Are the Archers beginning to feel the effect of 2006?

June 1, 2010 | 11:55 pm | By |

The Green Archers are currently on a slump in the preseason and lately, the team has been getting a lot of flak from avid followers online. With two consecutive blowout losses after a two-week training stint abroad, many are beginning to doubt the team’s chances to improve on their low finish last season. Readers who post their respective take on the situation often cite the Archer’s lack of height, experience and sometimes, even their drive to win.

Going through the comments, I can’t agree more with one reader who said that people don’t seem to realize that the suspension in 2006 is now hurting the team. One might ask how a year out of the league can hurt the team today especially that they even won the title upon their return. It seems to be a case of a delayed reaction, something which no one could have foreseen after our successful return.

A year off from the UAAP is nothing especially if your team is still strong. That was the case in 2007 when the Green Archers still had their court-savvy, championship-tested players still at the helm. With these veterans’ getting extended eligibility, La Salle remained competitive for the first two seasons after the suspension.

The aftermath was not felt immediately but it sure seems to be now. If we look closely, the suspension did have its pluses in the short term but the tradeoff in the long run affected the overall balance of the team today.

It was in the area of leadership that the team was most affected, although it took a while for the problem to surface. In the past, it took at least 2 years for leaders-in-waiting to gain enough experience and confidence under the mentorship of veterans before they could assume the role of team leader. Players like Joseph Yeo, Macmac Cardona, and Junjun Cabatu played in the shadows of more experienced teammates before they could effectively act as coaches-on-the-floor in their final playing years. While they were gifted and showed their potential in their early years, they did not lead until they had accumulated enough experience and judgment to gain the trust of their fellow Archers.

In 2007 when we returned from suspension, we had Ty and Cholo who stayed an additional year to lead the team to the championship. The following year, the mantle of leadership was inherited by JV and Rico, and they steered the team to a second place finish. However, with no acting as their understudies, last year saw the Archers unable to keep their in-game focus when the going got tough.

This year, there are no role models or leaders for our players to emulate or learn from. It’s almost like the more senior players have to learn how to be leaders all from scratch. We have gifted players, but talent or experience does not necessarily translate to leadership. Leaders naturally want to lead, but they must learn leadership from those who have been leaders, what works and what doesn’t, what to do and what not to do.

The extended eligibility I feel was a loss for the young players as they had limited time to gain more experience. If there was no suspension, the smooth passing of the torch that La Salle seem to have always enjoyed would have been maintained.

Recruitment also suffered during the suspension as the team was not able to enlist the services of top HS players who wanted to play in the UAAP immediately. It was also the same case the following year because there were not so many open slots available. If there was no suspension, we could have had a significant number of seniors playing today. The imbalance in the experience level has manifested itself in the uncertainty in the way the team plays today, because the majority of the team is composed of rookies, sophomores, and a few juniors.

The Green Archers what we now see I feel is the end-result of the suspension; a classic example of a veteran-deprived team whose only two seniors have only 3 years of UAAP experience.

Yes it’s just one year out of the UAAP but now you can see the impact that this supposedly short 1-year hiatus had 4 years after it was forced on the team.

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers


Get updates from this blog straight to your inbox. Enter your email address below

Delivered by FeedBurner

  • upperboxboy

    I completely agree with this article. I posted something like this a few months back (http://upperboxboy.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/back-in-2006/) and you can’t help but feel that everything that’s going on now are the after effects of 2006.

  • Me

    Although this could be one way of looking at it, another could be the fact that we just don’t have players like the Yeos, Casios, Tangs, etc. anymore. If you come to think of it, Atkins has been a star in highschool. He was there in the 2007 championship and played a vital role. He has more experience than a lot of guards in the league, but why can’t he deliver. Other rookies like RR Garcia didn’t need 2 years to mature. Again, it all boils down to our program and the talent and drive of our players. I believe they can do it as long as we have confidence in them.

  • Grenoble

    The one-year suspension, yes. But also, the change in recruitment policy by DLSU management, giving priority to “converting La Sallians into athletes” instead of “converting athletes into La Sallians.”

    We read the following in the DLSU Sports Development Program (http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/offices/sps/osd/program_recruitment.asp):

    Recruitment priority is in this order:
    -members of student selection teams, sports clubs and student bodies in general
    -secondary school graduates of System member institutions
    -secondary school graduates of feeder schools
    -other educational institutions

    [Only] If there are no candidates from the first three (3) sources… potential recruits from other educational institutions are invited to join the try-outs.

  • john

    I always believed that the things happening now are the effects of the suspension, I cant agree more with the argument of the author! The suspension caused Rico M to forgo his last year of eligibility because he felt he was very old for the UAAP. We could have finished better last year had Rico played his last year of service. The people who conspired and voted for archer’s suspension must be rejoicing now..BTW, their teams are not performing good as well..too bad!! Ateneo is the only school who did not voted for the suspension of the archers and yet we can see that their team is performing well(a case of the golden rule?), that’s sportsmanship for you Mr Montinola(pls stop the envy)!

  • john

    to add, I am not really expecting the Archers to win every game, I just want to see their desire and drive to win. I want to see them compete every single game.

  • john

    To validate the claim of Grenoble : This is an all time high for the green archers, most of the players are graduate of La Salle HS. We have the most homegrown players in one team to date. And while we are building on homegrown talents, ateneo on the other hand is busy recruiting players from other schools (buenafe, salamat, long, husseini, salva, baclao – practically their starting line up). Thats good news for me!

  • miguel

    i have been following the team before they left for the US and after the came back watching all the games in the pre-season. i dont see the fire in the eyes of the team members when they are playing on court. and yes, we dont see any court leadership among the players. and lastly, i dont see the new coach as driven and as effective as franz. maybe, dindo does not have the right formula for creating a never give up, do or die team. the team needs to start winning games again as losing might just become a norm for them and that is really dangerous. i am a diehard, green blooded la sallite. i will continue to support the team, watch them win or lose through this season and next and next, until we are back on top once more……. animo…..

  • lou

    wow, finally someone mentioned the flaw in the recruitment process. I agree completely with grenoble

  • Bobby Cabral

    An understanding of a player’s role in the team is essential. It appears that all the players think they can do everything, kind of a jack of all trades. Instead, each player should understand what they are good at and focus on it. For example, I see a center-forward posting in the three point range area when he should be at least 5 feet away from the basket in order to rebound. And yet, he insists on taking outside shots. I also see a lot player movement when what we should do is make the ball move for us in order to get free when the defense overloads on another player. In other words, more passes to the open man instead of trying to play one on one.

  • Nel

    It’s hard to imagine, but the suspension’s effects are really only being felt 3-4 years after it was imposed on La Salle. During the suspension, all our varsity teams lost 1 year of playing experience as well the opportunity to learn from their more senior teammates. This lost year told on the succession of the players.

    Many supporters don’t realize that learning takes time. And in athletics, much of that learning must take place in actual competition. It’s difficult for players to know what to do, to make the right call if they’ve never been in such situations before, and they typically look to those who have more experience for guidance. As the experience grows, so does the confidence of the players.

    If we look back, the 2006 batch of recruits should be our team leaders today. Our 2007 team was more or less intact from past years, and only in 2008 did we get Webb, Villanueva, Revilla, and Mendoza, and we lost LA to illness last year. Aside from Atkins and Ferdinand, these are our most senior players. The 2008 batch had barely a year to learn from JV and Rico before these leaders left the team. Last year, it was painfully obvious that the most senior players were not capable of being the team leaders. So no mentoring was done last year.

    On the current team, 11 out of our 16 players are sophomores and rookies. In any book that’s a young and inexperienced team. No matter how good the players may be individually, familiarity with each other and the system will take a while to learn, let alone master. And it will take time for leaders to emerge. But we must remember that not everyone is cut out to be a leader. So let’s see who will step up and take the reins of the team on the floor.

  • GREENARCHERS.PH

    @upperboxboy

    Great article. Thanks for sharing. Yes this post is meant to give everyone a better understanding on how this event slowly but surely affected the complexion of the team in the years that followed. With everything being normalized from hereon, we should have a competitive team in the coming years.

    @john

    Thanks for bringing up that of Rico. He was already in DLSU in 2003 but only got to play the following year. Yes, he decided to forego his final year of eligibility to turn Pro. He would have definitely made a big difference to the team’s fortunes had he played last year.

    Regarding the recruitment policy, for me as long as the recruit is good to make the team and has satisfied all academic requirements, it does not matter where he or she came from. With the team now having so many players from La Salle High Schools, maybe it just so happens that these schools, especially DLSZ improved their basketball program. Despite this prioritization, we still see many players from La Salle High Schools taking their chances elsewhere.

  • perrier

    This article pinpoints exactly what is wrong with our team. Lack of court leadership, and it will have to bounce back to team management and coaching staff. Don’t blame the suspension, we actually got a bonus of the players playing an extra year. Have we conveniently forgot we were supposed to have a complete set of seniors this year, but when they didnt perform last year, they were booted out. Eligible players included Kish Co, Bader Malabes, James Mangahas and Peejay Barua,even Marko Batricevic who is now healthy. Why they didn’t develop according to the succession program that was effective before but not now must be answered first before we start recruiting every supposed saviour to our program. And dont blame the suspension, Simon was recruited duing the suspension. By the way, are we so devoid of leadership that up to now, we cannot even name yet the captain of the team? In any Company, it is a no-no to keep this all in limbo up until the last minute. This was disastrous for us last year when they did the same thing. How can a captain exercise his leadership immediately and effectively if he is a midnight appointee?

  • Nel

    Perrier,

    Exactly! It’s now apparent that either there was no succession planning in place, or if there was one, it sure didn’t work. Otherwise there would already be an acknowledged team leader at this point in time. And that team leader would probably become the team captain. Recruiting good players doesn’t address the question of leadership. Playing ability doesn’t equate to leadership, and neither does having more playing years. Last year, nobody stepped into the leadership vacuum that was created with the departure of JV and Rico. This year, nobody seems to have emerged yet. Without a leader among the players, the team may not get too far. Recruitment has always targeted talent, but perhaps our recruiters should also look for leadership ability. We can’t have a team composed entirely of followers without any leader. This early, a leader should already be able to set the tone and mindset of the team. You’re right. By the time a captain is appointed, there may not be enough for him to mold the spirit of the team. It usually takes time for a new leader to be effective, and in this case, time isn’t in abundant supply.

  • cosmo

    I agree w perrier! Please stop looking for faults to point our fingers to (age, size, experience..n now 2006 suspension and the recruitment policy???). I personally think the recruitment policy will prevent the 06 incident. We have to accept and hone what we have. Still hoping that the training in Chicago will flourish in time! And that the appointed leader will accept and step up the role!

  • Gerald Christian

    What’s happening to DLSU basketball? OMG…. But i do believe the players capabilities. I want to see DLSU basketball again….

  • Sam

    I agree with the article, ever since 06 the team changed. No one is fault finding nor pointing fingers, all the article wants to do is to show cause and effect and hopefully get enough attention so that someone can come up with a great idea to solve the problem

  • Sam

    just to add, please let me know whom the archers have recruited after 06 that proved to be one heck of a player? Give me some names please. All we have now are players who THINK they are great and with ego’s that surpass their skills.

  • keeper24

    The best players neccesary dont make the best team….. This has been proven in many sports. No Captain has been named yet as the UAAP team isnt declared still. This in DLSU is always done after the revealing of the UAAP team.
    I agree that the suspension cost us alot of recruits in ALL sports not only Bball.
    We lost continuity,in the case of a well oiled machine like DLSU that was a big hit. Im sure we lost alot of sponsors as well.
    I still believe we shall reach the top again. I t might make it sweeter after all the pains but I know we will.

    ANIMO LA SALLE

  • john

    It was also because of the suspension that we lost Ryan Arana (a case of disarray). Back then, the rumor spreading was that the UAAP board will hand down 2 Years suspension to the Archers. He was only on his 2nd(?) year that time and could have provided transition leadership had he used his 5 years of eligibility. Plus the fact that bulk of the supposed recruits did not pursue enrolling at DLSU, save for Simmon Atkins.

    I always believe the suspension was unreasonable – it only made DLSU looked cheaters when in fact it was DLSU Management that first brought up the problem..Kind of double standard for UAAP that time since other teams like FEU have players like Arwind Santos who I think did not graduate High school.

  • john

    It really takes some time to develop a leader..Most of the time it is your game that will command leadership. Remember TY Tang? It took him around 4 years to be a leader of the team and it would have not been possible if he did not build on the criticism he received and improved on his game. His teammates acknowledged his efforts and followed him knowing he sets a good example.

    If Atkins can consistently shoot that jumper he can very well be the leader we are looking for.

    Green Archers’ leaders are not known to be vocal, that’s their style of leadership. They let their game speak. Notice that from ritualo, cortez, tang, casio and wilson.

    I just have so many things to say about this article :)

  • DS

    Sam

    Maybe your right when you said that DLSU has yet to find a true superstar player after 2006 but as the author suggests, players who came after the suspension were not able to get the enough experience playing alongside those great oldtimers. In racent years I could only name Ritualo, Cortez and Cardona as the only players who really made a big difference immediately. Others were good but they had to start as support players before they developed into take charge guys. Classic example was Tang who appeared like a lost child in his first few years but became the lead player in his final season. Tang benefited from playing alongside Cortez, Yeo, Cardona and other players who had championship experience.

    The case does not hold true today. These new players are good no doubt but the sad part is that their senior teammates lack experience too. They are learning on their own.

  • Proud Archer

    All I can say is be patient. Really. Don’t you think that this talent pool that we have will not improve through the years? And don’t you think we can NEVER get that “King Archer” player that you wish to have TODAY. I am a La Sallite. I was not supposed to be one. Economics wise, it was supposedly improbable and impossible for me to end up as one. But I am one.

    Lest I be accused of focusing on myself rather than the issue, I am merely using my experience as an example that adversity may not necessarily be a bad thing. In fact, it turned out to be a good thing for me.

    Sure today we may cringe. My expectations are not high this year but I am hoping for a fighting team at least. Next year will really be our first year to be competitive again. Who knows by that time, that “King Archer” will emerge.

    Look at our crosstown rivals on the blue crabgrass side of the fence. Do you really see real pride in what they are doing to their team nowadays. Do you really want the likes of a Salamat and a Buenafe to represent your school? Do you really want a 6’11″ player, who was practically “bought” out of a Visayan team to play merely for two years, just to stifle our chances, particularly next year when we celebrate our centennial? That Visayan team is reportedly really up in arms over that development. Let them gloat over those moves. What they accused us of doing in the past, they are doing now. Is there dignity in that?

    Guys, our special players will either come later, or will be developed from this season. TY Tang was Mike Cortez back-up point. When he spelled Mike during stretches of the game, we would also cringe as he always lost the ball to the more experienced point guards of the league. In 2007, that was HIS championship. Remember one rebound play during the championship game when the ball was not his already, but by sheer will, he rebounded it. He wasn’t a superstar when he came in. He was one when he came out.

    The list goes on and on. ANIMO!!!!!!!!

  • Fred Cebu

    The UAAP trophy will go to the team that wants it the most! Let’s instill that kind of mind set in the team…..a fighter’s mind and a winning heart! ANIMO LA SALLE!

  • sam

    The dignity there is that ADMU, a respectable school just like DLSU is giving this Bisaya boy an opportunity to a “good” education that would lead to a diploma which would give him a better chance should his basketball career turn sour. That guy too, in my opinion would out speak any of our players in any TV interview thus making him an ideal representative of any school. Would you question the dignity of that move if Slaughter was recruited by DLSU?

    With regard to the salamats and buenafes of ADMU, can you please elaborate on the difference of these guys to the guys like gaco then and andrade now? Without naming names, do you feel that their players are less decent than the players we have? How did you feel when Yeo hit Enrico in the PBA exhibition game knowing that Yeo came from DLSU? Was that a good representation of our school? All good players are “bought” either through scholarships, condos, allowances and even cars.

    It has already been established that the 2006 suspension hindered our recruitment program and theoretically bringing back to zero the development of the rookies because of the lack of an established veterans to train these rookies and share their experience. Granting that this is the case, how can you explain the defeat to the Cardinals, who I assume is like DLSU in terms of lack of continuity in their program due to the lack of established veterans?

  • Fred Cebu

    I would love to hear from our talent scouts and recruiters regarding the points raised by our supporters! What can you say guys…..speak up!

  • Yosi

    1st post. I believe our recruitment process is on the right track. I see a trend where all schools in UAAP system will start recruiting players from within their high school system. Its more cost effective. No need to give huge perks to recruits and managers just to study and play for the University.

    5 years down the road, schools like NU will develop their high school team by putting their recruits there. Ateneo has been doing that for awhile now. Just look at their high school team composed of recruits coming from different grade schools all over the metro. (Ravena-LSGH, Tiongson-CSA, Pe- Xavier, Bugarin-CSA). The same with FEU high school, where most of their recruits come from the different provinces. I also see San Beda joining the UAAP soon given that they have an influential backer. I doubt that they will give up their star players when they eventually join the UAAP.

    Another thing i see is that NCAA schools will no longer give up their players that easily unless a premium is given to whoever. Add other factors too like restrictions on filam recruitment and cross over recruitment like the soc rivera rule.

    We are left with few options and these options are:

    1. Recruit in the grade school and high school level
    2. Improve and develop our grassroot program e.g. DLSZ, LSGH, other la salle schools
    3. Form linkages with high schools that are not part of the UAAP and NCAA but have great
    academic and basketball programs e.g. Xavier,CSA etc.
    4. Form a training pool to those who do not mind studying and complying with the residency
    requirement.

    it’s the right process that will eventually yield good results in the long term. We may not win the championship every year like in the past but we will have athletes that the school and alumni can be proud of. And when we eventually win the crown, it will be a better celebration than any past championships combined.

    So I suggest we just sit back ,relax and enjoy the games. Just cheer and root our hearts out for the team regardless of the outcome of the game. Animo!

  • john

    @Sam

    The incident between Enrico Villanueva and Joseph Yeo is something personal between the two that stemmed from their UAAP days. Villanueva is clearly playing dirty everytime he is against an archer or the archers, we all know that. Being objective enough, we can not put all the blame to Yeo as he was only provoked, it just shows the emotions of Yeo.

    Whats the difference of Salamat and Buenafe from Gaco and andrada? The point here is that DLSU is now prioritizing recruits from their High school system. That’s what I am happy about. The thing Ateneo used to criticize about DLSU basketball program is now their main strategy. I can’t be happier.

    The ugly defeat from the cardinals is just a gauge and does not necessarily reflect the true strength of the team, please remember that. The defeat happened in a pre-season tournament where a lot of adjustments, developments, and learnings are happening.

  • Dhin_Alumni

    The problem with this season is that the team management booted out the seniors like bader, james, kish and peejay. They might have not perform well last year but look how close our loses were. The team from last year has a lot of potential for this season. The principle of Basketball is this when things get tough you should take the gamble through your veterans wether they perform well from the past or not because they will give you a higher chances of winning rather than relying on youth and talent alone. Basketball is not just a physical game it is all about mental toughness, when you know how to win mentally the physical part is easy. Allado, step up when Telan, Lago Bros. took a flight in ’98 Allado was a nobody before that. Cardona,Yeo and Casio were also a nobody when we have Cortez and Ritualo. What I am saying is that the veterans would deliver if given the proper mental conditioning that unfortunately Dindo doesn’t have.