP teams, putting up sub-par numbers once more. After a 25-minute, six point, 3 of 9 performance against DLSU, Cortes managed a pitiful four points on 2 of 10 shooting in 34 minutes in this affair. Maybe he'll snap out of his funk when they play SSC-R in the province? 

Random Notes

• Star player of the Knights Kevin Alas and his father, Coach Louie Alas both missed this game and will be out until the second week of December due to Kevin's ABA training. 

PCCL 2011: FEU vs CSJL

UAAP Season 74 Men's Basketball Finals in Photos

Diana Moraleda is one of the super-talented photographers we have on Inboundpass.com and she made a video collage of some of the snaps she took of the UAAP Finals. Definitely worth watching.

UAAP Season 74 Men's Basketball Finals in Photos from diana moraleda on Vimeo.

UAAP S74 Finals Preview: ADMU vs FEU

Credit to original artist, image found on Tumblr

History Lesson:
- Round 1: ADMU 69 - FEU 49
Freethrow attempts: ADMU 28 - FEU 9
Key player: Greg Slaughter, 15 points, 11 rebounds, one block

- Round 2: ADMU 74 - UST 67 (OT)
Overtime scoring: ADMU 11 - FEU 4
Key player: Kiefer Ravena, 15 points, five rebounds, four assists

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Offense
When it comes to putting the ball into the basket, Ateneo is the better team in that regard, scoring five points better on average than FEU, 71 to 66.31. You can attribute that to a lot of things like a higher field goal percentage, but it's mainly due to the aggressive, up-tempo style of play the Eagles espouse. They average five more possessions, about 76 per game, than FEU's 71, getting five more fast break attempts than the Tamaraws, which leads to more transition baskets. Ateneo specializes in getting to the rim, and as a result, the defending champs have a huge advantage over FEU when it comes to free throws, 25 to 15.88.

That's not to say that FEU is a horrible offensive team though. They're certainly a better three-point shooting team, making more triples and at a better rate than the Eagles, who struggle at times to score from downtown. The slower pace of FEU makes them less susceptible to turnovers, though Terrence Romeo may have something to say about that, and despite injuries to their frontline, they score about three more second-chance points per game than Ateneo.

Ultimately, shooting may very well decide this battle. FEU gets about 25.5 of their 66 points per game from the perimeter, and a bad shooting night could ruin them, especially if the Eagles convert long rebounds into fast breaks. Conversely, Ateneo has seen some poor perimeter shooting games as well, especially from downtown, but they have a knack for making them when they really need to, see Kirk Long's two daggers in the first round match-up between these two teams, for example.

EDGE: ADMU 

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Defense
Tough luck FEU, not only is Ateneo better at scoring, they're also better defending, giving up 59.07 points on average, while Far Eastern concedes 65.56 a game. In fact, nearly every defensive statistic favors the Katipunan-based squad, from three-point percentage allowed, field goal percentage allowed, free throws allowed, points in the paint, and perimeter scoring. In fact, the only category where the Tamaraws have an advantage is turnover points given up, where they norm about a point less than their opponents.

Injuries once again are the reason behind this big difference. Without a true small forward, FEU often goes with a three-guard line-up, good for offense, but a liability against certain teams on defense. Similarly, with just two legit big men in Aldrech Ramos and Russel Escoto, the Tamaraws can encounter problems defending the paint, especially against taller teams, not even putting foul trouble into the equation.

EDGE: ADMU

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Marquee Players
Despite an explosive performance from Cris Tolomia in the do or die game versus Adamson University, FEU will live or die based on how well the triumvirate of Aldrech Ramos, RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo perform, and based on past results, things don't bode well for them.

We mentioned above how the Ateneo defense is dominant, and in their two meetings this season, its impact can be clearly seen. Putting together the shooting performances of the two games, Ramos was 5 of 19, Garcia was 14 of 42, and Romeo was 8 of 31. Ateneo's defenders, Kirk Long and Emman Monfort, back-stopped by Tonino Gonzaga and Bacon Austria, simply give the FEU backcourt fits, while Ramos struggles when matched-up against Greg Slaughter, though Nico Salva guards him as well for certain stretches. Ramos' one big advantage is precisely the reason why Salva is often placed on him, an ability to step out beyond the three-point arc and nail some treys. This however, is tempered by the fact that if he misses (he's 7 for 24 for the season), the Eagles get an easy rebound and a chance to run it back at FEU.

Ateneo has some pretty good scorers of their own, with Salva, Slaughter and rookie of the year Kiefer Ravena handling the bulk of the offense when pitted against the Tamaraws. The lack of big men on FEU forces them to double Slaughter, giving Salva the spacing to shoot open mid-range jumpers. Ravena in transition is a monster finisher, and came up clutch against this squad in the second round, forcing overtime on two strong drives to the rim.

EDGE: ADMU

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Supporting Cast
Despite a shaky start to the season, Ateneo's bench has been able to settle down and develop into an excellent complementary unit to what the starters bring to the table. The reserves are led by Tonino Gonzaga, who brings hustle, defense, and the team's best outside shooting to the table, but also worth keeping an eye on is Justin Chua, who scored nine critical points over the third and fourth quarters in round two to keep Ateneo in the game. Should the FEU big men try their hand at hitting jump shots, you can expect Frank Golla and possibly Oping Sumalinog to see some time, as the more mobile big men defenders. Head coach Norman Black may even spring JP Erram again on the Tamaraws, after his shutdown defensive performance in game one of the Finals last season.

The lack of manpower hinders FEU's supporting cast somewhat, but they still have a few names that might tilt the game in their direction. Chris Exciminiano will draw the assignment of covering Ravena, but he played just 14 minutes in the two regular season meetings and was not really able to provide much in the way of scoring, More worrisome might be the chance that Cris Tolomia explodes again, after scoring a career-high 19 versus Adamson. RP Youth Under-18 teammate Kiefer Ravena will likely be the one assigned to make sure that doesn't happen again.  Russel Escoto and Roger Pogoy will provide some additional rebounding as well as the occasional points. The big x-factor for FEU will be the play of Carl Bryan Cruz, who dropped 10 points in round two. Can he accomplish that feat again?

The big concern about the FEU reserves is one of consistency, Yes they've all produced big games in the past, but can they do it again under the scrutiny of the Finals? Ateneo's reserves are more consistent and more importantly, have been here before, something half the FEU names mentioned above cannot say they've done.

EDGE: ADMU 

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Intangibles
While Ateneo head coach Norman Black is of the opinion that UST is the most physical team in the league, FEU has been giving them a run for their money on their road to the Finals, as guys like Pogoy, Cruz, and team captain Jens Knuttel have gotten into it recently with opposing players. Rattling Ateneo is not out of the question for this squad, the problem will be doing it with some of the Tams already nursing unsportsmanlike fouls. Should they get caught, that means a one-game suspension, which would be crippling in this series.

Another trick up FEU's sleeves is the possibility of Pipo Noundou or JR Cawaling jumping back into the fray, firing up their side of the Araneta Coliseum with a Willis Reed-esque moment. Head coach Bert Flores has been planting that seed of doubt in the heads of opponents in a "Will he? Or won't he?" type psych-war. After all, regardless of whether or not he actually fields them in, opposing head coaches still need to prepare for even the mere possibility that they see the floor.

The biggest thing Ateneo has going for them is their championship experience, having won three straight titles. It's not that big a deal if you compare it to playing a team that's getting to the postseason for the first time, like had they drawn Adamson, but as team captain Kirk Long said last year, "(The UAAP Finals) is sort of our home ground." That's the sort of winning attitude the Eagles will come to the table with, especially knowing that they took FEU's best punch in that overtime win, and still managed to rally for the victory.

EDGE: Slight advantage to FEU


Prediction
More than getting an elimination round sweep, repeating for the fourth straight year has always been the main goal of Ateneo, and it's hard to imagine them faltering this close to the end. The Eagles simply have more weapons in this match-up, are a better defensive squad, and have the advantage of having beaten FEU twice, once in a blowout and then by a small margin. That is not to say that FEU will not go down fighting, in fact, I do not expect a blowout win like what we saw a season ago, but the Tamaraws need a lot of things to go right for them, starting with some ridiculously good shooting. Simply put, this is Ateneo's to win, and win they shall.

ADMU Blue Eagles win in two games, accomplishes the four-peat.

The Battles: ADU vs FEU S74 Final Four

The Marquee Names Battle

• ADU's Lester Alvarez and Alex Nuyles versus FEU's RR Garcia and Terrence Romeo

This is a hard match-up to wrap your head around. In the first game, Alex Nuyles (20 points, six rebounds, two assists) was overpowered by the one-two punch of RR Garcia (16 points, eight rebounds) and Terrence Romeo (19 points, four rebounds, two assists). In the second game, Nuyles forced the issue too much (12 points on 3 of 13 shooting), Garcia was limited (11 points in 31 minutes) due to foul trouble, and Romeo (15 points, four turnovers, three in the fourth quarter) nearly handed Adamson the win. Lester Alvarez? He just basically stunk the entire series, totaling 14 points on 5 of 19 shooting, 2 of 11 from downtown, though six of his eight assists came in the do or die game.

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There are extenuating circumstances though. Nuyles was not 100 percent due to an ankle sprain he suffered at the end of the first game. Head coach Leo Austria decided to play it safe, bringing him off the bench, but ultimately, he still played 30 minutes, the most of anyone on the team, but he didn't have the same lift, best seen when his fastbreak layup hit the bottom part of the backboard in the fourth quarter. Romeo's poor decision making has been an aspect of his game that FEU has had to live with all throughout this season, and the fact that he had gone several games without a crippling error meant that the Tams were really just living on borrowed time. Garcia was the victim of the referees "calling it tightly." And if you're surprised that Alvarez kept throwing up shot after shot, then you haven't been watching his game this entire season (he's 44/154 the entire season, or 28.57 percent shooting overall).

Ultimately, the thinking is that after explosive performances in the first game, both sides endeavored to shut the other side's superstars in the second match, leaving it up to the supporting casts to carry the game.

The "Other Guys" Battle

• FEU's Cris Tolomia versus ADU's Jerick Canada

Both these guys came off the bench and out of nowhere, turning in some heroic performances to try to get their squad into the finals.

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Jerick Canada used to be "the name" on Adamson, a long time ago, before Alvarez came on and basically stole his thunder. Credit to head coach Leo Austria, there was never a point guard controversy on this squad, with Canada graciously accepting the reserve role, sprinkled in with occasional starting stints. In yesterday's game, scored 10 of his squad's 14 points in the final period, including hitting back to back triples, and also made all four of his swipes in that quarter. Just to point out how out of nowhere his game was, prior to this match, Canada had never scored in double-digits, never hit more than one triple in a game, and never made more than one steal in a game.

Cris Tolomia on the other hand, found himself in a difficult position in his rookie year. After sitting out two seasons due to RP Youth U-18 commitments, Tolomia got onto the FEU Team A and discovered that Garcia and Romeo would be getting the majority of touches and minutes at the guard spot. No matter, Tolomia adapted well to the small forward spot, a necessity, given how often head coach Bert Flores is forced to go with three guards since JR Cawaling's injury. But Tolomia is a better defender than the other two, and may possibly be more clutch, as seen in his game-winner versus UST in Round One. But since their loss to UP in round one, Tolomia had not scored in double-digits, and was actually 0 for 13 in their last two games coming into this encounter. And yet, he played all 10 minutes of the third quarter and scored nine of his 19 in that period.

Unfortunately, only one player could be a winner, and that was Tolomia and his FEU Tams.

The Big Man Battle

• ADU's Austin Manyara, Jan Colina, Eric Camson and Rodney Brondial versus FEU's Carl Bryan Cruz, Aldrech Ramos, Russel Escoto and Mark Bringas

Head coach Bert Flores was not happy in the first quarter. Mark Bringas was chucking up shots, 0/3 in six minutes, forcing him to bench the former San Sebastian Stag for playing out of the team concept. Then he saw Carl Bryan Cruz get into a near-skirmish with Adamson big men Eric Camson and Rodney Brondial. But the outcome of that incident made him smile. With unsportsmanlike fouls being issued on all three players, Cruz was the guy who came out of it fired up, finishing with eight points and four rebounds in 15 minutes. Camson only stepped up in the fourth quarter. Brondial never got going after a strong first game (four points, 10 rebounds, three blocks in 26 minutes, to just two points, four rebounds in 10 minutes).

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It was always going to be about rebounding in this series. In the regular season encounters, which the two teams split, Adamson had dominated the glass, 85-63, 36-20 on the offensive glass. That got flipped on its head in the postseason, with FEU 99 - ADU 72 in total rebounds, 39-28 in offensive rebounds. During the last game, no Falcons hauled down double-digit rebounds. Aldrech Ramos had 12.


8 Things I Think

• I think the best coaching move of the series was Bert Flores going to the three-guard line-up in the third quarter and riding it late into the game. The Falcons simply did not have anyone who could guard Tolomia, and he made them pay for it. 
• It's surprising to me how no one has really mentioned Janus Lozada, or rather, his second half disappearance. Lozada played 15 out of the 20 first half minutes and was leading Adamson in scoring with nine markers. He played just eight minutes in the second half and did not attempt a single shot. Why didn't they go to him more often and ride his hot hand? How come coach Leo Austria didn't try rotating him on the FEU guards instead of matching up by going small with two point guards and Nuyles?
• Austin Manyara was never really able to capitalize on his best UAAP game, a 13-point, 12-rebound performance versus UP, as he had to exit early with an ankle injury. He missed their next assignment and hasn't been as effective since. 
• I don't think Adamson will be able to go back to the Final Four next season. Losing two veteran point guards is a huge blow to this team, especially when they only have Ryan Monteclaro as the other floor general currently on roster, who played a grand total of 16 minutes this season. They're okay at the other spots. Harry Petilos or Allen Etrone can split Lozada's minutes, plus Jericho Cruz, who impressed in this summer's Fil-Oil tournament will be eligible. Up front, Eric Camson will get the start in lieu of Colina, with Brondial splitting time between PF and C. 
• Romeo's crippling errors have all been of the unforced kind, which says something about how easily this kid can get rattled. Matched up with Kirk Long and Kiefer Ravena in the Finals, the Eagles will be better equipped to force and pounce on his errors, than the Falcons could ever be.
• Similarly, FEU is going to have a hard time using that three-guard line-up versus the Eagles. Ateneo's problem was that they couldn't match-up with the bigger Adamson guards. Putting out what is essentially three shooting guards will just delight the defending champions. 

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• Russel Escoto is a beast for playing with a fractured hand - and still coming up with some huge rebounds. 
• FEU's biggest advantage is the possibility that JR Cawaling or Pipo Noundou will pull a Willis Reed and turn a close game around. Just by participating in warm-ups and sitting dressed on the sidelines, the Ateneo coaching staff will be forced to gameplan for these guys, even if it turns out they don't see a single minute of playing time.

UAAP S74: Final Four Presscons

ADMU vs UST:

FEU vs ADU:

UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings: Week 9 of 2011

The unified UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings throws everything into a blender, hits the button, and ducks as it first mashes up, and then sorts out all 18 teams of both leagues. Among other factors, the panel of one takes into consideration: the quality of opponents played in the past week, how the team fared against those opponents, whether or not a team is on a roll, be it an uphill or downhill, and other factors like injuries or internal disarray.

In the second to the last Power Rankings for 2011 (it's hard to do them four teams in the UAAP are ON VACATION), we see just one remaining undefeated squad take the top spot, and some minor jostling around as the NCAA teams can see the halfway point of the second round from over here. We spend some time talking about the offseason already with the booted UAAP teams, as the mid-section of the NCAA starts to settle as teams drop out of the race for the fourth seed, one by one.

One Day Later: NU vs UST, DLSU vs FEU

NU 73 - UST 49
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Bobby Ray Parks ended his campaign for the MVP award with a 22 point, eight rebound, six assist, one steal, three block performance. I liked how he was really trying to get other guys involved, especially Mbe early on, with his passing, and of course, the way he got his 21st and 22nd points was mind-blowingly lucky, but...you know what, I'll save my MVP rant for another time. Until then, here's video of that crazy shot.

NU Positives :

• The Bulldogs concentrated on getting the UST bigs in foul trouble, knowing that there wasn't a whole lot behind Chris Camus and Paolo Pe. Camus was taken care of by Jarencio himself, benching him after Camus was slapped with a technical foul, and never reinserting him back into the game, either to rest a nagging injury, or as a disciplinary action. Pe then was dispatched in the third quarter, getting tagged with his fifth on an offensive foul. That opened things up for NU down low in the fourth.
• Playing with a whopping five players in sick bay, NU was able to get big contributions from seldom-used Robin Rono, some nice drives from Ajeet Singh, and hot shooting from Jeoffrey Javillonar and Cedrick Labing-isa. That's the sort of team play they'll need to move forward next season.

NU Negatives :

• NU's offense was still maddeningly inconsistent, as they scored just six points in the second quarter, all within the game's first six minutes. They got a whopping zero points from Parks in that period, as he and the rest of the team, settled for jumpers, instead of attacking the rim. 

UST Positives :

•  Kim Lo provided some hustle and bench spark, scoring seven, five points on seven free throw attempts, six boards, and three steals.

UST Negatives :

• UST actually won their season-opener versus this NU squad with very little production from Abdul, even before the big man fouled out in regulation. So why couldn't UST get going in this game? The Tigers lacked interior scoring to go with their perimeter game, getting a season-low 12 points in the paint on 6 of 14 attempts, both figures also season-lows. While they did not have Abdul for post moves, it also meant they got very little drives at the rim.
• Horrible games overall from players like Jeric Fortuna (eight points on 3 of 12 shooting, no free throws, one assist), Paolo Pe (three rebounds in 19 minutes), and Kevin Ferrer especially, as the rookie was unable to build off his big game versus FEU (1 point in 30 minutes, 0/8 from the field, three rebounds).

FEU 66 - DLSU 57
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Aldrech Ramos was dominant as usual, posting 18 points in 28 minutes, on 5 of 8 shooting, 2 of 3 from downtown. The big guy also hauled down 11 rebounds, eight on the offensive end, and made two steals, while doing a good job frustrating some of La Salle's big men.

DLSU Positives :

• Simon Atkins was able to close his collegiate career gracefully, scoring 16 points on 50 percent shooting, along with three rebounds and three assists. 
• Joshua Webb gets a half-mention for his 11 points in 19 minutes, providing a nice spark in the second quarter that got DLSU rolling. Unfortunately, his rejected dunk to close out the game prevents us from fully mentioning him in the plus-column.

DLSU Negatives :

• Save for Atkins, the La Salle guards were absent, even with Ping Exciminiano leaving the game in the first quarter. LA Revilla, Almond Vosotros, Sam Marata, Jarelan Tampus and Luigi Dela Paz accounted for a whopping four points on 3 of 16 shooting, despite the fact that Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia aren't exactly what one would call, top-notch defenders.
• The rebounding game of the big men wasn't exactly hot stuff either. For a change, Jovet Mendoza and La Salle's other exiting player, Maui Villanueva, flashed back to last season and combined for 11 boards. Meanwhile the big men reinforcements La Salle was so happy to finally see action, Arnold Van Opstal, Papot Paredes and Norbert Torres, grabbed only seven boards. In all, DLSU had just 35 rebounds, 11 on the offensive end, compared to 51 boards by FEU, 32 in the second half, 21 on their side of the court.

FEU Positives :

• It was good to see the other big men of FEU step up, led by Russel Escoto's 11 boards. Mark Bringas also contributed eight caroms, while both sides accounted for four blocks. That's the kind of rebounding FEU will need moving forward without their foreign big men. 
• Terrence Romeo actually had a pretty good game, a few bouts of selfishness aside. After a 1 of 6 line in the first half, Romeo went 4 of 9 in the fourth, scoring 10 of his team's 18, and finishing with seven rebounds and four dimes.

FEU Negatives :

• The Tamaraws were outshot (45.2 percent to 30.8), outrebounded (21 to 18), and out-assisted (9 to 4) in the first half, with only an 8 of 11 clip at the foul line keeping them in the game, 33-27. Luckily, a halftime "motivational speech" seemed to clear things up for the squad, allowing them to take control in the second half.

UAAP Picking Record: 42-14

UAAP S74: FEU vs DLSU

History Lesson:
The first game of the 74th UAAP season went down to the wire, though La Salle led early on a 7-1 opening run. FEU was thinking long-term though, and erected a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, off a triple by RR Garcia, 55-45. The Archers got close though, cutting the lead down to four, 66-62 on a Revilla layup, but Garcia responded by scoring on an inbounds play, and then a Romeo swipe sent him to the line for game-clinching free throws, as the Tams got victory number one, 74-65. (Recap here)
What's at Stake:

• FEU 8-5
• La Salle crumbled once again, losing to NU to drop to 5-8, and out of Final Four contention (not that it would have mattered with UST winning in the second game). All that's left is to play for pride, and hope that they can avert a 1-6 second round record. 

FEU Stat to Watch : FEU's been so banged up that it's possible they'll get just limited minutes again from Russel Escoto and the come-backing JR Cawaling. If that's the case, then it becomes imperative that their power forwards, Mark Bringas and Carl Bryan Cruz, outplay the DLSU bigs again. In their first encounter, the two combined for 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists, which are great numbers considering the entire La Salle frontcourt managed just 17 points, 22 rebounds and two dimes, with Torres and Van Opstal fouling out in the process.
FEU Player to Watch : Roger Pogoy proved that he could play key minutes as this team's small forward, scoring 14 on 6 of 9 shooting, while adding six rebounds and two steals. Giving Pogoy minutes means the Tams won't have to rely so much on three guard line-ups, and his hustle will give him the edge when fighting for loose balls. He's a good match for Luigi Dela Paz and Jarelan Tampus.

DLSU Stat to Watch : La Salle's offense has completely gone into the tank in the second round, save for their come from behind win versus UP. Taking that game out of the mix, the Archers are just averaging just 57.8 points in their five games on 34.62 percent shooting. A large part of this stems from the lack of confidence of all but a handful of players. Save for Almond Vosotoros (who was promptly guarded by Bobby Ray Parks in the second half), no other green shirt scored more than four points versus NU. If FEU's defense holds, this could be a long game for DLSU.
DLSU Player to Watch : Norbert Torres and Arnold Van Opstal both had miserable UAAP debuts, barely making an impact and fouling out. With FEU's frontline weakened, fielding both at the same time again may cause problems for the Tams, since Aldrech Ramos can't be everywhere at once.

Prediction: FEU Tamaraws

One Day Later: DLSU vs NU, FEU vs UST

One-man wrecking crew: Parks provided the offense while NU shut down DLSU (pic source)

 
NU 56 - DLSU 40
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Unburdened by the fouls that plagued him in their first encounter, Bobby Ray Parks smashed through the Archers pretty good, to the tune of 25 points (including a 10 of 12 freethrow clip), nine rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. 12 of his points came in the fourth quarter, when NU took control for good, combining with Emmanuel Mbe to put the La Salle in foul trouble early, and then hitting a clutch triple that knotted the game, turning control over to the Bulldogs.

DLSU Positives :

• Almond Vosotros turned in a 15 point first half performance on 5 of 8 shooting, single-handedly keeping the Green and White in the thick of things. After getting the short end of the minutes stick in the first four games, Vosotros has come up huge enough times to show whoever the head coach of La Salle next season that he ought to be considered as one of the prominent scoring options the team has.

DLSU Negatives :

• La Salle had no offense beyond Vosotros, shooting 2 for 20 from downtown, 16 for 65 from the field, and tallying just nine trips to the line.The Archers also notched 24 turnovers, matching their season worst. 
• The Archer big men looked downright horrible, missing layups, making bad passes, having the ball stolen immediately after the pass to the interior was made, and so on. 
• Scoring just 40 points in a must-win game has to be a slap in the face of DLSU faithful. The team seemed to lack any sort of urgency until late in the fourth when they panicked and began throwing up triple after triple.

NU Positives :

• NU did a good job of preventing the Archers from getting hustle points, limiting their transition, turnover and second-chance scoring. With all three avenues for easy points essentially kept in check, La Salle was forced into the halfcourt, where their execution was horrible. 
• Despite having just Emmanuel Mbe and Kyle Neypes up front, the Bulldogs were able to contend and limit the various big men La Salle was throwing out. Swarming, pesky double-teaming from the NU guards often did the trick, as the DLSU big men rarely got easy post-ups.

NU Negatives :

• With Joseph Terso nursing a broken arm, Gelo Alolino and Cedrick Labing-isa got the keys to the car, and despite four dimes from Alolino, the point guards often just puttered around, as the forwards did a much better job fighting the La Salle press. 
• The low scoring nature of the game hides the fact that outside of Parks and his 25 markers, this squad still struggles to put points on the board, especially as Mbe stewed with foul trouble. Kyle Neypes deserves a shout-out in this regard, as only Neypes took it aggressively against the DLSU interior, scoring all five of his points in the final quarter.

Monster in the middle - Karim Abdul brought UST to the Final Four (pic source)

UST 77 - FEU 73
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Hello Kevin Ferrer, so nice of you to reappear when your team really needed you. After a string of horrible shooting games, both from the field and the foul line, the Ferrer that rocked the season's first two games came back, tying his season-high of 19 points, to go with 12 rebounds, an assist, and a block. FEU's three-guard line-up always meant he was being covered by someone smaller (RR Garcia, great scorer, horrible defender), allowing him to simply shoot over his man, and his fourth quarter triple was the nail in the Tamaraws' coffin.

FEU Positives :

• Needing a legit 3-man, head coach Bert Flores inserted Roger Pogoy into the mix, and the Cebu-native delivered. Playing in just 16 minutes, Pogoy scored 14 points, hauled down six boards and made two steals, contributing eight points in the huge third quarter rally that saw FEU take the UST lead down to just two markers. 
• UST's weakness is that it can't stop they can't stop the run, giving up the most fastbreak opportunities and points of all the UAAP teams. FEU used that fact to great advantage, scoring a 21 to 10 third quarter based on 10 transition points and eight turnover points.

FEU Negatives :

• The Tamaraws' slow start made it too difficult for them to properly seize a lead in the fourth quarter. Down 23-11 after the first quarter, only their "Big Three" of Garcia, Romeo and Ramos scored in those first 10 minutes, as the supporting cast gave them nothing in the face of the UST blitz. 
• Injuries have been the story of the FEU season, and it's a story that continued in this game, as Russel Escoto was limited to just eight minutes of play because of his sprained wrist, though he did manage to make an impact by hitting a huge triple. 

UST Positives :

• The Tigers shot 51.6 percent from the field in the first half, quickly establishing a huge lead that turned out to be too huge for FEU to overcome.
• Against a lack of quality big men on the Tamaraws, Karim Abdul romped through their interior, finishing with 20 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. 

UST Negatives :

• The second unsportsmanlike foul on Karim Abdul may turn out to be a huge blow to the Tigers hopes of winning their last assignment, should he be suspended. With Carmelo Afuang already out, UST does not have the frontcourt depth to match up against Emmanuel Mbe and may draw an unfavorable seed in the stepladder format.

UAAP Picking Record: 40-12

UAAP S74: UST vs FEU

History Lesson:
UST had its moment on defense, holding FEU to just five points in the second quarter, but the Tams couldn't be kept down for long, getting a two-point lead late thanks to a run out by RR Garcia after Karim Abdul got blocked, and a swipe of the inbounds and the layup by Ping Exciminiano, 59-57, 37 seconds left in the game. On the next UST possession, Abdul made up for his denied shot by getting a jump ball to Jeric Fortuna, who tied things up with a clutch jumper. Calling timeout, FEU ran a play with Garcia as decoy, driving into the heart of the defense and causing UST to collapse into the shaded lane. That allowed last season's MVP to kick it out to an open Cris Tolomia, who drained the game-winning triple, allowing Far Eastern to escape, 62-59. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• The 7-5 UST Growling Tigers have two shots to get one more win, which is all they need to eliminate the DLSU Green Archers from contention (though it may not matter if DLSU loses to NU in the undercard game). Even if La Salle is out of it though, the seedings from #2 to #4 are still wildly in flux, and so every win counts.
• At 8-5, a win would put FEU just a half-game behind idle Adamson, in prime position to force a playoff for the twice-to-beat advantage, or even usurp the position entirely. A loss though, ties them with UST at 8-5. 

UST Stat to Watch : UST got beaten on the boards in the first meeting between these two teams, 42-37, with a 19-15 deficit in offensive rebounds. It was the worst rebounding effort by the Tigers this season, as they actually lead the league in both rebound and offensive rebounds right now. They may have an easier time in this game with Christian Sentcheu out and Russel Escoto possibly missing this game as well with a wrist sprain, though they ought to take special care to box out Ping Exciminiano, who pulled down nine rebounds, matching Aldrech Ramos' number.
UST Player to Watch : Karim Abdul couldn't bring his scoring punch to the mix, at least for this game, as the bull-strong center managed just three points on 1 of 7 shooting from the field, 1 of 4 from the stripe. He's averaged 14.6 points in the second round, with just one single-digit scoring game, a nine-point effort versus DLSU, and so odds are good he'll be able to battle down low with Aldrech Ramos and Mark Bringas.

FEU Stat to Watch : More of an odd stat than anything else, but after holding opponents to 34.98 percent field goal shooting in the second round games prior to UE, the Tams turned around and conceded a season-worst 50 percent clip to the Red Warriors, as well as an equally bad 38.45 percent three-point shooting stint. Hopefully, that game was just a fluke, because if UST gets those kinds of numbers, there's no way the Tams will be able to match.
FEU Player to Watch : Terrence Romeo's numbers have been on an upswing as of the past three games, and he even managed to go the last outing without a boneheaded turnover. He dropped 21 points on 8 of 15 shooting versus UE, providing some much-needed punch to compliment the veterans Garcia and Ramos. They'll need him on both ends, offensively to counter the possibility of a rain of three-pointers, and defensively, preventing Jeric Fortuna from going off. We'll see if he can pull it off.

Prediction: UST Growling Tigers

UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings: Week 8 of 2011

The unified UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings throws everything into a blender, hits the button, and ducks as it first mashes up, and then sorts out all 18 teams of both leagues. Among other factors, the panel of one takes into consideration: the quality of opponents played in the past week, how the team fared against those opponents, whether or not a team is on a roll, be it an uphill or downhill, and other factors like injuries or internal disarray.

As the UAAP winds down, teams begin to shuffle all over the place as the Final Four picture starts to crystallize. There's a ton of movement in the NCAA as well, as squads continue to jockey too for the fourth seed. More importantly, the committee of one has saved the last two spots for two "special" teams who showed spectacular inability this past week in either defense or offense, as anyone who watched either of those games got to catch a bit of basketball history.

One Day Later: FEU vs UE, DLSU vs UP

FEU 78 - UE 69
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Congrats Terrence Romeo, you did not mess up this week. I'm still not giving you this title though, because I feel like RR Garcia deserves it more. His two triples in the fourth quarter sealed the game for FEU when they gave the Tams a 15-point lead, much too big for UE to counter. Overall, his line of 21 points on 8 of 18 shooting, plus three rebounds, two assists and three steals just excites me more than what his teammate Romeo put up.

FEU Positives :

• FEU's three-point shooting came online at the best possible time, in the fourth quarter, with UE looking to string together an extended rally. The back to back by Aldrech Ramos kicked things off, and then RR Garcia dropped two more, no doubt, causing UE to regret switching to a zone in that instance. 
• Mark Bringas had a solid game, scoring eight, to go along with his eight boards, five on the offensive end. That's really the sort of game he needs to contribute each week, if FEU is expected to go far.

FEU Negatives :

• Hard to imagine a top-notch defensive unit like FEU surrendering 50 percent shooting to a squad like the UE Red Warriors. 
• Losing Russel Escoto to a wrist sprain hurt FEU's depth in this game, but they still managed to win despite him playing only six minutes. A bigger problem is if he has to miss games in the future. If he's unavailable when they play UST, that means the job of defending Karim Abdul will fall solely on the shoulders of Aldrech Ramos. 

UE Positives :

• UE used to get by with one or two guys doing most of the scoring, but in this game, they were able to find five players in double-digits, Zamar, Sumido, Sumang, Noble and Santos. It's easy to see why FEU had such a hard time defending them with that kind of a spread. 
• Roi Sumang had a nice outing, showing the sort of play that made UE run in last year's Fr. Martin Cup. Sumang scored 11 in 27 minutes, while also plucking down five rebounds, dishing out six assists and making two swipes, all of that to just a single turnover.

UE Negatives :

• I'm a firm believer that you need to start your best players all the time. Fine, some coaches try to reward players who have good practices, others try to balance out the scoring from the reserves and the starters, but I do not see the logic of starting someone, and then benching him for the rest of the game. Case in point, UE had Jess Sabangan, Nico Montelibano and Von Chavez start, and then never saw the light of day past the first quarter. Meanwhile, Biboy Enguio, Lord Casajeros and Erwin Duran, guys who carried you in previous games, got few minutes. Why does this happen?

Rise above - down 20, the Archers survived to stay in contention (pic source)

DLSU 73 - UP 72
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : With Alinko Mbah barely registering an impact in his nine foul-plagued minutes, Norbert Torres was able to run amok in the UP interior, scoring 15 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in 26 minutes of play. His numbers were pretty solid, 4 of 5 from the field and 7 of 9 from the line. We'll simply ignore his ill-advised three point attempt.

DLSU Positives :

• The big rally to start the fourth, led by LA Revilla and Almond Vosotros not only gave La Salle the lead, it also stole all momentum from UP, who had done an okay job surviving up to that point. Sent backpedaling, the Maroons couldn't string together enough shots to win.
• The players recognized that the 2-2-1 press employed was being broken too easily, and thus asked head coach Dindo Pumaren if they could switch back to just a simple fullcourt press. Luckily, Pumaren assented and the Archers used it to wreck havoc on UP. 

DLSU Negatives :

• La Salle's flat start that saw them score just seven points in the first quarter, later allowing UP to build a twenty point lead, has to be a low for the Archers this season. UE never got that sort of separation, and UP was playing out of their minds defense, clearly sensing weakness on the part of DLSU.
• A familiar woe, freethrow shooting, nearly cost DLSU the game, as Torres' split at the line could have just as easily been two misses, given how erratic the Archers have been when it comes to free throws all season-long. Conversely, they could have also been two makes, shutting the door definitively on any thoughts of a UP rally.

UE Positives :

• In the first half, UP was able to do what they're best at, getting out to run. The Maroons got 17 turnover points from 15 DLSU errors, coupled with 14 huge fastbreak points. 
• Credit to UP, they did fold early in the fourth, instead battling back to try to pull off an upset. They got 10 more field goal attempts, coming mostly from an 8-1 offensive rebound score, but weren't able to convert when it mattered, especially from outside where they were 1 of 6. Big props though to a surprising 10 point fourth quarter effort from Miggy Maniego, as he terrorized La Salle on the break.

UE Negatives :

• UP needed all hands on deck to win this game, especially when the slumbering Archers woke up. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't make it happen. All six of Jelo Montecastro's points came in the first. Alinko Mbah tallied five fouls in a blink of an eye. Mark Juruena could not connect (2 of 11 shooting) though his 12 boards were a big help. Lastly, Jett Manuel simply could not get it going, as the smaller DLSU guards ate him up. 
• Even up close, the Maroons could not connect, finishing 20 of 49 on points in the paint, 8 of 22 in the second half. While some of that is because of La Salle's height advantage, there were plenty of easy layups muffed as well.

UAAP Picking Record: 38-12

UAAP S74: FEU vs UE

History Lesson:
Before UE took down NU and DLSU, there was a hint of their upset potential as they stormed out to a 12-2 lead against the FEU Tamaraws in this July 21 game. Unfortunately for them, FEU eventually found their footing, getting a 10-0 run spanning the first two quarters to knot the game, before taking the lead for good. Shutdown defense by the Tams allowed the Red Warriors just seven points in the third, and overall, UE had just four points outside of the paint, leading to the final score, 66-47. Ping Exciminiano top-scored for FEU with 12 markers, while JM Noble showed a hint of his future potential by leading UE with 11. (Recap here)


What's at Stake:

• The 7-4 FEU Tamaraws smell opportunity, now that the Adamson Falcons have fallen to 9-4. Should Adamson lose their last game, and FEU win out, that could put them at the number two seed, with a twice to win advantage. Even two out of three wins forces a playoff for the incentive, giving them a better chance of booking a return trip to the Finals.
• Firmly out of the playoff hunt with a 2-10 record, the UE Red Warriors are looking to play spoiler. They got a good start versus FEU in round one, and since then they've learned how to close out games, so who knows?

FEU Stat to Watch : After allowing a 6 of 17 clip for the Red Warriors in the first quarter, producing a 12-2 start for UE, the FEU defense found their legs in the second and third periods, holding their foes to just 7 of 32 from the field in those twenty minutes. Not only were the Warriors able to score in double-digit points in each of those quarters, the Tams' energy spilled over to the offense, allowing them to field in their third-stringers come the fourth quarter.
FEU Player to Watch : Lucky FEU as they get a long break before playing the once-again under-performing UE Red Warriors, as that means there's no need to rush RR Garcia back from his ligament sprain in his hand. Someone will have to pick up the slack on offense though, and it could be Ping Exciminiano, who scored 12 against UE in the first round, and was on his way to having a huge scoring night against NU (14 points) before he fouled out early in just 19 minutes of play.

UE Stat to Watch : Attacking the UE interior has gotten opponents wins in the second round, with the exception of the DLSU game. After surrendering 32.5 points on 31 attempts per game in round one, those numbers have jumped to 36.4 points on 37.2 tries. While FEU is more of a jump-shooting team, they will still try to set up Aldrech Ramos down low, so the Red Warriors must be prepared for that.
UE Player to Watch : JM Noble has lost his shot after a great two-game stand versus DLSU and ADMU, going from totaling 37 points on 14 of 32 shooting, to seven points on 3 of 14 shooting. All of the other UE scorers have been going through similar slumps, unable to sustain their scoring, and against FEU, they'll need multiple guys to keep the Tams defense honest.

Prediction: FEU Tamaraws

UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings: Week 7 of 2011

The unified UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings throws everything into a blender, hits the button, and ducks as it first mashes up, and then sorts out all 18 teams of both leagues. Among other factors, the panel of one takes into consideration: the quality of opponents played in the past week, how the team fared against those opponents, whether or not a team is on a roll, be it an uphill or downhill, and other factors like injuries or internal disarray.

The middle of the rankings have changed dramatically, as in the UAAP, one team lands the number four spot and looks to solidify their hold on it as the post-season looms, while over in the NCAA, former cellar-dwellers begin to find new life in the second round, with an eye to toppling Lyceum from the fourth seed. Also in there, a shift in the top spot again!

One Day Later: ADU vs UP, FEU vs NU

Higher ceiling - the Falcons soared over a tenacious UP team (pic source)

ADU 64 - UP 51
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : With Alex Nuyles and Lester Alvarez having off-nights (combined 6 of 20 from the field), Janus Lozada stepped up to the plate to score 16 points on 50 percent field goal shooting, and a 5 for 6 free throw clip, while also pulling down nine rebounds. His combination of size, leaping ability and quick release gave UP fits as they couldn't match-up against him, especially considering how they already had Mike Silungan on Nuyles.

ADU Positives :

• The story of this game was UP getting close or taking the lead, and then Adamson responding in kind with huge runs. No doubt, head coach Leo Austria was happy to see the Falcons tested and respond in kind multiple times to boot. 
• Austin Manyara stepped up to the plate, outplaying his counterpart on the other end Alinko Mbah, scoring his first career double-double, with 13 points and 12 rebounds. If he can become a more reliable scorer and threat down low, the Falcons become a much more dangerous team. 
• Led by Manyara's 12 boards, Adamson dominated the glass, getting a 53-32 rebounding edge, 17-9 on offensive rebounds. That translated into 11 second chance points, compared to just four by UP.
• Tight defense once again was the difference for Adamson, holding the Maroons to their lowest percentage from downtown in the second round, 15 percent.

ADU Negatives :

• The Falcons soared out to an 11-2 lead...and then scored just two more points the entire first quarter. That's the sort of lapse on offense that another team would punish Adamson for, so they're lucky it was just UP they were playing against. 

UP Positives :

• Well, the Maroons were able to get Jett Manuel back online again, as the sophomore shooter knocked in 11 points, all in the second half, eight coming in the fourth quarter. He struggled early on due to the length of Janus Lozada, but settled down late. 

UP Negatives :

• Mike Silungan is now 5 of 39 from beyond the arc in the second round. He also happens to be 0 for 16 in the last two games. 
• Linked to that, the Maroons continued to settle for outside shots, refusing to attack the rim. As a result, UP tallied just six free throw attempts, their third straight game in the second round with single digit free throw attempts. They lead the league in that category, with four.
• After starting the season norming 17.6 fastbreak points in their first five games, the Maroons have averaged just 9.33 in that category since.

FEU 84 - NU 82
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : In a game chock-full of flawed performance, we'll go off the board here and hand this award to Ping Exciminiano. Though he played just 14 minutes, Exciminiano managed to score 14 points on 6 of 9 shooting to go with three rebounds and a steal. Exciminiano also gave Bobby Ray Parks a difficult time, shadowing the taller, more athletic forward. While one can rightfully argue that he misused his fouls, thus getting him sat down with a minute to go in the third quarter, it was Flores' fault for leaving him out there so long in the first place.

FEU Positives :

• Multiple-overtime cliche #1: "You're just happy to have survived it." Maybe, but you're going to feel a lot better about it if you win, which is what happened for the Tamaraws, keeping them in step with Adamson as they threaten to steal the number two spot. 
• When NU went to a zone, FEU decided to break it with some three-pointers, a fairly typical response, except that they were getting the treys from their big men, as Aldrech Ramos and Russel Escoto combined to go 4/4 from outside the arc. They actually did much better than Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia, who were 2 of 11 from long-distance.
• The odds were horrible stacked against FEU, what with three guys out and then RR Garcia suffering some sort of hand injury that messed up his shooting, followed of course by Exciminiano's early exit. And yet, the Tams still won, and they have a full week to recuperate to boot. 
• FEU just valued their possessions more, committing just 15 turnovers, while assisting on more than half of their scores (33 field goals on 18 dimes). That stood out, compared to the panicked feel from the NU players.

FEU Negatives :

• Terrence Romeo's statline says he finished with no turnovers. Fine, but he committed a boneheaded foul on Bobby Ray Parks in the second overtime, sending him to the line where he luckily produced just a split, saving Romeo from public humiliation or something. He even had great numbers in this game, 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, all of which would have been thrown out the window had they lost because of him.
• The Tamaraws clearly needed more big men up front, as they lost the rebounding battle pretty closely, 46-44, but more importantly, not a single person had double-digit boards, not even Gilas mainstay Aldrech Ramos.

NU Positives :

• The Bulldogs hung with FEU in the first two quarters, despite losing Emmanuel Mbe to foul trouble, and then proceeded to take the lead in the third quarter thanks to some shutdown defense. If NU played more like that throughout the season, they would have been in much better shape than they are now. 
• Despite not winning the game, Bobby Ray Parks still had a great performance that even had some clutch moments. He attained a new season high, 32 points, through 7 of 18 field goal shooting, but more importantly, 15 of 18 free throw shooting. And after game after game of him settling for outside jumper over and over in past crunchtime situations, Parks walked the fine line of driving, shooting and passing off.

NU Negatives :

• NU currently leads the league in turnovers, and it showed versus FEU as their 21 errors became 23 points for the Tams. We saw FEU disrupt the NU offense with a 2-1-2 fullcourt press in the third quarter, and it amazes me that head coach Eric Altamirano kept forcing his shooty guards into trying to bring the ball up, instead of putting Parks back in immediately, or going with two point guards by sending in either Cedrick Labing-isa or even Robin Rono. 
• After a three-game stretch of 14.7 points and 14 rebounds, Emmanuel Mbe had to sit out much of the first half due to foul trouble, only to be promptly forgotten about when he came back in the third, finishing with just 11 points and 10 rebounds, with just seven shot attempts. The Bulldogs should have used him more, especially with the lack of quality big man defenders on FEU. Drawing a couple of fouls on Aldrech Ramos would have been big as well.
• Veterans Glenn Khobuntin and Joseph Terso had little to contribute despite their senior status. In a total of 22 combined minutes, the duo scored 0 points, though Khobuntin didn't even have single attempt, while Terso was 0/4 from the field, 0/3 from beyond the arc including the potential game-winner. They helped a little in other ways, with Khobuntin snagging five rebounds, and Terso dealing out two assists and a steal, That's still a huge drop from their productive performances from last season. 
• Tallying just 11 assists all in all shows that NU is just too one on one centric, especially when it comes to Parks who dominates the ball too much at times. They're actually the team that averages the fewest, just 12 a game, and so this shouldn't have been a surprise.

UAAP Picking Record: 31-11

UAAP S74: FEU vs NU

History Lesson:
The Bulldogs played the Tamaraws well early on, posting a 57-53 lead early in the fourth quarter, but defensive adjustments by FEU head coach Bert Flores had them shifting to a 2-3 zone, suffocating the NU defense, with Christian Sentcheu anchoring the middle with his height and wingspan. Because of that, the NU offense ground to a halt, scoring just five points in the final period, allowing consecutive jump shots by FEU to seal the deal, 62-59. RR Garcia's 17 points, four rebounds and three assists paced the Tams, while Bobby Ray Parks scored 11 points, to go with five rebounds, three assists and three steals, though he was a non-factor in the final period. (Recap here) 

What's at Stake:

• Upsetting Adamson improved FEU's chances of securing the third seed as they go to 6-4, while still maintaining an outside shot at #2. To keep both those futures alive though, they'll need to keep winning, especially against the lower-tier squads. A loss here in fact, could actually eliminate NU from the Final Four race.
• Beating UP keeps the dream alive, putting NU at 4-6, but one more loss ends NU's Final Four hopes, which were already shaky, given that they need collapses from UST and DLSU to sneak in. A win here keeps them going another day, and after that they'll spend Sunday glued to their TVs, hoping the Tigers and Archers both fall.

FEU Stat to Watch : The loss of Christian Sentcheu to a stress fracture in the second round has been telling, as FEU has gone from norming 18.43 offensive rebounds, to just 12.33, the fewest in the second round. With Emmanuel Mbe on a five game double-digit rebounding streak, the Tams will need to devote extra attention to Mbe and make sure he's boxed out properly.
FEU Player to Watch : Terrence Romeo picked up his game in their last meeting versus Adamson, with a line that reads, 14 points on 50 percent shooting, seven rebounds, and five assists. But he still committed five turnovers, including a crucial one late that could have led to an Alex Nuyles layup that cut the lead down to one, but just as easily could have led to a game-knotting triple. That said, Romeo hit a big triple in their first round encounter, so that might carry over to this game.

NU Stat to Watch : NU's second round numbers have been inflated, by virtue of their two blowout wins against UE and UP. The figures have them norming 45.52 percent on two-pointers and 42.22 percent from the field, while holding opponents to just 54 points.  In their loss to Adamson though, NU was 41.51 percent inside the arc, and just 36.07 percent overall, as they were the ones who found themselves held to just 53 points, while the Falcons romped away for 68. It'll be interesting to see how the Bulldogs perform if this doesn't figure to be a blowout.
NU Player to Watch : Glenn Khobuntin has gone from starter and someone you need to factor into how to stop NU, to seldom used bench guy and non-factor on offense. He's averaging just 2.3 points and 3 rebounds in 14 minutes since the second round began, but it was not too long ago that he dropped 21 versus La Salle, fueling an NU comeback. He could provide a mismatch when FEU goes with a three-guard line-up with Parks on the bench, but he's someone who ought to get more minutes, especially in the light of how reliant the Bulldogs are on Parks and Mbe for scoring.


Prediction: NU Bulldogs

UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings: Week 6 of 2011

The unified UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings throws everything into a blender, hits the button, and ducks as it first mashes up, and then sorts out all 18 teams of both leagues. Among other factors, the panel of one takes into consideration: the quality of opponents played in the past week, how the team fared against those opponents, whether or not a team is on a roll, be it an uphill or downhill, and other factors like injuries or internal disarray.

The NCAA's first round is finally over! Huzzah! As a result, this week's power rankings deal with the fallout of the titanic SSCR-SBC match, and the latest happenings in UAAP, which include FEU regaining ground, and DLSU losing it.

One Day Later: NU vs UP, ADU vs FEU

They jump higher - they also score more and defend better. Sorry, UP. (pic source)

NU 65 - UP 43
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Lebron Parks or Bobby Ray James had his usual sort of statline against mediocre teams,  22 points on 8 of 12 shooting, 5 of 7 from the line, seven rebounds, four assists and a block. If only he could go up against Miggy Maniego and Moriah Gingerich more often, hmm?

NU Positives :

• NU's defense held UP to just 13 points in the first half,  6 of 31 from the field, with no free throws and just a single triple. They were then 11 of 32 from that point on, hitting one more triple, and going 6 for 7 from the stripe.
• Parks is starting to look for Emmanuel Mbe now down low, as when you drive down the lane and the defense collapses on you, finding your wide open big man is usually a good idea. Three of Parks' four assists were to Mbe in this game, as the big guy finished with a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds.

NU Negatives :

• Aside from Parks and Mbe though, there really wasn't much offense from anyone else, with Joseph Terso leading the list with seven points. Coach Altamirano freely admitted that he has very little firepower off the bench, but in theory, guys like Denice Villamor, Jul-ashri Ignacio and Cedrick Labing-isa out to be able to put points on the board, with or without Parks' involvement. 
• As bad as UP's seven-point second quarter though, NU scored just 10 in the same period,  attempting one more shot and making two more field goals. Versus any other team, that would have been a catch-up quarter.

UP Positives :

• They didn't lose by 40 points.

UP Negatives :

•  There's not a lot going on with the UP offense right now. Locking down on Silungan and Manuel will often do the trick since Montecastro is a beast in transition, but not so in the halfcourt, and when Gamboa isn't knocking down triples then he isn't much of a threat. The Maroons are trying to free up their guys by running the defender through screens but the screeners must not be doing such a good job because the end result is usually the same: a contested jumper with 2 or 3 seconds left on the shot clock.
• If only UP could bring back the Mike Silungan who shot 41 percent from three-point, 47 percent from the field and replace the current Mike Silungan who averages 16 percent from long-range and 31.91 percent overall.

One-man army - Alex Nuyles couldn't carry his team versus the Tams (pic source)

FEU 62 - ADU 61
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Aldrech Ramos turned in his most dominant effort of the season, winding up with 18 points on 9 of 12 shooting, 10 rebounds, two assists and a steal. The national team forward simply could not be stopped by the Adamson big men, shredding Eric Camson and Rodney Brondial.

ADU Positives :

• Furious rally attempts by the Falcons at the end of the third and fourth periods showed that this is not a squad that is just going to roll over. 
• Adamson ruled the boards, getting 44 rebounds and 20 offensive rebounds to 34 and 10 respectively by the Tams. They also wound up with more assists, steals, and blocks, and spent more time at the charity stripe, going 18 for 25 while FEU was just 8 for 10.

ADU Negatives :

• Alex Nuyles' decision to go for a two-point shot instead of a triple in the dying seconds confused me, especially since they had so many fouls to give still and were not in an immediate penalty situation. It also didn't help that after he converted, the Falcons took their sweet time giving up those last three fouls, trying to go for steals instead of putting a Tamaraw on the line earlier.
• Not much to talk about aside from Nuyles on offense too. Eric Camson was basically a non-threat with his mid-range jumper not falling (3 for 8 from the field). Lester Alvarez had one of those games where all he did was throw up triples. Reserve forwards Harry Petilos and Allen Etrone went 0-for as well. 
• I'm surprised they brought back Roider Cabrera in the fourth after the timeout and actually let him take a shot ice-cold. Though he started, they weren't looking for Cabrera on the on-set like in their game versus NU, instead, taking him out quickly to see if Jan Colina was going to be okay (he wasn't). 

FEU Positives :

• X-factor for FEU in this game? Terrence Romeo, who provided 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Had he just stuck to his averages entering this game, six points, 
• The interior defense was lacking for the Falcons, as the Tamaraws shot 50 percent from inside the arc. In the paint, the number shoots up to 59.38 percent, or 19 of 32 shots, for 38 points.
• FEU held Adamson to just 3 of 17 shooting from outside the arc, their worse percentage there this season. Overall the Falcons were just 20 for 63 from the field, their worst rate since their season opener against Ateneo.

FEU Negatives :

• Romeo gives, but he also takes away, committing a team-high five turnovers, including a crucial wayward pass to Alex Nuyles that cut the lead down to a single-point. Had the Tams lost, Romeo would have been dragged over coals in Morayta for giving away a won ballgame again. 
• FEU had just 10 free throws, converting eight. Conspiracy theorists should take note: since they shot 25 charities versus UP in the first round, the amount of attempts FEU has gotten at the line have been: 9, 12, 8, 10.

UAAP Picking Record: 28-10

UAAP S74: ADU vs FEU

History Lesson:
The Falcons got an early statement win, defeating the FEU Tamaraws handily early and often in this 78-59 win. Adamson started 12-5 and never looked back, despite repeated FEU rallies. The Tamaraws got within six late in the second period, and then within three in the fourth, but the Falcons never lost their composure, answering the scoring runs with bursts of their own. Alex Nuyles top-scored for the Falcons with 22 points, while RR Garcia came off the bench for 20, but the battle was won on the boards, as Adamson tallied 13 more rebounds and got 18 additional second-chance points. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• With five games remaining in the elimination round, Adamson stands pretty confident with a 7-2 record. In all likelihood, the Falcons need just beat UE and UP, and then topple either FEU or UST to secure the #2 seed. Then that just leaves Ateneo as the endgame, with the potential to stop a possible stepladder format by dealing them a loss on the last game for both these teams in the elimination round.
• FEU broke a three-game slide, boosting them up over .500 to land at 5-4. Injuries have devastated this team's ability on both offense and defense, but with RR Garcia likely settling into a groove after his clutch performance versus UP, you still can't count these guys out, especially if they deal Adamson a loss.

ADU Stat to Watch : The Falcons' defense may be just as potent as Ateneo's. Since allowing 71 points versus UST, the only time during the season they gave up more than 66 points, Adamson has held opponents down to just 56.67 points a game. They've achieved this by locking down the perimeter, holding opponents to a measly 20 percent from downtown, a league-best.
ADU Player to Watch : Teams have keyed in on Lester Alvarez as the engine that makes the Falcons go, but Adamson has a starter-quality point guard backing him up in Jerick Canada, who has shown that he is just as capable of taking over games as Alvarez. With the latter being held to 0 points versus NU, Canada stepped up and delivered nine points, six rebounds and three assists. Versus FEU, Canada had just five points in the first round, but he also had five assists, including a pair of alley-oops that sealed the win in the final period.

FEU Stat to Watch : Maybe the Tams are the team that peaked too soon? They posted season-highs on both offense and defense versus DLSU in their season opener: 74 points (the only time they broke 70 this season), 39.34 percent field goal shooting, 31 free throw attempts, 21 assists, and on the other end, they held DLSU to just 29.85 percent field goal shooting. They have not come close to those numbers since.
FEU Player to Watch : Head coach Bert Flores finally saw what other people saw long ago with Terrence Romeo: last season's rookie of the year is not made to handle the ball. So Flores made Garcia the primary ball handler in the fourth quarter and the Tams took off, allowing them to buck a 16-point UP lead. The problem is though, Romeo isn't an attractive catch and shoot option either. He's making just 24.18 percent of his shots this season, and should probably hand Cris Tolomia more of his minutes when you think about it.


Prediction: ADU Falcons

One Day Later: FEU vs UP, ADU vs NU

"It slipped out of our hands" "And the Tams were there to take it" (pic source)

FEU 59 - UP 53
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : RR Garcia showed that he hasn't forgotten how to take over games, unloading 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, to overcome a 16-point UP lead. After three quarters of having the ball taken away from his hands by UP's box and one defense, FEU head coach Bert Flores turned control of the team over to him in the final period, and Garcia delivered an ace performance, getting by everything the Maroons threw at him.

FEU Positives :

• When the chips were down, FEU decided to stop puttering around and getting the other guys involved. opting instead for more RR Garcia, and more Aldrech Ramos. The decision paid off, with Ramos breaking an FEU scoring drought in the second period, and Garcia taking over late. 
• After melting down in three straight fourth quarters, the Tams held tight this time and reversed that trend, going 9 of 18 in the final period, while holding UP to just 2 of 13 shooting.

FEU Negatives :

• Can Aldrech Ramos be a dependable go-to guy? Sure he scored six straight and made an assist in the second quarter to staunch the FEU bleeding, but he then made no attempts in the third, and made just 1 of 6 in the last quarter, finishing with 4 of 14 shooting. Sure he pulled down 14 rebounds and made four assists, but this team desperately needs scoring, and it's sad to think that this five-year vet was shut down by rookie Paolo Romero
• Speaking of weird numbers of attempts, RR Garcia had just one attempt in the second period, a triple that Chris Exciminiano turned into their last score before a severe scoring drought, yet he was on the court for nine minutes. Overall, in that period, FEU was 5 of 17 from the field, with Ramos 3 for 7. 
• This is the third time all season FEU has shot single-digit free throw attempts. They were 6 of 8 today and have gone 6 of 9 (Round 1 vs ADMU) and 5 of 7 (Round 1 vs NU) before.

UP Positives :

• The Maroons' defense in the second and third quarters was exceptional, holding FEU to just 20 points on 9 of 30 shooting. That was actually UP's best defensive two-quarter stretch all season.
• Rookie Paolo Romero had a big outing, leading the Maroons with 17 points on 8 of 12 shooting, while hauling down six rebounds.

UP Negatives :

• Once again, UP's three-point shooting was atrocious, finishing 6 of 29 from beyond the arc. Amazingly, both Mike Silungan and Mike Gamboa took 11 three-point attempts each and both made just two treys each as well.  Meanwhile, Jett Manuel, the only other meaningful three-point shooter, was 2 for 5. 
• UP hit season-lows in terms of free throws, in both attempts and makes, going 3 for 5 from the line. The only other time they got charities in single digits was versus UE in the opening game, when they tallied 7 conversions on 9 attempts.
• Other lows: UP's five point fourth quarter output matched their season-low output in a quarter (they also had five versus UST in the second period), while their six fastbreak points and four turnover points were records for the season.

Spread the wealth - The Falcons played 5 vs 1 and won (pic source)

ADU 68 - NU 53
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : With his jump shot inconsistent at best (1 of 10 from within the arc), Alex Nuyles still had a profound impact on the game, scoring 13 points, making all three of his triple tries, getting three rebounds and dishing out five assists.

ADU Positives :

• Even without Jan Colina, and in spite of a poor showing by Lester Alvarez, the Falcons still got out to a 20-10 start and went into cruise control after, scoring just enough to always stay ahead of the Bulldogs, holding them to 36.1 percent shooting, while forcing them into missing all eight of their triple attempts.
• Varied scoring was the key, with four players in double digits, and one with nine points. The Falcons looked for the open man and it showed as they tallied 18 assists, three times what NU produced.

ADU Negatives :

• The Falcons took their foot off the gas pedal in the third quarter, allowing the Bulldogs to claw back with a 10-run that cut the deficit to seven before Alex Nuyles and Jerick Canada teamed up to reestablish the double-digit lead. 
• How jump-shot reliant can the Falcons be? Adamson tallied just six free throws in this game, a season-low and the first time they got just single digits in that category. Also, the mid-range game was off today for Nuyles and Eric Camson, as the two forwards finished 4 of 20 in the game.

NU Positives :

• Bobby Ray Parks had a pretty efficient game, scoring 31 points in 32 minutes, while going 12 for 19 from the field and 7 of 8 from the line.

NU Negatives :

•  Players on NU's team not named Bobby Ray Parks went 10 for 42 from the field, 2 of 4 from the stripe. Chief among them? Emmanuel Mbe, whom I don't think tried hitting a shot farther than eight feet. And yet, he finished just 3 of 13 from the field. All in all, no other non-Parks player scored more than six points in this game.
• If you're going to be a one-man team, the least you can do is support the guy on defense, so asnot to waste all the points he scores. Instead, the Bulldogs kept allowing the Falcons to trade baskets with them. Eventually, when AdU started hitting triples, the two sides were still trading, but with Adamson coming out on top.
• Ultimately, this falls on the coaching staff as well, as they didn't try to get other players involved late. How come Jeoffrey Javillonar, Jul-Ashri Ignacio and Denice Villamore get just two looks from beyond the arc? Why didn't Cedrick Labing-isa get any burn when it became clear that Gelo Alolino couldn't catch fire? After all of Mbe's misses, why didn't NU run a play to get him to the line?

UAAP Picking Record:  26-8