San Sebastian shoots for win No. 6

(From Manila Bulletin)

August 2, 2010, 8:25am

Games Monday (The Arena, San Juan)
10 a.m. — SSC-R vs CSB (Jrs)
12 noon — EAC vs Mapua (Jrs)
2 p.m. — SSC-R vs CSB (Srs)
4 p.m. — EAC vs Mapua (Srs)

Expect another gung-ho performance from Calvin “The Beast” Abueva as San Sebastian College goes for win No. 6 and the solo lead against College of St. Benilde Monday in the 86th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

Game time is at 2 p.m. with the Stags, owing to their deeper bench, installed the heavy favorites against the Blazers, who are seeking an end to their two-game skid after winning their initial assignment opposite Arellano University.

The defending champion Stags are hoping for their sixth straight victory that will move them ahead of San Beda College (5-0).

Mapua Institute of Technology tries to follow up its lopsided win against Letran three days ago when the Cardinals mix it up at 4 p.m. against the rejuvenated Emilio Aguinaldo College.

The 6-foot-3 Abueva, who produced a monster game of 16 points and 15 rebounds on top of four steals in the Stags' 72-59 triumph against Jose Rizal University last Friday, will continue to be the prime offensive weapon of San Sebastian.

"He's one reason why we are winning. Even during the practice he plays the same aggressiveness and intensity," Agustin said of Abueva, a Pampanga native, a strong contender for this season's MVP plum.

Marata, Lanete named as week's top collegiate cagers

(From GMA News)

Two players who came from basketball-oriented families unleashed their firepower and towed their respective teams to victories in the UAAP and NCAA men’s basketball tournaments.

Samuel Joseph Marata, nephew of the late Ric-Ric Marata, and Garvo Lanete, younger brother of PBA guard Chico Lanete, were the hands down choice for Players of the Week by the scribes covering the country’s premier collegiate games.

The younger Marata tore a page from his uncle’s gun-slinging ways in the Philippine Basketball Association as he kept his La Salle Archers on target to shoot down archrival and two-time defending champion Ateneo Eagles, 66-63, in their teams’ first encounter in the UAAP this season.

Samuel connected on all his four three-point attempts, including two inside the final minute, as the Archers completed a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

With Marata hitting the lights out, La Salle was able to snap a six-game losing skein against Ateneo dating back 2008.

"I think it was him," said Marata, referring to his uncle regarded as one of the best shooters in the history of local basketball. "Maybe, he guided those shots, that's why it went in."

Lanete, on the other hamd, emerged as the new main gunner of San Beda.

Lanete affirmed the role as his team’s top gun and propelled his squad to four straight victories.

The Lions’ sizzling performance catapulted them on top of the standings alongside defending champion San Sebastian Stags.

Against San Beda’s 77-60 win over fierce rival Letran, Lanete best typified the role of go-to-guy. He knocked in 22 points, highlighted by three triples, as the Lions pulled away and didn’t look back.

His impressive show was more than enough to earn the scribes’ nod and become the NCAA Pres Corps Player of the Week.

“He plays good and knows when to step up. He can deliver big shots at any given time, that’s how good this kid is," said San Beda coach Frankie Lim, whose squad beat Letran for the eighth consecutive time dating back 2007.

Bombers, Cardinals trounce separate foes

(From GMA News)

Defense gave Jose Rizal University (JRU) and Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) easy wins over separate opponents in Friday’s 86th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

Games Monday
(The Arena, San Juan City)
10 am – Arellano vs Perpetual (Jr)
12 nn – San Beda vs Letran (Jr)
2 pm – Arellano vs Perpetual (Sr)
4 pm – San Beda vs Letran (Sr)

Jose Rizal trailed for most of the game but threw a defensive blanket on Perpetual Help in the second half to complete a come-from-behind 78-62 win while Mapua carved out a masterful 73-51 decision over Arellano U in the main event of a double-header.

John Deco Lopez, back after missing the first three games of the season due to a leg injury, paced JRU with 16 points as the Bombers rolled to their third straight win after a 68-52 opening day loss to San Beda.

Alex Almario and JR Bulangis added 12 and 10 markers but it was the do-it-all duo of Marvin Hayes and John Njei who provided the spark for the Vergel Meneses-coached Bombers.

Hayes had 11 points and 10 rebounds while Njei recovered from his slump with an all-around performance of 10 markers, seven assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

However, it was JRU’s defense in the final half that turned things around for the Bombers.

"In the first half, they (Perpetual) were getting the touches and attempts so I told the boys to prevent them from receiving the ball. I’m glad they responded," said Meneses.

PCU recruit George Allen exploded for 16 points in the first half as the Altas enjoyed a 34-29 cushion at the break.
Perpetual Help's Raffy Ynion (left) tries to ward off the pesky defense put up by JRU's Joe Etame during their game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament on Friday at The Arena in San Juan City. GMANews.TV

JRU then tightened up its defense in the second half to make things miserable for Perpetual’s shooters to slowly turn things around.

Allen was held to one point in the final half to finish with 17 while Arnold Danganan had 16 markers as the Altas suffered their fourth straight loss.

Njei stole the thunder from fellow Cameroonian and NCAA Press Corps’ Player of the Week Joe Etame, who was used sparingly in the game. Etame only had two points, two rebounds and two blocks in nine minutes.

"He (Etame) was rushing his shots in the first half when he should’ve taken it strong inside. In fairness, Njei was playing really well on both ends of the court," said Meneses.

In the second game, Mapua gave Arellano U little room to operate as it hammered out a 73-51 decision to notch its second win in three starts. The Chiefs fell to a 1-3 record.

In juniors’ action, RP youth standout Joshua Alolino scored a season-high 36 points as Perpetual Help cruised to a 90-74 win over Jose Rizal while Mapua leaned on Andoy Estrella’s 30-point effort for an 86-66 rout of Arellano.

The old college try

(From Business Mirror)

COLLEGE basketball means different things to different people. And whatever it means to all or any of them, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) definitely rank high in the hierarchy of present-day mania of both leagues’ concerned publics.

Teams regard the start of the season as a “product reveal.” Much like a product launch where the new package is unveiled at a climactic moment. The first playing day is when the team gets to show off not just its new look or its new uniforms, but also its new weapons, its new capabilities (or lack thereof), its new ingredients. The new product, after all, is the result of almost a yearlong process of addition and subtraction, test-drives and torture tests, tweaking and retweaking, and, finally, buffing and polishing for the big day in the only league that matters.

Every season, the product is reconstituted (new recruits come on board), reenergized (perked up and bonded by preseason team building), retweaked (new roles are assigned or identified) and reformulated (a new outlook, a new attitude, perhaps a new coach?). Then the product is unleashed to compete in the free-market place of opinions and ideas. Will the players perform differently under the harsh glare of hard-court lights and the TV cameras? Will they be conscious of the big expectations from critical though supportive alumni? Will they win, or will they lose when they get down to business on the floor?  How will media write about them? It’s for the players and their coaches to make their myths or bust them.

League sponsors look at college leagues differently. For them they are effective, no-fail, expressways to their target markets. Millions of pesos are spent on UAAP or NCAA airtime, promos, sponsorships, collaterals—just to capture the attention and imagination of collegiate ball lovers—mostly kids who are impulse buyers, avowed fanatics and avid supporters of their school teams. And alumni who will fight to the death in defense of the glory of their alma mater, never mind if they behave more like children than their children.

UAAP game days, for example, are invariably like carnival days, with freebies from league sponsors freely distributed at the gates: plastic clappers, foam fingers, fans, balloons, sample products. Fast-food chains, in particular, think up of imaginative promotions to ride on to the UAAP fever. Krispy Kreme had themed doughnuts going for a while—with the sweet calorie traps sporting the various UAAP school colors.

During the Final Four, the more that consumers consumed of doughnuts representing a particular school, the higher that school’s score in Krispy Kreme’s own Final Four competition. Clever, isn’t it? Knowing that supporters of all the schools will never let their schools down. And so they go on consuming.

Jollibee came out with soda-pop bottles sporting the mascots and colors of the various UAAP schools last year, encouraging one and all to collect all eight. This year convenience store Mini Stop has a Buzzer Beater promo that also relies on the consumption of drinks in UAAP-themed glasses. The more drinks you consume, the bigger your chances of landing any of the prizes that will be raffled off.

Even game venues look at their school league customers fondly. The UAAP broke attendance records at The Big Dome last year during the Ateneo-La Salle games. It broke that attendance record some more during the Cheerdance Competition of Season 72.

Thus, game venues like the Araneta Coliseum, PhilSports  Arena and the Filoil Flying V Arena look at collegiate leagues as cool customers. They bring in the market consistently. And the house rocks when they do.

Then there are the die-hard fans, followers, alumni, students and supporters of the various schools. These people can hardly regard their schools objectively. For them there is no other way to watch college ball games unless their hearts beat red and raw and are exposed on their sleeves. These are the people who wear war paint during crucial matches, who wave custom-made banners emblazoned with the names of key players at the crowd after that player scores or blocks an opponent’s shot. Win or lose, right or wrong, the team they support is the best. And opponents beware! These impassioned supporters are ready to wage war on anybody who goes against their choice of team.

Finally, there are those who don’t really care much about the x’s and o’s of a basketball game. For them college ball games are happy hunting grounds for hotties and crushes and every game watched is a toe-curling experience. Connoisseurs not so much of the game but of the men who play them, they have even come up with a list of must-watch and must-cheer-for players who make everything worthwhile. Shrek would not approve, but these teenage señoritas have singled out the most desirable college ball players in Season 73, based largely on looks and sex appeal.

These are, in their school’s alphabetical order: Lester Alvarez, Eric James Camson (Adamson U); Nico Salva, Kirk Long (Ateneo de Manila U); Simon Atkins, Samuel Joseph Marata (De La Salle U); RR Garcia, Jens Knuttel (Far Eastern U); Joseph Hermosisima, Ajeet Singh (National University); Paul Lee, James Martinez (University of the East); Mike Silungan, Alvin Padilla (University of the Philippines); Clark Bautista, Christopher Camus (University of Santo Tomas).

What about you? Why do you watch college basketball?

UAAP vs NCAA coaches: When the game was theirs

(From GMA News)

Imagine this.

One team is made up of two former members of the PBA's All-Defensive team, a former Rookie of the Year winner, an ex-Best Import awardee and a noted gunner during his heyday in the professional league.

The other side is bannered by two former MVP's and members of the PBA's 25 Greatest Players, an ex-PBA heart-throb and member of the league's most popular team, two tough defenders during their stint in Asia's first play-for-pay league.

Make way for your extraordinary starting fives in this season's collegiate games – a fantasy game between your former PBA superstars-turned coaches.

Take your pick: The UAAP coaches (Norman Black, Glenn Capacio, Leo Austria, Dindo Pumaren and Pido Jarencio) versus the NCAA mentors (Vergel Meneses, Ato Agustin, Richard Del Rosario, Frankie Lim and Leo Isaac).

Which team has the better end of the deal once they strut their wares inside the hardcourt?

Black expected to lord it over

"Don't make me laugh. I'm an import. No way the NCAA team can beat us," said Black, who steered San Miguel Beer to a grandslam title in 1989.

"We still play competitive basketball. Me and coach Leo (Austria) were teammates with the Ateneo Basketball League and we're back-to-back champions," added Black.

PBA coaches Yeng Guiao of Air21 and Boyet Fernandez of Sta. Lucia are also convinced Black will make the big difference.

"You can tell Norman is still in tip-top shape because he doesn't have a bulging stomach unlike the other coaches and he still has the build," said Guiao.

"Definitely, UAAP because of coach Norman," said Fernandez. "And they have good balance on the team. They have stoppers in Glen and Dindo and gunners in Pido and Leo."

Sports commentators Chino Trinidad of GMA-7 and Boyet Sison of Hardball, believe Black's presence definitely gives the UAAP coaches the advantage.

"If you remove Norman from the equation, then definitely, we will have a very exciting match up," said Trinidad. "But the more interesting match up is between Meneses and Capacio."

Black had a stellar PBA career both as a player and as a coach.

After suiting up for the Detroit Pistons in the NBA, Black found his way to the PBA where he debuted as Tefilin's import in 1981. The following year, he suited up for San Miguel Beer, which he led to two finals stints capped by an Invitational Conference triumph over Crispa.

He also had stints with Great Taste, Magnolia and Alaska. But it was with San Miguel where the 6-foot-5 import won championships both as a player and coach.

Black also played against other illustrious reinforcements in the PBA such as Billy Ray Bates of Crispa, Andy Fields and Donnie Ray Koonce of Toyota, Lew Massey of Gilbey's Gin, Russel Murray of Tanduay, David Thirdkill of Tanduay/Purefoods, Michael Hackett of Ginebra and seven-time Best import awardee Bobby Parks of Shell.

"I do believe NCAA with Vergel, Ato and Leo has a more balanced team, but Norman will be too much against Richard del Rosario," said Sison.

Like Sison, UAAP sports analyst TJ Manotoc picks the NCAA as well.

"I like the balance on the NCAA team, but I would love to see Vergel and Ato do their thing inside the court," said Manotoc.

Letran coach Louie Alas, whose dream of playing in the PBA was cut short by a career-threatening knee injury in 1990, sees the "dream battle" as anybody's game.

"You have a Norman Black, who has an edge on the UAAP side and you have two former PBA MVPs in Agustin and Meneses on the other side. I think it's anybody’s game," said Alas.

And how would Del Rosario - a 6-foot-4 banger who played for Pepsi, Mobiline and Sta. Lucia - fare against the Old Black Magic?

Imagine Black powering his way inside against Del Rosario, a player who's more than willing to give up his body even without messing up his hairdo.

Known as a role player in the PBA, Del Rosario never backs down to the challenge -- an attitude every coach wants to have on a player. He's one guy who never complains and is more than willing to do the dirty job.

The Aerial Voyager vs Mr. No Nonsense

The match up between 1995 PBA MVP Meneses and Capacio, an eight-time All-Defensive Team member, is certainly a classic. Both went up against each other at the backcourt with Capacio's no nonsense defense, bottling up the usually-prolific Meneses a lot of times.

Capacio played for Purefoods' four championship teams and was a stabilizer, both on offense and defense.

Meneses, on the other hand, blossomed to become one of the PBA's most exciting players. Once denied an opportunity to win the 1992 Rookie of the Year plum, the man known as "The Aerial Voyager" worked on his game and became one of the best one-on-one players in the league. He won three championships while playing for Swift and Sunkist. He also suited up for Barangay Ginebra, FedEx, Talk 'N Text and Red Bull Barako.

The Atom Bomb vs The Fireman

Expect the scoreboard to light up once gunners Agustin and Jarencio go head-to-head.

Curiously, both coaches now are under one PBA team – San Miguel Beer – where they serve as Siot Tanquincen's assistant mentors.

Definitely, basketball fans would love to see the 1992 PBA MVP take on the player regarded in the pro league as: "The Fireman."

Agustin rose to stardom when he carried an injury-plagued San Miguel squad to numerous titles in the 1990s. He was a third-string guard and had to play the spot vacated by Samboy Lim, Hector Calma and Franz Pumaren when all those players were on the sidelines.

Jarencio, too, started as a backup and worked his way in the starting roster of crowd-darling Ginebra. He first played for Great Taste in 1988 as backup to an aging Bernie Fabiosa, then moved to Purefoods the following year where he again came off the bench to Al Solis and Dindo Pumaren in that particular order. He then landed a spot in coach Guiao's 1991 Diet Sarsi squad.

Jarencio's break came when he joined the Robert Jaworski-mentored squad and became the lead combo guard.

When two Leos meet

What about the two Leos – Isaac and Austria?

Isaac was one of Ginebra's glamour boys during the 1980s. A 6-foot-1 point guard, he was able to use his height advantage over smaller counterparts. At a time when illegal defense was still in effect in the PBA to prevent teams from playing zone defense, the former Mapua hotshot was able to thrive and score points while posting up against smaller defenders.

As for Austria, he came at a perfect time when he was the outstanding player playing the point in 1985. He was named Rookie of the Year the same season and able to share minutes with Fabiosa while playing for Shell Azodrin.

The Bullet vs Dangerous Frankie

Well, the two played together in one team for quite sometime.

Pumaren was Purefoods' starting point guard 1993 with Lim as backup. Olsen Racela, who will soon end his outstanding career with San Miguel Beer, was third in the rotation.

But Pumaren and Lim also went head-to-head several times.

Flashback 1990 in the Third Conference. Purefoods was a young team handled by legendary coach Baby Dalupan, who was up against a budding mentor who will later turn out to be one of the best of all time, Tim Cone of Alaska.

Pumaren was on his sophomore year while Lim was already a veteran point guard.

In the conference, Pumaren would celebrate at Lim's expense when the Purefoods team won their first championship.

Pumaren is known for his playmaking skills, while Lim, who started his PBA career with Tanduay in 1981, is regarded for his clutch shooting from beyond-the-arc.

So which side are you? Who’s got the edge? Who do you think will win in this fantasy showdown?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Bombers nip pesky Knights in OT to enter NCAA win column

(From GMA News)

Jose Rizal University flubbed and floundered in regulation, but held steadier in overtime to outlast Letran, 67-62, and barge into the win column of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

The Heavy Bombers blew a five-point lead in regulation play, allowing the Knights to force an extra five-minute stretch.

But they made some crucial stops and hit important baskets from the charity stripes to reward coach Vergel Meneses his first coaching victory in the country’s oldest collegiate tournament.

"I'm happy to get that first win, but not that way. We should have won it in regulation," said Meneses, one of the members of Philippine Basketball Association’s 25 Greatest Players.

Joe Etame, the 6-foot-7 Cameroonian, finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds. He had four points in overtime while the Heavy Bombers held the Knights to just a field goal to secure their first win in two games.

Rookie Mark Lopez had 12 points and seven rebounds and Marvin Hayes contributed 10 points and 10 boards before fouling out in the final canto.

The Heavy Bombers appeared on their way to secure the win in the regulation period after JR Bulangis nailed a triple that pushed JRU to a 57-52 lead, 1:44 left.

But the Knights refused to throw in the white towel as JP Belencion drained a three-pointer to cut the lead to two. In the next play, Franz Dysam forced Heavy Bombers' Alex Almario to a jump ball and the Knights got the ball back because of possession arrow.

Belencion muffed a potential game-winning triple but Andre Pantin grabbed the rebound and scored on a putback with 3.2 seconds to force the overtime.

Kevin Alas, who missed Letran’s opening-day, losing match to San Sebastian, 53-59, showed up Monday with a cast on his right ankle. But he played in pain and finished with 18 points on a lethargic 5-for-17 shooting from the field.

Belencion had eight points, but made only 3-of-14 from the floor. Jam Cortes had eight points and 10 rebounds, but was on the bench during the latter part of the contest because of cramps.

JRU led 26-16 in the second quarter, but Letran rallied back and eventually tied the game at 29-all at the half.

The Knights, then, grabbed a 40-35 lead with 3:32 left in the third on a basket by Cortes. The team lost the lead two minutes later when a putback by Lopez gave the Heavy Bombers a 42-40 advantage.

Blazers stun Chiefs, 70-64

(From GMA News)

Playing with an inferior frontline, College of St. Benilde relied on its speed and outside shooting to surprise Arellano, 70-64, for a strong start in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

The Blazers, who finished seventh last season, got the much-needed lift from former RP U-18 team member Mark de Guzman, Carlo Lastimosa and lanky Jan Tan to stun the fancied Chiefs.

De Guzman finished with 14 points, five rebounds and nine assists while Lastimosa scored all of his 13 points in the second half. Tan, meanwhile, had a double-double performance with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

St Benilde won its fourth consecutive opening-day match dating back 2007, two of them came from coach Richard del Rosario.

"The guys have a lot of energy. I feel this is a more-talented team compared to my team last season. But this is a young team, so the players have the tendency to commit mistakes. I'm hoping they would mature as the season goes on," said Del Rosario.

The Blazers squandered a 47-37 lead midway the third quarter as Isiah Ciriacruz hit back-to-back triples to cap a 13-3 run and knot the count at 50-all.

But the Taft-based cagers answered back by hitting three consecutive treys -- the first from RJ Argamino, second from Ralph Nayve and third from De Guzman – as the Blazers got their second wind and another sizeable lead, 59-50, with less than two minutes in the third.

The Chiefs, who beat the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals last June 27, made a last-ditch stand of a rally when Jerald Lapuz hit five straight points to pull his team to within 64-66 with 4:10 to go.

But Lastimosa scored on an alley-hoop play - a play similar to the one being done by his uncle, cage great Jojo Lastimosa, during his heydays in the PBA.

That set up a strong finish for St. Benilde, which kept Arellano grounded and without a basket the rest of the way.

The Blazers hit nine three-pointers while grabbing 38 rebounds, three more than the Chiefs.

"We switched to a zone defense because they have a lot of slashers, so good thing we were able to execute defensively, " said Del Rosario.

But the match had its ugly ending.

With only four seconds left and the game already decided, De Guzman hit Lapuz on the face with the basketball, creating a near altercation. The St. Benilde cager was assessed with a technical foul.

Lapuz finished with 16 points and five rebounds while Celada added 13 points, four rebounds and three assists.