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Part 9: The 2K Decade Recap – 2008

By | July 9, 2009 | 2:39 pm |

2008

With the departure of TY Tang and Cholo Villanueva, two of their vital cogs in their championship run in the previous season, the Green Archers were hard-pressed to retain the championship in the 2008 campaign. The team lost big man Brian Ilad to graduation, Kish Co who played heroically during the championship against UE, and OJ Cua. Their departure was somewhat softened by the return from injury of Marko Barticevic. Left to carry the cudgels for the team were veterans JV Casio and Rico Maierhofer. The two practically carried the team on their shoulders for the entire season. The team lineup included rookies Maui Villanueva, LA Revilla, Joshua Webb, Hyram Bagatsing, Jovet Mendoza, and Manoj Chandumal.

La Salle started the season on a bad note, losing their initial match against Ateneo. They won all other games in the first round except for their last assignment against UE, which went all out for revenge after being swept in the titular playoff in the previous season.

Injuries took their toll on the Archers. Marko reinjured his knee after performing well, and Simon sat out a few games due to a head injury. LA Revilla, an exciting if undersized point guard, stepped into the vacancy, and showed why he was the choice of the coaches during their recruitment.

In the second round, the Archers managed the same win-loss performance as in the first round, but this time they fell to the hands of resurgent FEU, behind the scoring of  eventual Smart Gilas national team mainstay Barroca.  Again the Archers failed to solve the Ateneo inside-out game, losing anew in another tight game.

The Green Archers basically struggled all throughout the eliminations, with a lack of depth in the frontline as well as difficulties in consistent scoring. They finished at 10-4 in a tie with FEU for 2nd. Tough, hard-fought games characterized the Archers’ elimination rounds. Gone was the one-sided dominance over most of the league, and only the sheer determination and will power of the team led by captain JV and Rico prevented losses to UST, UE, and the “weaker” teams. The once dreaded pressure defense still netted the Archers some points, but the other teams had already devised their countermeasures. At this point, it was apparent that the team was at a disadvantage in the paint against the playoff-bound teams despite the presence of Rico.

Ateneo was clearly on a different plane that year, having lost only 1 game in the eliminations. Along with the steady leadership of Chris Tiu, the Eagles saw the emergence of their center Rabah Al-Husseini into a legitimate threat in the shaded lane. Rabah’s amazing season was capped off by him winning the MVP plum, and Ateneo dominated the individual awards with Buenafe copping the Rookie of the Year award.

The Green Archers dueled with the Tamaraws in a virtual best-of-three showdown for a finals berth. La Salle eventually prevailed in two gut-wrenching games to arrange another title clash with Ateneo, which easily defeated UE in their own series. The FEU series could have easily gone either way, and was decided only in the last minute of the second game.

Not having beaten the Blue Eagles all season, the Archers were definitely in a quandary in the finals. Ateneo had the clear manpower advantage, particularly in the forward and center slots where they had a significant edge in size and heft. The Ateneo strategy was to limit the contributions of JV and Rico at all cost, and they succeeded when the other Archers were unable to pick up the scoring slack.

Breaks didn’t seem to go La Salle’s way in the finals as they were swept by the Blue Eagles in two tight games that were decided only in the final few minutes. Despite all the disadvantages, the Green Archers went down fighting. Whenever the Archers would double team the bigger Ateneo inside players, the outside shooting of Tiu and Reyes kept the Eagles in the lead. At the end, the Blue Eagles’ depth was simply too much for the team to overcome. Still, second place was an achievement considering that this was a young team with 6 rookies.

Roster

Simon Atkins
Marko Batricevic
PJ Barua
Rejan Lee
Bader Malabes
Rico Maierhofer
Ferdinand
James Mangahas
JV Casio
LA Revilla
Manoj Chandumal
Maui Villanueva
Hyram Bagatsing
Jovet Mendoza
PJ Walsham
Joshua Webb

Previous Years: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Tags: UAAP Season 71

The 2009 Green Archers Roster

By | July 9, 2009 | 10:00 am |

Here’s an updated snapshot of the current roster.

For player profiles , click on link below

http://www.greenarchers.ph/2009-de-la-salle-green-archers-roster

team-2009

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 72

Part 8: The 2K Decade Recap – 2007

By | July 8, 2009 | 11:34 am |
Comments Off

courtesy of AbsolutVerde

2007
After a one year sabbatical, the Green Archers were back in action in the 2007 season. Led by seniors TY Tang and Cholo Villanueva, the team immediately made their presence felt in the early part of the tournament. Showing no signs of rustiness, they cruised past UP in the opener and went on to score two more wins against Adamson and 2005 tormentor FEU.

Then the real challenge came against a formidable UE team which on paper was highly favored to finally end a 22-year title drought. The Archers were simply no match against the gritty Red Warriors in their first round encounter.

Hoping to bounce back after an embarrassing loss, La Salle fell again, this time to Ateneo. The loss broke a the Archers’ winning streak, their last loss coming during their opening day encounter in 2004. The team struggled to end the first round as they narrowly defeated UST and NU. It seemed that the rustiness caused by the 1-year layoff from the intense UAAP environment had finally caught up with the Archers.

The team got off to a bad start in the 2nd round as they blew a commanding lead in the final minute and eventually lost against UST thus snapping their 8 year winning streak against the Growling Tigers. The Archers bounced back to overwhelmingly defeat UP, FEU, Adamson and NU. But just as in the first round, they were again unable to hurdle  Ateneo and UE, who were the teams fancied to vie for the title.

The Red Warriors were simply amazing all season long as they swept the 14-game eliminations en route to an automatic berth in the finals. La Salle, on the other hand finished at 9-5 to qualify for the playoffs together with Ateneo and defending champion UST . However, with that record, the Archers were not assured of gaining a twice to beat advantage in the step ladder semis. Ateneo loomed as the foremost threat, needing only to beat NU in their last elimination round game to claim the second spot. The prospect of facing Ateneo with a twice-to-beat disadvantage was daunting ,as the Blue Eagles were one of the two squads the Archers had not been able to defeat all season.

Just when the odds seemed stacked against the Archers chances of moving deeper into the playoffs, the Blue Eagles surprisingly were upset by the Bulldogs thus setting a playoff duel for 2nd. And on its third try, La Salle finally prevailed against Ateneo to gain the precious twice to beat advantage in the semis.

The Blue Eagles disposed of the Tigers in the first step ladder match to face the Archers anew for the right face to the Red Warriors in the championship. Needing only to beat Ateneo once, the Archers unfortunately lost Game 1 before finally disposing their arch-rival in the succeeding match. La Salle thus arranged a finals showdown with UE which incidentally was their first since 1990.

With UE simply being a cut above everybody else that season, the Archers, as the heavy underdog, would have really needed another miracle to win this series. But others may have forgotten that La Salle had been in numerous finals appearances in the past. The Archers leaned on the experience of the veterans to break UE’s winning streak at 14. Their experience, along with their determination to eradicate all the unfortunate setbacks that the team faced in recent years,  was simply to much for UE to overcome. The Red Warriors did not know what hit them as they wilted in the finals.

The Green Archers eventually won the series in two games to nail their 8th mens basketball championship in the UAAP. The team that swept the elimination rounds was in turn swept in the finals. What an amazing season it was for the team- from suspension to champion.

Roster

Simon Atkins
Marko Batricevic
PJ Barua
Rejan Lee
Bader Malabes
Rico Maierhofer
Ferdinand
James Mangahas
JV Casio
TY Tang
OJ Cua
Kish Co
Cholo Villanueva
Brian Ilad
PJ Walsham

Previous Years: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Tags: UAAP Season 70

The Collegiate Basketball Coach as a CEO

By | July 7, 2009 | 12:00 pm |

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Most of us watch basketball games because of the players and the on-court action. The thrill, the excitement are what draw us to the arena to watch our favorite team on the court. For many, basketball’s attraction is limited to the 40-minute game, and little thought is given to the how the team is managed and coached.

It’s been said that players win and coaches lose. The job of a coach is often thankless, and coaches have been fired because their teams have not performed according to expectations. Much like managers of companies that don’t do well.

It’s not often that the job a basketball coach is compared to that of a CEO, for obvious reasons. But there are several parallels, and if you look closely, you’ll find that there are more similarities than there are differences. Let’s take a look at some terms commonly used in management and how they might apply to the role of the coach.

Advertising and Promotion – A critical element in drumming up awareness, interest, and support from the customers (read: school supporters and prospective recruits). The school has to be publicly viewed as a good launching pad for prospective stars of the future. Good connections with writers/columnists of media such as tv, radio, and newspapers are a useful and practical way for coaches to ensure that their teams have enough public exposure to be interesting to their followers and possible recruits. Note to the coach: use the term “rebuilding” with caution, if possible ask your media contacts not to use it when referring to  your team. It’s dangerous to have a rebuilding program, because the stakeholders start expecting results after the one-year rebuilding phase. Related topic: The Bottom Line, Setting Goals / Objectives

Bottom Line, The – The CEO’s bottom line is measured in financial terms, while the basketball coach’s bottom line is statistical: number of championships won, winning percentage, success rate against a particular opponent, among others. Unfortunately, some coaches have not been given a long enough takeoff runway to generate results, and encountered heavy pressure to perform in one year, or else (you know where the exit is). Note to people who hire coaches: allow a reasonable learning curve. The job of a coach is similar to that of an orchestra conductor, who has to harmonize the talents of his players. This can’t be done overnight, or even in a few months. Related topics: Setting Goals / Objectives and Strategic Planning

Inventory Planning – ensuring that the team is well stocked with enough of the right talents; the worst possible scenario is to have too many of a certain item and not enough of others, for example, 5 centers all standing 6’5” and only 1 point guard. Overstocking can also lead to product spoilage due to long shelf (bench) life, and when certain players don’t get any floor time, they may lose interest or transfer to other schools where they have more chances of strutting their wares. Related topic: Supply Chain Management.

Market Analysis – scanning the other schools during the off season, watching their pre-season games, observing their recruitment activities and what training camps they attend. Helps to figure out what they might do during the season

Peter Principle, The –The Peter Principle, states that “in any hierarchy, a person will rise to the level of his incompetence”. If literally applied to basketball, the coach would just be a player who got to be coach because he stayed in the game long enough. If that were true, we would have lousy coaches, because the good ones would have moved up the basketball hierarchy. The multi-titled DLSU coach proves this to be a fallacy. From the first year that Franz Pumaren assumed the reins of the Green Archers, they have achieved success that is unmatched by any school in the same period. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule. Happily, we have one of them.

PLOC – more commonly known as Planning, Leading, Organizing, and Controlling. Applied to game-time situations: Planning – how to win the game using any advantages your lineup has against competition, playing to your strength and minimizing the competitor’s advantages; Leading – actual coaching and directing the players during the game; mentoring, advising, telling the players what to do and what to avoid, sometimes how to get the other player’s goat; Organizing – defining the players’ roles and assignments in the game such as who to guard; Controlling – situational management, taking corrective measures like substituting players if they’re not performing or are burdened with fouls; sometimes telling them off for botching a play

Setting Goals / Objectives – the team’s objectives for the near term (often defined as 1-3 years) should be clearly defined so that the team’s performance (also the coach’s) can be measured against pre-defined metrics. Goals should conform to the SMART definition (Specific, Measurable, Aggressive, Realistic, Time-bound) to allow quantitative comparison of actual results versus the targets. So when the team’s loyal supporters start screaming “off with his head”, at least the embattled coach will know why. Related topics: The Bottom Line, Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning – setting a goal/objective for the team for the next couple of seasons, determining what kind of team to form for the next season, what kind of players to recruit. Setting the right (realistic) expectations is critical for the coach, because too high targets that were not fulfilled have led to a very short shelf life of one year for some coaches in the past. Related topics: the Bottom Line, Setting Goals / Objectives

Succession Planning – ensuring that you have enough players at each position so that if any player is injured or ineligible, you have enough able-bodied substitutes to field without losing much; also need to ensure that you re-stock the positions on a staggered basis, so that you don’t lose your best centers to graduation at the same time. If the coach has not met the established goals or objectives, he could be the target for succession planning. Related topic: Supply Chain Management

Supply Chain Management – ensuring a steady supply of potential recruits from all areas: Metro Manila, the provinces, the Americas, and Africa. Only Asia has not been a source of talents so far, although there was an attempt by Ateneo to recruit a Chinese player a few years ago. The success of the basketball program is a critical element in making the school an attractive option for a budding collegiate baller. While a big thing a few years ago for some schools, homegrown programs have declined in importance compared to getting results. Four players, or 25% of this year’s edition of the Green Archers are homegrown: Simon Atkins (DLSZ), Ferdinand (LSGH), Joshua Webb (DLSZ), and Jed Manguera (DLSZ). Two players who could have made it but are not on the UAAP roster due to injuries are  LA Revilla (LSGH) who is sitting out this season for medical reasons, and Marko Batricevic (LSGH), who is currently recovering from his knee injury and is still eligible next year. I think that’s the most of any UAAP school this year. It just goes to show that La Salle has a good developmental program that works. Related topics: Advertising and Promotion, Bottom Line, Setting Goals & Objectives, Succession Planning.

Tactical Planning – refers to activities required to prepare to plan an opponent, such as scouting their players, patterns, tendencies, looking for weaknesses and comparative advantage in players and positions. Sometimes even involves sending spies to listen in on their post-practice dinner discussions.

Training and Development – ensuring the continuing growth of the players in the game and as students. Some coaches take a holistic approach, requiring the players to meet the academic workload or they don’t play, while others focus purely on the athletic aspect. Fortunately, the Green Archers are under an integrated program which looks after their athletic, academic, personal, and spiritual development. Several budding superstars were not accepted because they didn’t make the minimum requirements for admission, and players have been booted off the team for academic reasons. The system is effective: in the last few years, several of the Green Archers have made the Dean’s List. How many other teams can claim as much? Related topic: Strategic Planning

Can you think of others?


Archers Wrap Up Season 72 Preparations

By | July 6, 2009 | 9:26 am |

dlsu_up_exib_70609

Photos by Andrew Tan

As part of their final preparations for Season 72, the Green Archers hosted the UP Maroons for a friendly tuneup game at Razon last Saturday, July 4. Four quarters of intense basketball resulted in in a 73-all deadlock. After a short discussion by the coaching staff of both teams, they agreed to play an additional quarter. Again, the teams played to a 20-all tie.

The Archers were not at full strength, missing Simon Atkins who was recovering from an illness,and Arvie Bringas who was nursing a slight groin injury. Jed Manguera who was also coming back from an ailment was fielded sparingly.

UP played without former Junior Archer Martin Reyes, but was reinforced by redshirting Mike Silungan, a proven shooter. The Maroons showed their improved form from the long court under coach Castro, hitting on several triples to keep pace with the Archers throughout the seesaw game.

Franz experimented with several combinations and lineups, going big at times and playing small ball at others. Big men Ferdinand, Yutien Andrada, Maui Villanueva, Jovet Mendoza, and Kish Co ably manned the boards, and proved that the Archers will not be at a disadvantage this season in the rebounding area with Arvie Bringas expected to backstop them once he is fully recovered.

Although last year’s point guards LA Revilla (who is out for the season) and Simon Atkins were not present, the point guard duties were filled by team captain Hyram Bagatsing, Bader Malabes, and Joel Tolentino who ably orchestrated the plays. Interestingly, our point guards will probably have a slight height advantage over their counterparts from other teams, with Hyram, Simon, and Bader all around 6 feet, and Joel not much smaller. Joshua Webb provided the hustle and energy, and together with fellow wingmen Peejay Barua, Sam Marata, Gab Banal, and Jed Manguera, made things difficult for the UP perimeter defense. This is probably going to be one of the tallest Archer teams ever.

In past seasons, foul throw shooting was a problem area of the Archers, and a couple of missed foul shots by Webb with 0.8 seconds to go in the game allowed UP to escape with the draw at the end of regulation. Of course, the razzing Webb received from the opponents, his teammates, and the green supporters while he was taking the foul throws may have contributed to the misses. I guess everyone wanted to see more basketball, and the coaches gladly obliged by agreeing to an unusual 10-minute extension.

The practice game allowed the Archers to test their play patterns against a future opponent, and they also got an idea of how UP might play them during the season. Of course, UP also got to scout the Archers, although it is doubtful that the Archers will play the same way this coming weekend. It was a friendly match which offered a reunion of sorts for former Greenies Mikee Reyes and Martin Reyes (not the UP player), as well as former Junior Archers Migs de Asis and Joshua Webb. It was also a chance for some interaction between the players of both teams outside the ultra competitive atmosphere of the UAAP.

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The Archers are not yet at their peak form, and the illnesses and injuries the players suffered have prevented them from being at full force during the pre-season. However, they are as prepared as they can be at this point in time, and it remains to be seen whether the talent and potential will be realized this season.

The season starts in a few days, and it will be a pleasure to cheer the team on again, together with the Pep Squad, Gang Green, and the rest of the faithful supporters of Archer ball.

Let the games begin! We’ll be there.

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 72

A Look At The 2009 Green Archers

By | July 3, 2009 | 7:40 pm |

Posted by Tony L Atayde in his column “The Green Mind” at inboundpass.com

    The De La Salle Green Archers will be an interesting team this season. Its line-up is made up of 6 rookies, 4 sophomores, 5 veterans and a returnee. Below is the line-up:
    Veterans:

    Simon Atkins, Bader Malabes, Peejay Barua, James Mangahas, Ferdinand, Kish Co

    Sophomores:

    Maui Villanueva, Hyram Bagatsing, Jovet Mendoza, Joshua Webb

    Rookies:

    Yutien Andrada, Arvie Bringas, Gab Banal, Sam Marata, Joel Tolentino, Jed Manguera

    LA Revilla was not included due to a medical problem while Marko Batricevic has not recovered from his season ending injury last year.

    A close look at the line-up shows a bumper crop of rookies. All of them are ready and capable to see action right away. The much awaited debut of Arvie Bringas in the Senior Division will definitely be heavily anticipated. The reed-thin “Tayshaun Prince” Andrada will also see substantial minutes considering that the Green Archers are not deep in the center position. Personally, I am looking at Gab Banal and Sam Marata to make an impact as the season goes on.

    The sophomores will definitely come out better and more polished than they did last year. Villanueva, Bagatsing and Webb contributed heavily to the Green Archer’s 2nd place finish last season. Villanueva and Bagatsing will only get better. The player that I would like to see play to his full potential is Joshua Webb. Undoubtedly, this kid can play but he has to do it on a more consistent basis. He is capable of being the go-to-guy if he just uses his natural basketball skills alongside his good basketball instinct.

    More than the rookies and sophomores, it is the veterans of the team that worry me. Simon Atkins needs to prove that he is capable of running the team’s offense. His mid and long range jump shots have not really been there for him. He has to hit them with consistency if he expects to be the point guard that many expect him to be.

    Malabes is still an enigma to me. He has shown himself to be a feast or famine player. When he makes his shots he will shoot in streaks but when he misses, many times he does not even hit the rim. His defense is superb but offensively, the jury is still out on him.

    It’s not sure if Ferdinand will be able to play in La Salle’s first few games. I hope his injury has healed. He has always worked hard when he is on the court. Now it’s time for him to work smart. He has to make those mid range jumpers when the opportunity comes along. His tenacity on the board has never been questioned. His defense will be tested by opposing team’s big men like Al Husseini, Ramos, Llagas and Espiritu. He needs to be more active on the offense too.

    The returning Kish Co is a good addition to this team. After taking a year off, Co is back. He is a smart basketball player. He may not have the standard physical attributes of a basketball player but what he has, he uses to the maximum. I have always admired players like him. He is scrappy and is always willing to give 110%. I would not be surprised if he steps up to be the leader that this Green Archer team needs.

    Peejay Barua is instant offense. He can make those 3 pointers as soon as he steps on the court. What he needs is the confidence to carry the team on his shoulders. He shouldn’t be afraid to take the game winning shot if need be. In last year’s finals against Ateneo, Barua was a non-factor simply because there was Maierhofer and Casio to carry the team. This season, he is the main option.

    James Mangahas needs more emotion and must be a leader on and off the court. He has to play with more passion and show the rookies what it takes to win games. He has to lessen his turnovers. In the past, Mangahas has stood in the shadows of Tang, Casio, Villanueva and Maierhofer. If he intends to make basketball his career, he needs to have a breakout season. He has to achieve what Pocholo Villanueva did in his last year with the Green Archers.

    Mangahas and Barua are the senior statesmen of this team. They cannot sit back and wait for someone else to act as the team leader.

    The coaching staff has their hands full this season. Other teams are coming in with the manpower that is needed to win championships. However, if there is someone who can pull a rabbit out of the hat, it is Coach Franz Pumaren. With the addition of his brother Dindo, the Green Archers may just spring a few surprises.

    Realistically, all the team can hope for is a Final Four appearance. After that, anything is possible.

    Tony Atayde (LSGH70/DLSC 75) is a writer for www.inboundpass.com. Very Opinionated. Very Green. Hate him. Love Him. It does not matter and he does not care. A Howard Stern in cyberspace. He bleeds Green, He is purely from La Salle.

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 72

Part 7: The 2K Decade Recap – 2006

By | July 2, 2009 | 1:08 pm |

2006

In the year out of the UAAP limelight, the Archers began early preparations for a grand comeback next season. They kept busy by participating in minor tournaments such as the Fr. Martins Cup and the Fil-Oil Flying V tournament.

This year featured a decimated lineup. Gone were Joseph Yeo, Jun Jun Cabatu, Ryan Arana and JR Aquino and in their place were Bader Malabes, Brian Ilad, Rejan Lee, Marko Batricevic, Simon Atkins and the returning PJ Walsham.

Atkins was part of the previous season’s title squad of De La Salle-Zobel. Unlike his other teammates who transferred to other schools for college, he decided to stick out wearing the green and white in the seniors level even it meant having to sit out his freshman year.

La Salle’s absence in the UAAP that year gave practically all schools a shot at the crown. Along with a badly depleted FEU team, Ateneo took the most out of this opportunity to dominate the elimination phase. Perhaps the only threat to the Blue Eagles at that stage where the UE Red Warriors. After the double-round robin, Ateneo and UE had the twice to beat edge going to the final 4. Challenging them were the UST Tigers, once a powerhouse back in the 90s but which somehow drifted into oblivion in this decade, and the Adamson Falcons who were making their first ever final 4 appearance.

Ateneo easily disposed of the Falcons in their series while UE blew a twice-to-beat advantage as they bowed to the Tigers. The Blue Eagles were favored to win this series against UST which failed to make it to the final 4 in the past 3 seasons and never made it to the championship round since 1999. Well, miracles do occasionally happen as the Tigers, mentored by rookie coach Pido Jarencio, beat the Blue Eagles in 3 games to notch their first title since 1996.

La Salle in the meantime dominated the minor tournaments as they won the Fil-Oil Flying V tournament late in the year. They also won two of the major pre-season summer leagues in 2007.

It was clear that the Green Archers were determined to make a statement in their return trip back to the UAAP.

Previous Years: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Part 6: The 2K Decade Recap – 2005

By | July 1, 2009 | 7:36 pm |

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“Again, we overachieved,” this is what Coach Franz Pumaren repeatedly said after their final game that season. “We did not execute properly. We were only a few seconds away and we could have beaten them. This series exposed how shallow the bench is.” These words seemed to be prophetic, as the Archers showed up with a weaker lineup compared to the previous year.

And shallow indeed was the Archers’ lineup in the 2005 wars. The departure of scoring machine Mac Mac Cardona, who decided to turn pro with still a year left of eligibility and dependable big man Jerwin Gaco left a very significant hole to fill for the holdovers from last campaign. The team that year was led by Joseph Yeo along with Jun Jun Cabatu, TY Tang, Cholo Villanueva and Ryan Arana.

With Yeo as the only primary scoring option, the Archers relied heavily on their full court pressure defense and sheer hustle on both ends of the court all season. Their journey in the eliminations was similar to the previous season where they struggled in the first round before breezing through everybody in the latter stretch of the tournament. Well, everybody except the FEU Tamaraws.

From the start, the Tams showed to everyone that they were dead serious in reclaiming something that they believe was snatched away from them the previous season. In fact, their main man Arwin Santos decided to forego his opportunity to turn pro that year just to have a shot at vengeance against the Archers. Santos and company simply outclassed the competition, losing only twice in the eliminations to finish on top of the leader board.

The Archers on the other hand ended the regular season tied with Ateneo and UE with an identical 10-4 card. By virtue of a superior quotient, La Salle was automatically seeded at number 2 in the final 4. They eventually faced the Blue Eagles for a finals berth. Having beaten Ateneo convincingly in all their previous matches that year, the Archers overwhelmed the Blue Eagles in the final 4 to earn the right to face FEU for the title.

Once more in the role of underdogs, the Archers fought valiantly in the finals but they were simply no match against the experienced Tamaraws. Led by Santos, as well as lefties Rizada, and Jeff Chan, FEU reclaimed the men’s basketball crown in two games. Up until the end, the Tams remained an enigma that could not be deciphered by the Green Archers.

The Archers faced an eligibility issue after the season ended, and the ensuing events resulted in the team missing out on the 2006 season.

Roster

Jun Jun Cabatu
Ryan Arana
PJ Barua
JR Aquino
Joseph Yeo
Rico Maierhofer
Lionel Rivera
James Mangahas
JV Casio
TY Tang
OJ Cua
Kish Co
Cholo Villanueva
Mark Benitez

Previous Years: 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Tags: UAAP Season 68

Part 5: The 2K Decade Recap – 2004

By | June 30, 2009 | 10:58 pm |

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2004

After fruitless campaigns in the preceding two seasons, the Archers were determined to bounce back strong in the 2004 campaign. Featuring an intact line-up led by Mac Mac Cardona and Joseph Yeo, plus the addition of the lanky Rico Maeirhofer, big man Mike Galinato (now playing for Adamson) and the returning Cholo Villanueva, the team was raring to make a serious bid to regain its stature in the upper echelon of the league.

Unfortunately, the Archers started the tournament on the wrong foot, losing their initial assignment against the Blue Eagles thus ending the team’s long streak of opening day victories. This unusual setback seemed to fire up the Archers, as they easily thrashed their next two opponents , including defending champion FEU. The team split their last four  games in the first round, narrowly winning their matches against lighter opponents to end the first round with 4-3 slate.

The Archers lost their first game in the 2nd round, thus endangering their chances of gaining a twice-to-beat edge in the final 4 especially since Ateneo were at that point still undefeated and FEU were not too far behind. With the way they played in recent games, one might even have doubted the team chances to even make the semis. That 4-win 4-loss record was something new for a team that was accustomed to being among the frontrunners.

Realizing that their season, particularly their goal of reaching the finals was at risk, the Archers finally lived up to their potential as they swept all their remaining elimination games. Their late surge in the tournament propelled the team to a second place tie with Ateneo, who faltered towards the end of the second round to yield the top rung to defending champion FEU. A playoff was required to break the tie, so the two rivals dueled in a virtual best of three showdown wherein the Archers literally massacred the Eagles to win in two games. Finally getting some payback for their losses to their blue rivals in the previous seasons, the Archers now focused their attention on reclaiming the crown against the top-seeded Tamaraws of FEU.

FEU boasted of its formidable frontline led by MVP Arwin Santos. They also had a potentially dominant force in the backcourt anchored by veteran Denok Miranda. Man-for-man, the Tamaraws had the edge and were the consensus favorites to repeat as champs. For the Archers though, they seemed to relish the role of “underdog” as seen in their performance when tagged as such.

True to form, La Salle’s relentless effort on both sides of the court enabled them to escape with a win in Game 1 of the title series. A win away from perhaps a remarkable upset, the Archers were sadly unable to sustain the same winning drive as they bowed to the rampaging Tamaraws in Game 2.

The deciding game went down the wire and it seemed that all was lost for the Archers as they trailed going in to the final minutes. Cardona and Yeo led the attack to tie the game with less than a minute to go. Down by two after an FEU basket, the Archers turned to an unlikely hero in the closing seconds of the game. Living up to his surname, sophomore JV Casio showed up at the right time and fired a clutch 3-pointer to bring La Salle the lead ahead and eventually the win.

We all know very well what happened after the 2004 season but nevertheless, the Archers’ sheer guts and determination to succeed that year was indeed something to remember.

Roster

Jun Jun Cabatu
Ryan Arana
Michael Galinato
JR Aquino
Joseph Yeo
Rico Maeirhofer
Jerwin Gaco
Tim Gatchalian
JV Casio
TY Tang
OJ Cua
Mac Mac Cardona
Cholo Villanueva
Mark Benitez
PJ Walsham
Michael Gavino

Previous Years: 2000 2001 2002 2003

Tags: UAAP Season 67

Part 4: The 2K Decade Recap – 2003

By | June 29, 2009 | 2:00 pm |

2003_cardona_0627092003

After a disappointing 2002 campaign, the Green Archers underwent a rebuilding phase with a massive overhaul of the roster. Half of the Archers that year were neophytes while the rest had an average of only 3 years of college ball experience. Manny Ramos was the only 5th year veteran on the squad. With an obviously inexperienced cast compared to the previous years, just making the final 4 would be already a remarkable achievement for the 2003 Green Archers.

Just when everyone had ruled them out as contender, the Archers surprisingly won their first 3 games and against highly-touted squads such as UST and UE. Thanks to the backcourt tandem of Mac Mac Cardona and Joseph Yeo plus valuable contributions from rookies JV Casio, Ryan Arana and Jerwin Gaco, the team made headway in the first round losing only to FEU and defending champion Ateneo.

The Green Archers lost steam in the second round as they only won 2 games; a 3rd victory against UE was lost at the board level, which nullified a potentially game-winning Jun Cabatu shot at the buzzer. The team did not contest the decision as it was clear on tape and photos provided that the ball was still in Cabatu’s hands as time expired.

For the first time since in recent years, the Archers lost both elimination games against the Blue Eagles. Despite the team’s struggles all season long, they finished the preliminaries at 7-7 which was still good enough for a final four berth and another series match-up against their arch-rival.

Obviously the underdog, the Archers amazingly took the defending champs to the hilt before finally bowing out in the deciding game of this fight-marred series. The team finished the season in 4th place, and for the first time since 1994 was out of the finals picture. Ateneo was eventually dethroned by FEU in the title series.

Despite being a rookie-laden team that year, the Green Archers definitely overachieved by making it to the final four and being a game away from another finals appearance.

Roster

Jun Jun Cabatu
Ryan Arana
Manny Ramos
JR Aquino
Joseph Yeo
Carlo Sharma
Jerwin Gaco
Tim Gatchalian
JV Casio
TY Tang
OJ Cua
Paul Chua
Mark Benitez
PJ Walsham
Michael Gavino

Previous Years: 2000 2001 2002

Tags: UAAP Season 66
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