FilOil: DLSU's option play leads to Jeron Teng's game-tying triple

The situation: June 2, the final day of the elimination round of the 2012 FilOil Flying V Pre-season Tournament. DLSU is trailing ADMU by 3, 53-50, with 18.8 seconds to go.

DLSU has Almond Vosotros (17) inbounding the ball, with Norbert Torres (6), Yutien Andrada (20), Jeron Teng (24) and LA Revilla (12).

ADMU counters with Oping Sumalinog (17), JP Erram (10), Nico Salva (8), Kiefer Ravena (15) and Juami Tiongson (5).

FilOil 2012 - Why Has Ateneo Looked Off?

After steamrolling through much of the UAAP tournament last year, Ateneo has yet to find their groove in the FilOil tournament. A combination of new personnel, the loss of Emman Monfort and Kirk Long (the two guys mostly responsible for setting up the table for their teammates), and minutes being spread throughout the line-up has seen the Eagles' numbers plummet. As a result, they've been having a hard time putting away sub-par competition (they beat a Kevin Alas-less Letran squad and a Perpetual Help Altas team by a combined six points).

UAAP S74	ADMU Averages	FilOil 2012
72.29	Points	58.50
21.67% (2.59 / 11.94)	Three-point percentage	18.75% (3.00 / 16.00)
46.48% (22.94 / 49.35)	Two-point percentage	39.13% (18.00 / 46.00)
41.65% (25.53 / 61.29)	Field goal percentage	33.87% (21.00 / 62.00)
72.54% (18.65 / 25.71)	Free throw percentage	60.00% (13.50 / 22.50)
43.00	Rebounds	53.50
17.53	Assists	16.00
15.65	Turnovers	19.00
14.53	Fast break points	10.50
16.76	Bench scoring	20.00

One Blue Eagles whose shot has been particularly off in the early-goings of this tournament is Kiefer Ravena. While he's made some crucial scores (in particular, a triple right after Letran had tied things up in the fourth quarter), he's been unable to hit the mid-range jumper so far. That said, he's been compensating in other aspects, which is what you'd want from your star when his attempts aren't falling.

UAAP S74	Ravena Averages	FilOil 2012
27.60	Minutes	26.50
13.60	Points	11.50
52.29%	Two-point percentage	29.41%
44.85%	Field goal percentage	26.92%
4.20	Rebounds	5.50
3.00	Assists	4.00
1.50	Steals	2.00
1.70	Turnovers	0.50

Can the Eagles bounce back and post an impressive win against the NCAA champions, the San Beda Red Lions? We'll find out later at 5:15pm at the Arena in San Juan.

EDIT: Ravena's averages versus San Beda (two games in last year's Fil-Oil, one game in the PCCL) are pretty amazing. In 28.33 minutes, he norms 18.33 points on 61.11 percent shooting, four rebounds, 3.33 assists and 0.67 steals to just 1.67 turnovers. If he's going to snap out of his funk, San Beda's a good a time as any.

The Indon camera crew for the SINAG games started out horrible (Phil. versus Cambodia was a mess) but has gradually improved to "passable." One horrendous lapse though was showing a highlight while this play was going on in yesterday's match between the Philippines and Thailand:





Unfortunately, Ravena was whistled for a travel on the play, thus the reaction from the coaching staff in the bottom part of your screen.

In case you forgot, he's about 5'10"

Kiefer Ravena Dunks...And We Are All Witnesses

Kiefer Ravena dunking is not a new phenomenon (no pun intended). He's dunked in-game at least once before, as seen from this footage taken from a Blue Eaglets versus Baby Falcons game from last season (I ripped the footage of YouTube last year, and when I tried to find it awhile ago, the video seemed to have vanished, so credit to the original uploader). 

Now here's his first collegiate dunk, courtesy of user Rickystrong on YouTube:

And finally, a truly jaw-dropping shot of the dunk, by Atenean Duey Guison:

S73 Autopsy: ADMU Blue Eagles

Outgoing Players
- Eric Salamat (10.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 steals)
- Jason Escueta (3.1 points, 2.6 rebounds)
- Carlo Balmaceda

Win/Loss Records
- S73: 10-4 (2nd, champions)
- S72: 13-1 (1st, champions)
- S71: 13-1 (1st, champions)

Key Stats
- First in free throws made per game (15.76) and free throw percentage (69.43%)
- First in defensive rebounds per game (29), and assists (16.41)
- First in opponents' field goals made per game (21.47) and opponents' field goal percentage (33.83%)
- First in opponents' points per game (61.59)
- Last in opponents' three point field goals attempted per game (21.59)

Looking Ahead: The S74 Rookie of the Year Race

One interesting nugget of information that Eric Altamirano shared with reporters after last Monday's game versus Arellano University is the fact that superstar Bobby Ray Parks will in fact be an incoming sophomore this upcoming UAAP season, thus disqualifying him from Rookie of the Year honors, as per "The Jai Reyes rule."

According to said rule, only actual freshman players can be eligible for the Rookie of the Year award, preventing Team B call-ups, transferees, and other players requiring residency, from winning said award.

The rule became mainstream knowledge after Jervy Cruz was declared ineligible in Season 69, despite leading his Tigers to the championship. Former Maroon Woody Co won the award instead that season.

In essence, the rule forbids the following players, among others, from winning the award: Bobby Ray Parks, Norbert Torres, Cris Tolomia, Cedric Labing-isa, Kyle Neypes, Russell Escoto, Alinko Mbah, Greg Slaughter and Karim Abdul.

Players who are in fact eligible to win the award are Kiefer Ravena, Chris Javier, Kevin Ferrer, Ponso Gotladera, and Arnold Van Opstal.

DLSU Wins in Dubai, Scorches Ateneo

Photo by Mike Malata, ABS-CBN News (source)

According to various reports, the De La Salle Green Archers were able to hold on for the win against their arch-rivals, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, in an exhibition game held in Dubai, last Friday, April 15, at the Al Ahli Sports Club in Al Ghusais, Dubai.

With the tagline "Down the Wire," the game supposedly began as the exact opposite, as reports from ArcherPride had the Archers nursing a large first quarter lead. By the end of the first half though, Ateneo had managed to get to within four points, 34-30.

With their largest lead at 12 points, the Eagles began aggressively attacking the defense of the green-shirts (the blue side of the story) or the refs decided to start making the game more interesting (the green side of the story), as the zebras whistled La Salle for 13 fouls, to just three for Ateneo in the quarter. Despite this though, La Salle still led, 50-44, after three periods. In the end, DLSU got the win, 62-58.

Unfortunately, the final score is still in doubt, but we do know that La Salle was able to maintain its stranglehold on the lead. As you can see below, the unofficial box score has it at 61-58, La Salle, but the actual summation of the scores has it at 63-58. Chris Soler of Inboundpass.com tweeted the score as 62-58, and this seems to be the accepted number.

Sam Marata and Joshua Webb of the Archers did not make the trip, while Ateneo played without Greg Slaughter (in addition to the four players who are currently not with the summer team).

Kiefer Ravena scored just 6 points in his first collegiate game against La Salle, and tweeted after the game, "Lack luster [sic] performance by number 15"

Quoth ABS-CBN News:

"Without a trace of jetlag, La Salle opened the game with a 16-3 run in the first 6 minutes of the game and ended the first quarter with a 10-point advantage over Ateneo, 21-11.
The ensuing second quarter saw an exchange of baskets from both teams but La Salle still managed to take control of the game and had a 4-point advantage, 34-30, at the close of first half.

Finding their shooting range, Ateneo went full throttle after the half time break and briefly enjoyed the driver’s seat via a 3-point shot by Bacon Austria which gave the Blue Eagles a 1-point advantage, 41-40, with 3:30 left in the third.

After the first deadlock at 44-all, Yutien Andrada and Almond Vosotros initiated a 6-0 run that gave back the lead to the Green Archers, 50-44, going into the final quarter.
Kirk Long’s drive to the basket with 5:42 left in the fourth quarter put the match into another deadlock at 54-all but the Blue Eagles went cold going into the final minutes of the game as Vosotros, the Green Archer who hails from Albay, answered with 6 consecutive points."

Hopefully news outlets will write a more detailed account of the game so that we have a better idea of both teams performed.

Unofficial box scores (courtesy of user 1983 on ArcherPride):

Box scores courtesy of the Phil. Star:

DLSU 62: Vosotros 14, Torres 9, Mendoza 9, Atkins 9, Dela Paz 5, Revilla 4, Villanueva 3, Andrada 3, Van Opstal 2, Tampus 2, Gotladera 2

Ateneo 58: Salva 25, Monfort 7, Ravena 6, Tiongson 5, Austria 4, Chua 4, Gonzaga 3, Long 2, Erram 2

A Phenomenal Debut

ADMU's Roster Math Equals Subtractions?

ADMU Blue Eagles coach Norman Black has some roster math to figure out.

Each UAAP team is given 16 roster spots. From last season's three-peat squad, two will graduate: Eric Salamat and Jason Escueta. Those two spots automatically (in as much as "automatically" means something) go to Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter.

We've discussed rumors about the eligibility of Chris De Chavez. For me, even if he is eligible, I still think he could do well with a year on Team Glory Be, so for the purpose of this post, I'm ruling him out. His slot goes to the come-backing Oping Sumalinog, who does a lot of what De Chavez does, except with heightened defensive skills.

Another player whom I think could use a stint in Team B is Jeric Estrada. The guy is so raw that he could definitely use the minutes to develop some moves in the paint, and bulk up. If he's out, we can go and put in Gwynne Capacio, who scared some people when he showed up after Christmas Break with a knee brace (it was just a minor tear of the miniscus, the brace is off already).

While we're talking about Team B, we might as well talk about Carlo Balmaceda, who was called up from Team B last season. He didn't play a single minute, but he was highly praised by Coach Norman Black for his attention to detail and his almost assistant coach-like demeanor. That said, he's graduating this March and could easily give up his last year of eligibility. Let's presume he does that, paving the way for me to add Cebu hot-shot Mark Tallo to the mix.

So from the list of "bubble" players, I'm presuming Coach Black keeps Bacon Austria, Tonino Gonzaga, Juami Tiongson, and Art Dela Cruz on Team A.

That closes the door on any Team B call-ups, and from the list of recruits that Coach Black has, sits out Ael Banal, Von Pessumal and Kevin Ferrer.

Now, call this burying the headline, but from those three, two are supposedly contemplating a change of scenery.

The first is Kevin Ferrer, the UST Tiger Cub. Eyebrows were raised when Rick Olivares had to edit his Kiefer Ravena interview to delete the part about his supposed recruitment. Now, word has it that he's supposedly staying, perhaps in part because he doesn't want to be Soc Rivera'd.

The other is Ael Banal. The former Blue Eaglet famously decided not to commit to a college after his RP Youth Tam stint and has bounced around since then (practicing at NU's gym, training in the US with Gab Banal and Joshua Webb of the DLSU Green Archers, to participating in scrimmages with ADMU's Team A). New information has since surfaced that has him practicing with UP, although another source told me that he's definitely staying at ADMU.

Such is the balancing act Coach Black has to play. If he really wanted to, he could presumably find slots in Team A for both Ferrer and Banal if he wanted them to stay (dropping Dela Cruz and Gonzaga, for example). However, that would mean subtracting veterans with Final Four and Championship experience from his bench.

With a month to go before the FilOil Preseason Tournament, there's still plenty of time for recruiters to do their work and for potential recruits to play musical chairs.

No Ravena or Amer in Smart Gilas

Straight from Coach Toroman's mouth, via a GMA News report:

“We may not have problems from their respective schools once we make the request, but we will definitely encounter problems from the collegiate leagues, which they will play for this year," said Toroman in a telephone interview.

“It’s a short tournament, and we need to win as many games as possible. Our campaign in the PBA will be tough, so I don’t want to take a gamble," added Toroman

Toss in the fact that the chance of either making it to the final, PBA-reinforced roster that we're sending to the FIBA qualifying tournament is extremely tiny and the whole idea of Kiefer Ravena and Baser Amer being on the squad seems more ridiculous. 

Remember, it was not Toroman who said that they ought to be on the PBA roster. That was SBP vice-chairman Ricky Vargas. We never really got the sense that Toroman wanted either of them, so it's good that he comes out now and quashes this line of thinking before the summer collegiate preseason tournaments get underway, so that both Ravena and Amer can concentrate on practicing with their respective teams.

The Eagles' Share: Best Recruiting Class Ever?

The Philippine Star dishes on the state of Ateneo basketball, and guess what? It's royal blue, as in, four-peat royal blue.

Ateneo could well be on its way to a rare UAAP four-peat as the Eagles landed four of the brightest prospects this year.

Smart Gilas’s Greg Slaughter, Ateneo high school standout Kiefer Ravena, Cebuano star Mark Jayven Tallo and former RP Youth mainstay Gwyne Capacio will don the Eagles’ jerseys in the coming UAAP season as the Loyola-based squad tries to annex the league’s first four-peat since the University of Santo Tomas Tigers did the feat in the 90s.

The seven-foot Slaughter, who steered University of Visayas to four Cebu collegiate league crowns from 2006 before being tapped for the national team, will provide muscle underneath following the departure of now pros Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Noy Baclao.

Ravena, who powered the Eaglets to three UAAP juniors crowns, Tallo, the Jr. NBA MVP and spearhead of Cebu Institute of Technology in the Cebu leagues, and Capacio, a former La Salle high school stalwart, are expected to more than fill up the slack left by skipper Eric Salamat, who has graduated.

“We’ve got talented recruits for the coming season,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black in yesterday’s Scoop sa Kamayan Padre Faura. “We’ve got Greg Slaughter who will man the middle for us the way Rabeh (Al-Hussaini) and Noy Baclao did during their time.

“We also have guys like Kiefer Ravena, who everybody knows how talented he is, Mark Tallo and Gwyne Capacio to help fill in the void left by Eric Salamat,” he added.

Aside from the Fantastic Four though, who were already linked to Ateneo as early as July of last year, the article confirms that two Blue Eaglets, in addition to Ravena, will be staying home as well:

Aside from these blue-chip recruits, Ateneo also took in Von Pessumal and Ael Banal from its high school squad while Oping Sumalinog, who missed last season due to a knee injury, is expected to be back this year.

If the story is to be believed, then we can probably squelch those rumors of Pessumal headed to San Beda, or of Banal going to DLSU or NU. 

The Kiefer Ravena Decision FAQ

Q: Is Kiefer Ravena really going to Ateneo now? This isn't just some internet hoax?

A: Not a hoax, not a dream, or an imaginary story, Kiefer Ravena is really, really, staying in Ateneo.

Q: What's your source?

A: GMA News broke the story first yesterday, followed by the major newspapers.

Q: So what took him so long?

A: Ravena explained that he and his family were waiting for an offer from a US Division I school. They didn't get any, and for awhile, considered sending him abroad to get more exposure. Finally though, he decided to just stay at Ateneo instead.

Q: Does that mean rumors of a school like Butler recruiting him were bull?

A: Yes, definitely. The fact alone that people said that it was Butler, out to have raised eyebrows right from the start.

Q: What schools were a factor recruiting-wise, locally?

A: Ravena mentioned that he heard offers from DLSU, NU, and UP, when Aboy Castro was still coach. Nothing from UE, his father's alma mater,and nothing from UST, his mother's alma mater. He didn't mention anything about San Beda or other teams from the NCAA recruiting him either.

Q: Is it true that he and Baser Amer are going to play in the PBA?

A: Smart Gilas is slated to be a guest team in the second conference of the PBA, tentatively scheduled from February 20 to May 15, and Gilas wants those two players (and I'm guessing, another ADMU player, Greg Slaughter) in the line-up. Ravena himself though isn't making a firm commitment just yet.

Q: What's stopping him from playing?

A: Well Gilas would have to clear it with the UAAP first, as joining the PBA might affect his amateur status. After that, they'd have to clear it with Ateneo High School, as that would be finals time and Kiefer is a graduating student. Finally, Ateneo would have to okay it, because I would imagine they wouldn't want him to burn himself out before playing a single collegiate game. Toss in the fact that it might conflict with summer practice and tournaments, and I see the whole thing as unlikely.

Q: How good is ADMU going to be in S74?

A: They're going to be very, very good. In terms of depth, they'll be the deepest team and literally everyone is capable of going off for a big scoring night. Toss in the fact that they have Coach Norman Black at the helm and it'd be foolish not to consider them as the early favorites.

Q: Can they go undefeated?

A: The UAAP is a more competitive league compared to last season's NCAA. FEU could challenge them, as could NU and La Salle. I also think a loss could be good to refocus the team and to keep them fresh. That said, if there's a coach that will use the break afforded by a sweep to maximum effect, it'd have to be Coach Black.

Q: Will Kiefer start?

A: I think that's highly unlikely. I can't see him starting in Monfort's spot because he's not as good at handling the ball, nor can I see Coach Norman Black starting two undersized guards. He might be better off leading the second unit, along with Mark Tallo, with whom he can switch on defensive assignments, letting the taller Tallo guard the SG and Ravena the PG.

Q: Will Kiefer stay the entire five years?

A: He said he'd stick around for four or five years, and there'll always be the super unlikely possibility that a US college does express interest in him, but I think he'll probably stay the entire five years.





Video interview courtesy of Bleachers Brew

It's Official: Kiefer Ravena to ADMU

If you wear blue, it's time to break out the champagne glasses. Exhale in relief, stop crossing your fingers and toes.

The wait is over.

GMA News has broken perhaps the story of the offseason and has gotten confirmation from Bong Ravena that his son, Kiefer, will be playing in the Seniors Division of the UAAP for the Ateneo De Manila University Blue Eagles.

In a text message sent to GMA News reporters, the elder Ravena said:

"It's confirmed. Kiefer wants to stay with Ateneo.""

Easily the most talented prospect in this incoming batch of rookies, Kiefer Ravena had been linked to numerous teams, with rumors having him going to the UP Fighting Maroons, the DLSU Green Archers, the NU Bulldogs, as well as the SBC Red Lions of the NCAA.

There were also some reports that Kiefer was being wooed by US NCAA Division I schools.

The confirmation comes as great news for Ateneo fans, as the Ravena family largely kept mum about their intentions. Many however, felt that Kiefer would stay with the institution that he won three juniors championships for, a sentiment echoed by outgoing ADMU President Fr. Ben Nebres. Athletics director Ricky Palou and Blue Eagles coach Norman Black were also confident that Ravena would join the senior Eagles, but were just waiting for the official word from the Ravenas.

Both Kiefer, and another presumptive Blue Eagle, his high school teammate, Von Pessumal, have been practicing with Ateneo's Team A recently.

It has also been hinted at that Ravena was able to convince or help recruit other HS standouts to enroll with Ateneo, in particular, DLSZ's Gwynne Capacio, and UST's Kevin Ferrer.

Ateneo de Manila University has won three straight championships in the Senior Division, and with Kiefer on the roster, alongside returning players like Kirk Long, Ryan Buenafe, and Nico Salva, coupled with other recruits like the aforementioned Pessumal and Capacio, Greg Slaughter and Mark Tallo Jr., look to have the inside track to a fourth straight title in Season 74.

Ravena, Amer to the PBA?

Here's something unexpected, should the Smart Gilas team be allowed to play in the upcoming PBA conference, the squad could see the addition of two incoming freshmen, Kiefer Ravena and Baser Amer. From the Philippine Star:

"Straight from high school, Kiefer Ravena and Amer Baser would jump straight to pro play should the PBA board allow Smart Gilas’ to take over Barako Bull’s slot in the second conference.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas vice chairman Ricky Vargas said they intend to include the two Phl Youth standouts in the men’s training pool they hope will be allowed to play as guest team in the PBA reinforced tourney.

Ravena and Baser have just completed their eligibility in high school ball with Ateneo and San Beda, respectively.

If ever, they would be the first players to play in the PBA straight from high school since Terry Saldana of Letran."

Patricia Hizon wrote in her blog that the second tournament would be single-elimination and last from February 20 to about May 15. Right now, Gilas is lobbying to be included in the third tournament as well, which would last from about May 20 to around August 19.

One might immediately think that this would undoubtedly improve the two players' games, having to play against professionals (and imports, given that the next two conferences would be import-laden), but past exposure has shown that such is not the case. Despite much trumpeting, Magi Sison and JR Cawaling's games didn't show a lot of improvement from being included in Smart Gilas, due to the fact that the system they run there is quite different from what their college coaches run. And being included on the squads is a lot different from getting actual playing time. I find it hard to see either of the two dislodging JV Casio, Chris Tiu or Mark Barroca, to be specific.

Furthermore, this might even hurt the two players as it means their summer practice with their respective schools will be shortened, or they will feel more tired, having to shuttle back and forth between the PBA and tournaments like the Fil-Oil Preseason Tournament.

Looking ahead, should Gilas get the nod to play for the third conference this year, that means both will miss the first month of their respective collegiate tournaments. Then, should either of them get the nod to play in the Olympic qualifiers, that might mean that they might strongly consider red-shirting their freshman years, due to the large number of absences they will incur. I would imagine there would be quite a few fans in red and blue in uproar over that.

Finally, wouldn't the national team be better off including some of the country's up and coming big men like Arnold Van Opstal, Ray Ray Parks or Brian Organ, considering how the Gilas squad seems to struggle against the big men of opposing teams?

While it is an honor to play for one's national team, it entails a lot of sacrifices, and we'll have to see if the two are willing to make them.

EDITED TO ADD:

Executive Director of SBP Noli Eala tweeted the following this morning:

"Plan to tap HS stars Keiffer n Amer to play 4 Gilas in PBA is gud n well-meaning altho I honestly doubt if it w/ help Gilas at ths time."[sic]

"More importantly, I wonder what d UAAP n NCAA have to say abt this. Hope d 2 boys got the nod to play or they may get into trouble w/ rules."

 I personally think the nod from the collegiate leagues is a given, but the fact that we're asking the question in the first place ought to make people wonder if this is really such a good idea.

More Kiefer Drama

The other day, the in-demand basketball talent known as Kiefer Ravena made more than a few Ateneans scratch their heads when he told reporters after receiving the UAAP Juniors Player of the Year Award that Ateneo Blue Eagles coach Norman Black still hadn't talked to him about staying at home and playing for the Eagles. 

It seems hard to believe that Black, who has made many comments about wanting Ravena to stay, hasn't talked to him, unless Ateneo has some sort of protocol that forbids the coach from talking to potential recruits, perhaps meaning that someone like Ricky Palou is the one doing all the heavy lifting (although admittedly, that's a bit of a stretch).

In addition, Black mentioned before that the school had sent Ravena a letter of offer since October of last year. That's not exactly "a talk" but I think that makes it pretty clear that Ateneo wants him to stay.

Toss in the fact that Ravena and his teammate Von Pessumal have been practicing alongside the Ateneo "A" team since the end of the UAAP season and you'd think that there would be PLENTY of opportunities for Black to give Ravena even a sentence or two showing that he wants the Phenom to stay at home.

Yesterday, in an interview with the Manila Bulletin, Ravena discussed balancing academics and basketball life, before mentioning that the courses he'd like to take up are Management Economics or Psychology.

And as far as I know, the only school that offers both would be...Ateneo De Manila University.

While it's not typical for high school standouts to formally reveal where they're headed before March, at the earliest, a significant amount of people believe that if Ravena would really want to stay an Eagle, he would have said so already. As a result, all this back and forth between the Ravena camp and Ateneo has Blue faithfuls clutching their rosaries.

Animo San Beda Eying Kiefer Ravena

Says AnimoSanBeda.tk, which interviewed San Beda Red Lions coach Frankie Lim:

“Pag-hindi nila kinuha, I think we have to be aggressive. Maraming nag-hahabol sa kanya,” Lim said. “But I think coach Norman (Black) will pursue him. He will keep him in Ateneo. But If Ateneo can’t make him happy, nandito lang ako sa tabi.” [sic]

 The important line there is probably "Pag-hindi nila kinuha." Obviously, should something momentous occur that would cause Ateneo to pass on Ravena (*knock on wood*), San Beda would be just one of the many times that would line up and promise Ravena the moon and the stars.

Links Spam: 01/12/11

• In case you didn't see it, the Philippine Star and GMA News broke the story last night that Bobby Ray Parks will commit to NU for at least 2 seasons.
• The Manila Standard Today wonders when Kiefer Ravena will make up his mind
• The Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote about new coaches Eric Altamirano and Jerry Codinera
• EDITED TO ADD (01/12/11): Says Inboundpass.com: "It is widely believed, however, that Lee would declare himself eligible for the 2011 PBA Draft and forego his last year of collegiate eligibility if Chongson wasn’t rehired." Yowza.  
• EDITED TO ADD (01/12/11): Beth Celis grinds the rumor mill, looking for the next Air 21 coach. In her list she has Junel Baculi, currently running the NU sports program, and Leo Austria, head coach of the Adamson Falcons. Imagine the resultant chaos should either of those two men leave...
• Bleachers Brew has a nice graphic showing the winners of the recent Collegiate Basketball Awards:

Forum Crawl: 01/07/11

A look at various, as of the moment, unconfirmed bits of information, floating around the different hoops forums. 

ITEM! That Ponso Gotladera thing? Pretty much confirmed according to just about everyone. The question still is why? Well, according to "hacksaw", DLSU team management was not satisfied with the progress one of their recruits, necessitating the need for a "Plan B." Going by the logic that a big man replaces another big man, that leaves Arnold Van Opstal and Norberto Torres as the two main candidates...

ITEM! Movement has been made on one of the coaching fronts in the UAAP, according to "Wang-Bu." Supposedly, the UE board voted not to renew the contract of current coach Lawrence Chongson, and have decided to target Jerry Codinera. They'll have to pry him away from his current position as UP assistant coach though...

ITEM! Thanks to some kind Bedan friends of his, "Bahay_Kubo" has dropped some info on where this successful group of Red Cubs are headed. Expect Baser Amer to stay home, Gotladera, as previously mentioned, to head to Taft, Chris Javier to go to Ateneo, and Von Chavez to play for UE.

Additionally, "Bahay_Kubo" feels that UST will keep one of their homegrown talents, Jaypee Sarcia, while King Tiger Cub, Kevin Ferrer, is still deciding between Ateneo and UST...

BLIND ITEM! See if you can identify this prospect, as described by some members of the Blue Eagles Nest.

• "If it were up to me, I'd take him over Gwynne Capacio!"
• Plays the same position as "our juniors Scottie Pippen"
• Won't be a problem academically
• Says one poster, "para naman makabawi tayo kahit paano sa atraso nung 'current school' nya sa atin."
• At the very least, deserves "equal billing" with the Phenom

Hmm....

Kiefer Ravena: The Decision

Image courtesy of GMA News online

Is he or isn't he? Will he or won't he?

Despite Chot Reyes' Tweets, there is still some doubt in the air, as to whether or not Kiefer Ravena will be donning Ateneo blue in Season 74 of the UAAP.

Ateneo's Athletics Director, Ricky Palou, told the Philippine Star earlier today that:

"Yes, he is with Ateneo...He’s been actually working out with the team for the last couple of months already"

In the same article though, he also added:

"We’re confident he’ll come to Ateneo...It is our understanding that if he stays in the Philippines and there are no offers abroad, he’ll play for Ateneo."

Parsing his statements though, it is no guarantee that a player will wind up with the Blue Eagles in spite of months of training with them. For one, no formal agreement can be worked out until the student has graduated and enrolled. Another thing to consider is that Coach Norman Black has open training sessions, meaning any prospective recruit can work out with the Eagles at any time. This philosophy can easily give rise to rumors. For example, last season, many speculated that De La Salle Zobel point guard Nico Elorde would be Ateneo-bound, after seeing him in practice with the Eagles. He would later wind up at DLSU.

The fact that Palou couched his statement as "We're confident..." and "It is our understanding..." means it is not 100% sure yet.

This indecision was further strengthened in a later GMA News report found online, in which Ravena's father, former PBA standout Bong Ravena, issued a statement saying:

“Kiefer will make the announcement this week"

Which may give some hoops fans flashbacks to "The Decision" brouhaha that entangled NBA star Lebron James last summer.

Other nuggets of information from that article include Reyes' confirmation that he was in fact talking about Ravena in his Tweets, if there was any doubt (Reyes says "he got the news from a very reliable source from Ateneo"), and Palou clarifying that the school had a "verbal commitment" from Ravena about playing in Ateneo should there not be any foreign overtures, last October.

In addition to practicing with the Eagles, Ravena is also making appearances at the Smart Gilas practices, along with another standout incoming freshman, San Beda High School's Baser Amer, who is expected to stay at home as well.