FilOil 2012 - April 14 box scores

Box scores for ADMU over CSJL, SBC over DLSU and NU over JRU, under the cut

FilOil Random Thoughts - Gameday April 14, 2012

ADMU vs CSJL

• Ateneo lost three of their four best perimeter defenders to graduation, Kirk Long, Emman Monfort and Bacon Austria. Their ability to stop trigger-happy guards immediately gets tested as they go up against the likes of Mark Cruz, Kevin Alas, and Kevin Racal. Can Juami Tiongson, Kiefer Ravena, Tonino Gonzaga, and new Eagles Kiefer Lim and Nico Elorde pick up the slack?
• That said, Kevin Alas is still questionable for today's game. 

Game Day! Hope I can play! Arriba Letranista!
— Kevin Louie Alas (@kevinlouiealas) April 14, 2012

• The Greg Slaughter (13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) - Raymond Almazan (7.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) match-up could decide the game. If Slaughter gets into attack mode early and gets Almazan into foul trouble, that opens up the interior for Ateneo's slashers. 
• Another intriguing match-up will be Nico Salva (13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 47.15% FG shooting) against Jam Cortes (12.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 49.48% FG shoting). Salva will drag Cortes to the perimeter, where he's got the advantage, but on the flipside, Cortes can punish Salva by backing him into the post. 
• Ateneo has a hard time with physical defenses, as seen in their struggles against San Sebastian in the PCCL. Letran plays a similar kind of defense, though they do not have an all-around Calvin Abueva type who can stop multiple positions. Time to see if the Eagles have learned from that thrashing. 

SBC vs DLSU

• Player most likely to excel under new head coach Ronnie Magsanoc: Baser Amer (18.5 minutes, 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.9 steals). Amer had a hard time adjusting to then-head coach Frankie Lim's system, which saw him constantly checking over his shoulder to see what play he needed to run on that specific possession. If Magsanoc is more willing to let Amer get creative and run wild, he could put up near his high school numbers average of 11.7 assists
• Player most likely to excel under new head coach Gee Abanilla: Joshua Webb (9.6 minutes, 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists). Last season saw Webb post his worst numbers since his rookie year, as then-head coach Dindo Pumaren buried him on the bench. We saw glimpses of this already in the PCCL, when the Archers turned Webb loose, allowing him to post several double-digit scoring games  (13.75 points through 4 games. When they got knocked out versus Letran, he tellingly only tallied 6 markers). Webb in transition and coming off the weak side is tons better than the catch-and-shoot Webb we saw in Season 74
• The last time these two teams played, San Beda needed a game-winner by Garvo Lanete to come out on top, 70-68.
• No Arnold Van Opstal for La Salle, as he's still nursing an injury. That leaves Norbert Torres, Papot Paredes, Yutien Andrada, Jovet Mendoza and Ponso Gotladera to go up against Ola Adeogun. 

Missing out on filoil due to a torn hamstring. Sorry to the fans and supporters, very unfortunate and ill timed.
— Arnold van Awesome (@Arnoldvanopstal) April 3, 2012

• Intriguing rookie match-up: Julius Armon versus Jeron Teng. Of course, Armon has several years on Teng, plus experience playing in the Fr. Martin Cup, while Teng is fresh from high school, though to his credit, he has played in international competition. Still, Armon is much more of a polished product at this point than Teng that this could get out of hand should they face off one-on-one. 

NU vs JRU

• The last time these two teams played, it was in the PCCL and a Bobby Ray Parks-less NU team fell 66-62 to a complete JRU squad.
• NU's biggest weakness, an average of 19.14 turnovers per game, happens to be JRU's strength, 21.58 turnovers forced for 18.37 turnover points. If the Heavy Bombers defense can disrupt the undersized NU point guards, Cedrick Labing-isa, Robin Rono, Gelo Alolino, and rookie JJ Alejandro, this could be a long game for the Bulldogs
• Intriguing match-up: John Villarias (10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals) versus Bobby Ray Parks (20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals).

PCCL 2011 - NU vs JRU

Three Up

• JRU knew exactly what to do on defense, sending guys sprinting back down the court after made shots, while keeping an eye out to intercept any outlet errant outlet passes. It didn't always work, NU still got 13 transition attempts and 14 transition points, but in comparison to the Bulldogs' first three games, it was enough for the Bombers to get the win. 
• The big men of JRU also did a good job on Emmanuel Mbe for most of the game. In the first half, the Cameroonian center was held to just 4 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block on a team-high 14 minutes of play and had accumulated 2 personal fouls. Mbe would explode in the third quarter for 4 minutes, before foul trouble sat him down again, but in the final period, he had just 2 points in 8 minutes.
• Balanced scoring on the part of JRU meant they were difficult for NU to stop. Though only John Lopez finished with double-digit points, 10, the fourth placers in the NCAA then had two players with eight points each, four players with seven, and then one with six.

Three Down

• NU had gotten back to back easy drives into the lane by Jeoffrey Javillonar to cut NU's lead down to 63-62, but after Nate Matute's split at the line made it a two-point game, the Bulldogs coaching staff made the curious move of subbing in Reden Celda, who had not played at all in the fourth quarter up to that point, and letting him attempt the game-tying layup. Celda's move wound up being short, and JRU was able to win. Perhaps they were going for the element of surprise there, but Celda was coming in ice cold, while Javillonar had already scored 8 in the period. It just strikes me as an odd move, though had it gone in, it would have obviously been a huge deal. 
• Talk about your bad shooting days. JRU's star rookie John Villarias was a miserable 3 of 15 from the field for 8 points. It wasn't as if he were shut down too, Villarias simply missed a lot of shots he normally makes. 
• Alex Almario played a game-high 38 minutes, the only player in fact, to log more than 30. Think it affected his play? Almario played the entire fourth quarter and had nothing to show for it, zeroes in every stat, except for turnovers, where he had two.   

Random Notes

• This up-tempo NU squad played a lot better than the half-court oriented team we saw in the UAAP (they were ranked 6th in the league in fastbreak attempts and points), but unfortunately, they didn't survive long enough for us to see them try to integrate Bobby Ray Parks in the mix.
• There's a rumor that these players, plus Parks, will form the core of the NU team next season, meaning Joseph Terso, Spencer Eman, Jul-Ashri Ignacio, Robby Celiz, and Marion Magat are all off Team A. That's certainly more believable than the similar rumor that had every NU player on a D-League roster being off the team. 
• JRU's Ralph Monserrat was productive in the time he spent on the floor, though he did accumulate four fouls in 16 minutes. With John Montemayor graduating, Monserrat will likely see an uptick in minutes next year. He'll need to bulk up though, because he lacks a lot of heft compared to Montemayor.

 

PCCL 2011 - NU vs JRU

PCCL 2011 - Metro Manila Knockout Games Primer

November 8:

2pm: NAASCU Champion University of Manila Hawks versus ISAA Champion Technological Institute of the Philippines Engineers

UM Hawks	TIP Engineers
#4 Rivera, Andrew	#18 Acebo, Leonard Ray
#5 Torres, Eugene	#11 Banez, Jaime Jr.
#6 Bonleon, Alvin Andrew	#9 Dela Punta, Darwin
#7 Ruiz, Clemente	#5 Espanola, Ramon Angelo
#8 Garcia, Jose Luis	#12 Gonzales, Runel
#9 Flores, Amante	#16 Martinez, Vergel
#10 Ancheta, Jerry	#6 Medina, Kimley
#11 Viernes, Jeff Alvin	#15 Morillo, Jefferson
#12 Manuel, Jay-Ar	#17 Namocatcat, Jemuel
#14 Gonzales, Jayson	#13 Osicos, Khenn
#15 Guti-Ay, Salvador	#5 Paulo, Sean Francis
#16 Eneria, Michael	#14 Perez, Paulo
#17 Ibay, Jayson	#7 Uy, Alistine
#18 Castro, Sherwin	#4 Viernes, Mark Jesus
#19 Serrano, Jerald
Head Coach: Ferdinand Castillo	Head Coach: Bong Arroyo

4pm: NCAA Fifth Placer Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates versus UAAP Fifth Placer National University Bulldogs

LPU Pirates	NU Bulldogs
#14 Anacta, Aaron	#4 Alolino, Gelo
#4 Azores, Arwin	#13 Celda, Reden
#9 Cayabyab, Chris	#8 Celiz, Robby
#6 Francisco, Mark	#12 Eman, Spencer
#12 Guevarra, Floricel	#7 Ignacio, Jul-Ashri
#17 Ko, Shane	#5 Javillonar, Jeoffrey
#7 Lacap, Jan	#17 Khobuntin, Glenn
#13 Laude, Vence	#11 Labing-isa, Cedrick
#10 Lesmoras, Tirso	#10 Magat, Marion
#11 Mallari, Gian	#14 Mbe, Emmanuel
#18 Napiza, Onofre	#16 Neypes, Kyle
#5 Ong, Jerome	#15 Parks, Bobby Ray
#16 Pascual, Faustine	#19 Rono, Robin
	#9 Singh, Ajeet
	#6 Terso, Joseph
	#18 Villamor, Denice
Head Coach: Bonnie Tan	Head Coach: Eric Altamirano

November 9:

2pm: MNCAA Champion Centro Escolar University Scorpions versus UCLAAI Champion St. Francis of Assisi Doves

CEU Scorpions	St. Francis of Assisi Doves
Magbitang, John Paul	#4 Guevarra, Ronoel
Paralo, Mark Jerwin	#5 Castro, Lawrence Paolo
Chua, Kim Dernard	#6 Santiago, Paul Jordan
Akpa, Thankgod	#7 Paday, Joeseph
Gallardo, Ryan	#8 Parcero, Lance Kervin
Garcia, Axl Jeff	#10 Melano, Jayson
Navarro, Jan Sebastian	#11 Castanos, Jonathan
Anain, Aldreen Lorenz	#14 Soriano, Jorel
Tuazon, Lester John	#15 Martin, Francis
Babad, Leymund	#17 Rote, Denver
Lobaton, Leeward	#19 Milo, Joseph
Bernardo, John Andrew	#20 Pranillos, Seron
Banua, Carmelito	#21 Monzon, Ephraim
	#22 Sabad, John Paul
Head Coach: Mon Jose	Head Coach: Gabby Velasco

4pm: UAAP Sixth Placer De La Salle University Green Archers versus NCAA Sixth Placer Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals

DLSU Green Archers	MIT Cardinals
#6 Torres, Norbert	#7 Abad, Michael
#7 Van Opstal, Arnold	#8 Banal, Jonathan
#8 Mendoza, Jovet	#9 Nimes, Josan
#9 Sara, Roldan	#10 Stevens, Andretti
#10 Webb, Joshua	#11 Taha, Yousef
#11 Reyes, Martin	#12 Magsigay, Darel
#12 Revilla, LA	#15 Parala, Mike
#15 Gotladera, Ponso	#16 Chien, Jumiel
#16 Marata, Joseph	#17 Ighalo, Kenneth
#17 Vosotros, Almond	#18 Cantos, Jeson
#18 Paredes, Papot
#21 Dela Paz, Luigi
#22 Tampus, Jarelan
Head Coach: Tyrone Bautista	Head Coach: Chito Victolero

The winners of each game will play the other same day winner on November 10 with the November 8 teams facing off at 2pm, and the November 9 squads at 4pm. The winners there will move on to Sweet 16 spots in the Luzon-Metro Manila bracket.

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: NU vs UST

History Lesson: 
"Welcome to the UAAP, Bobby Ray Parks." Held to just 5 of 20 shooting for 16 points, Parks found himself shutdown by former rookie of the year Jeric Teng, who spent the game shadowing his much-hyped defensive assignment. As a result, Parks had to give up the ball when he had a chance to win the game in regulation, but former Tiger Cub Cedrick Labing-isa's attempt was off the mark. Then at the end of the extra five minutes, Teng absorbed the contact from Parks' drive, forcing the Bulldog to alter his shot and miss, giving UST the 73-72 win.
(Recap here)


What's at Stake:

• At 5-8, the NU Bulldogs are out of contention for a Final Four spot, but have resolved to end the season on a positive note, to establish momentum heading into next season.
• 8-5 FEU

NU Stat to Watch : Versus the DLSU Green Archers, NU was able to get their best defensive effort, holding their opponents to just 24.62 percent field goal shooting, a season-best for the Bulldogs. They were also able to prevent the other team from getting to the line, conceding single-digit free throws for the fourth time in five outings. If they can bring that sort of play to the table versus UST then they should be competitive again.
NU Player to Watch : Parks carried the scoring load against La Salle, but the question is if he can do it again against the guy who shut him down in round one. In that first round meeting, Parks drew only eight trips to the line, as he mostly settled for outside shots. If he starts taking it to the rim or gets out in transition, Teng will have a hard time keeping up with him, especially if he gets tagged with a few fouls.

UST Stat to Watch : After three straight games of giving up single-digit fastbreak attempts, the Tigers conceded 13 to FEU, a team not known for running, and it nearly killed them, as the Tams scored 20 points. Despite some great athletes, NU is actually not much of a running team, averaging 8.31 transition points a game, but if the coaching staff decides to let the dogs run wild, UST better look out.
UST Player to Watch : In his UAAP debut, Karim Abdul was a bit of a disappointment, tallying five points and three rebounds in 21 minutes before fouling out. Since then though, Abdul has become a huge factor in the UST game, and is perhaps the big reason for their success this season. With him out, after getting hit with a one-game suspension for accumulating two unsportsmanlike fouls, that leaves a big hole in the Tigers interior, especially with Melo Afuang sidelined while recovering from surgery.

Prediction: NU Bulldogs

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: DLSU vs NU

History Lesson:
These two teams traded runs back and forth early in the game, but La Salle seemingly made one that even NU would have a hard time dealing with, dropping a 16-2 bomb in the middle of the second period that put the Bulldogs down 59-36 at the halftime break. But after NU head coach Eric Altamirano was forced to sit Emmanuel Mbe and Bobby Ray Parks due to foul trouble, the Archers suddenly hit a wall, finishing the third period with a mere two points. The drought continued three minutes into the fourth, as NU baskets towed them to within seven points, 61-54, but by then the Archers finally roused, and coupled with the ineffectiveness of a returning Parks, the Bulldogs bowed out of this one, 74-63 (Recap here) 


What's at Stake:

• This is out of the De La Salle Green Archers' hands, as their 5-7 record merely means that any further loss in their remaining two encounters or just one more UST loss equals an early vacation for their centennial team.
• The NU Bulldogs were unceremoniously dumped by the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles last Saturday, held to a piddling 39 points and eliminated from postseason play. All that's left for NU is to try to position Parks as the MVP, and possibly scoring an upset or two. 

DLSU Stat to Watch : After a six-game stretch where the Archers averaged just 11 points from the foul line, aggressive play in the second-half by DLSU got them 19 made charities on 31 attempts. Of course, with all their attacking, they were able to sit down Alinko Mbah and open the paint to their bigs. True, when they pulled this trick off in the first round it resulted in Glenn Khobuntin going nuts,
DLSU Player to Watch : The turnover prone NU Bulldogs have the leading swiper standing against them in this game, LA Revilla (1.8 a game). In their first meeting, Revilla made a career-high six steals, which the Archers easily converted into points. While his minutes have experienced a severe downtick since then, he'll still have plenty of opportunities against the likes of Gelo Alolino and Joseph Terso.

NU Stat to Watch : Out of the 39 point debacle versus Ateneo, Mbe and Parks accounted for 20 of those points, with everyone else combining for 19. NU got 21 points from Glenn Khobuntin in the first round version of this game by his lonesome. So will this be a one-man, maybe two-man show again, or will the supporting cast actually come to play again?
NU Player to Watch : Floor-stretching forward Denice Villamor is so ridiculously hit or miss. He has four double-digit games, perhaps the most among the NU supporting cast, but he has an equal number of 0-point games. NU could use his shooting to draw a Papot Paredes or Norbert Torres to the outside, or force DLSU to shuffle back in Maui Villanueva, if you know, he actually connects on his attempts.

Prediction: NU Bulldogs

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: NU vs ADMU, ADU vs UST

High five - NU couldn't score on the Ateneo quintet, dropping out of Final Four contention (pic source)

ADMU 61 - NU 39
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : The flashy part of this yeoman like defensive extravaganza? Nico Salva, tallying 14 points on 6o f 10 shooting, plus seven boards, two assists and a block. Of course, two of those points came on that showtime-esque slam from Kiefer Ravena's over the head pass, and his registered block was a huge rejection of Bobby Ray Parks.

NU Positives :

• NU's 2-3 zone confused Ateneo. For about a quarter, a quarter and a half at most. 

NU Negatives :

• The Bulldogs' offense only looks explosive when they're up against UE and UP, it seems. It ran into a brick wall versus Ateneo, as they were held to a pathetic 39 markers, a record it seems, for as much as people can remember in the UAAP. NU missed all seven of their triples, and made a paltry 16 field goals. 
• NU didn't do themselves any favors by turning the ball over 25 times, five from Parks, and four each from Robby Celiz and Glenn Khobuntin. Khobuntin's stint stands out particularly, as according to the official stat sheet, he only played six minutes.
• Parks' failed attempt to dunk on the last possession. Not only did he miss, he came down limping, asking to be subbed out. That's probably why you don't play your best players late into blowouts.

ADMU Positives :

• Despite just a day between this and a surprisingly tight (early on, that is) second Battle of Katipunan, Ateneo managed to show off their defense to the hilt, posting a little piece of history to boot. 
• The Eagles broke the zone the way they know how, by forcing turnovers and scoring before the opponents set up. That led to 13 fastbreak points and 23 turnover points for the defending champs, compared to just six and eight respectively for NU. 
• It was a team effort once again, as four different Blue Eagle starters finished in double-digits. And though Emman Monfort was the odd man out, with just two points, he did get six rebounds, six assists and four steals.

ADMU Negatives :

• 3 of 20 three-point shooting is pretty bad, but about par for course for Ateneo's shooters. Two came from Kiefer Ravena, proving that he can shoot from long-range (though he'll need seven tries), but surprisingly, Tonino Gonzaga went 0 for 3 in this game, despite ample opportunity.
• In the overwhelming win, Ateneo piled on the points despite not making less free throws (6 to 7, with both teams shooting nine) and getting out-rebounded 42-40, and 11-9 on offensive rebounds. 

A hand in your face - Adamson jumpers could not connect in the second half (pic source)

UST 74 - ADU 58
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Jeric Teng was 0/4 from the field, 1/4 from the foul line in a dismal first half, but the former rookie of the year bounced back in a big way in the second half, finishing with 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting, to help ignite a UST comeback along with backcourt-mate Jeric Fortuna. Teng also added eight boards and six assists, while his defense picked up a notch or two in the second half, contributing to the woes of Adamson's shooters.

ADU Positives :

• The Falcons were able to get one of their signature hot starts, but this is the second time this season that they were unable to sustain it (the first being the NU loss in round one)
• As mentioned above, Jeric Teng was shadowed pretty well in the first half, missing everything including free throws. Where that defense went to in the second half, I have no idea.
• Adamson reverted to its style of play from last season, getting nine steals in the first half, and converting those into 20 turnover points. Unfortunately, once those easy baskets dried up, so too did Adamson.

ADU Negatives :

• Head coach Leo Austria mentioned after the UP win that his boys played lazy basketball because they were looking for a big game. Apparently, they didn't seem to think this counted as one, being content with a first half lead, only to see it vanish in the fourth period. 
• When panic settled in and head coach Leo Austria burned his last timeout in the fourth, the Falcons looked like headless chickens running around. Instead of running pick and rolls, screen, or anything that would get them a high percentage shot, the Falcons jacked up nine triple attempts. This was despite the fact that the lead was just 10 and they had about five minutes to go. Of course, once UST got the ball, they started nailing treys, and things blew up in the faces of the Adamson team.
• Adamson took a whopping three attempts in the paint in the second half. THREE.

UST Positives :

• Head coach Pido Jarencio wanted his team to not give up in the second half, perhaps having seen before how this Adamson team can go from hot to not in a span of a quarter. His players redoubled their efforts, and it paid off, as they were able to overhaul the lead in the second half. 
• UST took much better care of the ball in the second half and the result was a mere six points in transition, zero off turnovers, cutting off the Falcons' source of easy points in the first half.
• Aside from Teng, three other Tigers, Abdul, Fortuna and Camus, scored in double figures. That's the sort of team play UST will need going forward.

UST Negatives :

• UST's flat start nearly left Coach Jarencio apoplectic. Versus FEU, the Tigers cannot expect that they can simply make comebacks when they want to, and should instead come out competitive from the opening tip.
• Adamson was actually in a good position at the start of the third, with three fouls each on Chris Camus and Karim Abdul, unfortunately, their reliance on jump shots prevented them from exploiting the foul trouble, keeping Camus and Abdul on the court where they hurt the Falcons. Any other team would have tried to fish for those fouls. Camus in particular, seemed to go after every shot, seemingly fishing for whistles. Smarter teams will exploit that weakness and send him to the bench early.  

UAAP Picking Record: 36-12

UAAP S74: NU vs ADMU

What happened before:
The Ateneo Blue Eagles went out and played team ball, getting turnovers and running the break to drub the NU Bulldogs 86-62 in their third game of the season. Tight Ateneo defense held Bobby Ray Parks to just 20 points, three at halftime, eight at the end of three quarters, as Parks only got going against the third stringers. That alone won them the game, as Emmanuel Mbe and Gelo Alolino could not carry the Bulldogs on their own, though they did try. Mbe scored 10 straight to make it 21-17, Ateneo, but he hit foul trouble early and had to be sat down, allowing the Eagles to romp away for a 38-20 halftime lead. Alolino on the other hand, got a four point play in the third period but that only got the Eagles fired up as they closed the period with four triples of their own. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• At 4-7, the NU Bulldogs need to sweep their remaining three games and hope UST loses all of their remaining assignments to force a playoff for the fourth spot. NU's also going to be looking for some payback after Ateneo smashed them in the first round, and if they can deny the Blue Eagles a sweep at the same time, then why not?
• After defeating the UP Fighting Maroons, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are now 12-0, two games away from a first round sweep. Should they fail to sweep though, it won't affect Ateneo, as they've already clinched the top seed.

NU Stat to Watch : Indicators that NU's winning a game? At least for the second round, it's been more turnover points (18.5 in wins, 11.5 in losses) and points in the paint (20 in wins, 14.5 in losses). If they can outscore Ateneo in those two areas they may have a chance at pulling out an upset.
NU Player to Watch : After many people hyped their first round encounter as Bobby Ray Parks versus Kiefer Ravena, Parks met Kirk Long's defense head-on and...crumbled, as he scored just three points at the half, and eight total before Long got to sit out the fourth period. No doubt, he'll look to bounce back after this game, with the added sweetener that a win would go a long way in improving his chances of winning MVP.

ADMU Stat to Watch : Post-DLSU games are always tough for Ateneo, and that was clearly seen here as the Blue Eagles shot their worst percentage from the stripe, 17 of 27 (62.96 percent) and had their most turnovers, 22, since the first DLSU game. If they're going to beat NU, they simply cannot afford to play that sloppily.
ADMU Player to Watch : Justin Chua could not contain Emmanuel Mbe in their first round encounter, but the fourth year center has grown by leaps and bounds since then, regaining the confidence he seemingly did not have early in the season. Together with Greg Slaughter, if the two can get Mbe into foul trouble early, that will create huge problems for NU, and it's something they ought to take advantage of if the opportunity presents itself.

Prediction: ADMU Blue Eagles

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: NU vs UP

History Lesson:
The first encounter between these two teams was a game of runs, with NU getting off early to a 14-1 lead behind Bobby Ray Parks and Glenn Khobuntin. UP then stabilized and flipped the script in the second quarter, as Jett Manuel and Jelo Montecastro turned a 24-15 first quarter deficit into a 43-40 halftime score, thanks to some big shots and transition scores. 19 second quarter points from Parks decided the affair though, as UP could not muster enough offense to answer back, losing 75-66. The reserve M&M (Montecastro and Manuel) combined for 33 points and six assists, but Parks' 30 and 10 off the bench from Emmanuel Mbe was too much to handle for UP. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• At 3-6, NU has an outside shot at forcing a tie for the fourth place if a team like DLSU or UST collapses really fierce. That's really a stretch though, and would require the Bulldogs to win all of their remaining assignments, while hoping one of the remaining 4-4 teams loses all of their games.
• UP is out of the running for a Final Four spot at 2-7, but they have plenty to be happy about especially in the light of last year's winless season. That essentially gives them no pressure in these last few games, which the coaching staff can also use for evaluation purposes, giving out minutes to some of the less-used players.

NU Stat to Watch : In NU's three wins this season, the common thread was the Bulldogs' perimeter defense, sort of. Versus UP and Adamson in the first round and UE in the second, NU allowed them to make an average of 22.67 triples, but surrendered just 3.33 makes, or 14.69 percent from downtown.
NU Player to Watch : Emmanuel Mbe's had double-digit rebounding for the past four games, accounting for nearly a third of NU's rebounds in that period. Against UP though in the first round, Mbe was held to just three rebounds in a 15 minute period, while his counterpart on the other side, Alinko Mbah, dominated the paint with 13 rebounds and two blocks. Mbe will likely want to bounce back against him, not just defensively, but on offense as well after his 3 for 13 game against the Falcons.

UP Stat to Watch : The Maroons like to do things the hard way instead of the easy way, and by that I mean they're the team that attempts the most three-pointers at 22.22 a game, and conversely, makes the fewest free throws at just 9.11 a game. That reliance on low-percentage shots takes its toll on the UP offense, as they're second to the last in points scored, norming just 61.44 a game.
UP Player to Watch : Mike Silungan continues to be a flawed player, putting out good averages, 12.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks, but his shooting percentages are horrible, 33.85 percent from the field, 17.65 percent from beyond the arc, and just 34.62 percent from the free throw line! And despite the blocks, he can't really guard anyone, meaning the Maroons will need to put someone like Miggy Maniego on Parks to slow him down. 


Prediction: NU Bulldogs

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

UAAP S74: ADU vs NU

History Lesson:
Despite jumping out to a 20-10 first quarter, the Adamson Falcons saw the NU Bulldogs slowly reel them back in, before a tip-in and an open trey by Denice Villamor gave the Bulldogs a five-point lead with 23.9 seconds left. The Falcons though got a huge chance for a come from behind win when Ajeet Singh was called for an elbow, giving Alex Nuyles charities, plus possession. Unfortunately, the talented swingman could only spit the freebies, and then turned the ball over on the bonus possession, handing the win to NU, 63-56. Emmanuel Mbe's double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds powered NU to just their second win of the first round, making up for just seven markers by Bobby Ray Parks. Alex Nuyles and Eric Camson combined for 28 points, as the Falcons shooters suffered a 4 for 22 off-night from downtown. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• For the 6-2 Adamson Falcons, revenge must be on their minds. After the loss, La Salle and UP tried to do what NU did, throwing up a 2-3 zone at the Falcons, but Adamson responded by shooting 42.63 percent from long-range in those three games, proving that the drought against NU was more of a fluke than anything else. A win would also put a ton of distance between them and the cluster of 4-4 teams, strengthening their hold on one of the two twice-to-beat advantages.
• The 3-5 NU Bulldogs have a slim chance to break into the final four when the dust settles, but they'll need to win out to get there (though the slumping Archers and Tams are helping them out). The Bulldogs were unable to build on their win against Adamson the first go-around, but dealing another loss to the team that's become a favorite for the Finals will definitely lift their spirits.

ADU Stat to Watch : The Bulldogs are the worst rebounding team in the league, averaging just 39.38 boards a game, but Adamson is right there with them at 39.5. The Bulldogs edged them out in their round one encounter, 40 to 36, with both sides getting the same amount of offensive rebounds. With the emergence of Rodney Brondial in their game versus DLSU, odds are good that Adamson will be the ones winning that category this time.
ADU Player to Watch : Where Lester Alvarez goes, so goes his team. Alvarez had just six points on 2 of 11 shooting versus NU in round one, and came up empty in the fourth quarter versus DLSU in round two, when the Archers unleashed their huge rally. If NU tries to zone again, Alvarez will be needed to hit triples, otherwise, it will be a repeat of their last encounter.

NU Stat to Watch : The Bulldogs continue to lead the league in giving up points in the paint, 37 a game, at a fifty percent clip. That's interesting, seeing as how the Falcons are last in the league in scoring points in the paint, norming just 24.75 an encounter. Adamson had just 22 in their first meeting, but who's to say the Falcons don't get clever and try to exploit their disadvantage?
NU Player to Watch : After a disappointing performance in their first five games, Emmanuel Mbe has tallied three straight double-doubles, averaging 16.67 points and 13 rebounds after seeing a jump in minutes from 26.4 to 31.67. The one precaution though would be that two of those games came against the undersized UE Red Warriors, so we'll still have to see how he performs against the top-tier teams.

Prediction: ADU Falcons