Archive for August, 2008

UAAP Season 71: Green Archers overcome Falcons in OT

By | August 31, 2008 | 7:24 pm |

img_3454The DLSU Green Archers needed an extra five minutes to dispose of the Adamson Falcons, 84-79 in Season  71 of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Philsports Arena.

Coming from a hairline win over the UST Growling Tigers last Thursday, the Green Archers groped for form the entire ballgame but managed to send the game into overtime.  The Green Archers had the opportunity to seal the victory after Adamson bungled its last play with only 5.7 seconds left. As in their game against the Tigers, a play was designed for rookie point guard LA Revilla, but Revilla failed to nail the shot.  

Rico Maierhofer, redeeming himself from his dismal performance from the charity line in Thursday’s game, delivered the final blows to the Adamson Falcons, with his free throw shots.

J-vee Casio, who will be celebrating his birthday on September 1, topscored anew for the defending champions with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

GAME PHOTOS AT http://greenarchersph.multiply.com/photos

The SCORES:

DLSU 84 – Casio 19, Maierhofer 16, Mangahas 15, Atkins 12, Walsham 5, Barua 5, Malabes 4, Revilla 3, Bagatsing 3, Villanueva 2, Webb 0, Ferdinand 0

Adamson 79 – Gonzalgo 23, Agustin 14, Canada 6, Alvarez 6, Yambot 6, Santos 6, Nuyles 5, Lozada 5, Galinato 4, Colina 4

Quarter Scores: 16-14; 36-33,  54-57;84-79

Tags: Adamson Falcons, De La Salle Green Archers, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 71

TY and Cholo selected in the PBA Draft

By | August 31, 2008 | 6:26 pm |

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The backcourt duo of TY Tang and Cholo Villanueva were drafted back-to-back in the second round of the 2008 PBA Draft today at the Market Market in Taguig. Both players were instrumental in the Archer’s title run last year. TY was selected by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (Formerly Welcoat) on the 12th pick while the Air 21 Express chose Cholo at number 13.

Congratulations and good luck in your professional careers.

Tags: Cholo Villanueva, PBA, Ty Tang

We Were Archers

By | August 31, 2008 | 12:52 am |

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Probably not too many may still remember that Adamson Falcon Michael Galinato once donned the green and white jersey during the 2004 UAAP season. The 6’5 center had a forgettable rookie season as he played in only 6 games and averaged 0.3 points. He eventually transferred to other schools but was relegated to their training team. Given a break at Adamson this year, he has flourished to being a steady inside force for the Falcons.

Galinato is one of three former Green Archers who played for other UAAP schools over the course of their eligibility in recent years.

 

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Mika Vainio was a star during his junior years in La Salle Greenhills. The 6’3 forward played for the Archers from 2000 to 2002. After finishing his undergraduate studies, he went to UP and played one year for the Maroons as a masteral student during the 2005 season.

 

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Another La Salle Greenhills product was 6’5 center Michael Gavino who suited up for the Archers from 2001 to 2004. Just like Vainio, he took a masters degree in UP and played his final eligibility year with the Maroons. He eventually got to play in the PBA.

Maui saves the day for Green Archers

By | August 29, 2008 | 12:41 pm |

img_3388Rookie Maui Villanueva made, what would probably be the most memorable basket of his rookie year, as the Green Archers escape with a victory over the UST Growling Tigers, 81-79 at the UAAP Season 71 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Villanueva made a follow up shot with only a tenth of a second left in the game clock after Revilla missed a pressure-laden lay-up that sent the Green and White Gallery jumping and shouting for joy.

“Actually, yung talagang play namin, is for LA (Revilla) kasi 5 seconds left, siya yung pinakamabilis, it’s a good thing na beat nya yung defense ng UST,” said Acting Head Coach Jack Santiago, who admitted not having slept on the eve of this game due to the tremendous pressure to win this game in the absence of Head Coach Franz Pumaren.  

Speedy was Revilla indeed. Given only 5.5 seconds to execute the play, and receiving the inbound pass from the backcourt, the diminutive point guard literally jet streamed through the defense of the UST Growling Tigers and made a decent jumper en route to the spectacular Villanueva follow through.      

But it was Villanueva who took charge in the absence of Rico Maierhofer in the dying seconds of the ballgame. The Puerta Galera forward fouled out with still a minute still left in the game. 

“Sobrang saya lang talaga ng feeling, ang hirap i-explain. Sobrang saya. Sobrang crucial sa amin ang game na ito, thanks to God, naka-deliver,” said a visibly shaken Villanueva to the reporters in the Araneta Press Room. Beside him was JV Casio, who repeatedly rubbed Villanueva’s hair, obviously ecstatic about the escape win. Casio topscored for the Green Archers with game high of 29 points, with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. 

img_3354The win boosted the Green Archers’ chances of snatching the much coveted twice to beat advantage, as it ties for the 2nd spot the FEU Tamaraws, who earlier survived the NU Bulldogs.

The game was closely fought in the first half. The defending champions led the 2006 champions after the 1st quarter, 15-13, but the latter bounced back to end the 1st half on top, 36-34.

In the 3rd quarter, the Green Archers tried to break free from the Growling Tigers scoring 20 points against the Tigers 11, anchored on the hot outside shooting of Casio and Peejay Barua.

For a full two minutes in the final quarter, the game virtually became a JV-Jervy (Cruz) showdown. As Casio sinks one basket after another, his shots were quickly answered by last year’s MVP’s points in the paint. The shootout resulted into a 67-all deadlock in 4:36 mark. A five point swing by Casio pushed the Green Archers in front, 72-67 going into the final two minutes of the game. With the Green Archers looking to wrap up the game with a seven-point lead going into the final minute of the match, the Tigers, determined not to end their season outside the Final Four, rallied to tie the game at 79-all.

The Scores:

DLSU 81 – Casio 29, Barua 17, Maierhofer 16, Villanueva 6, Mangahas 6, Revilla 4, Webb 2, Ferdinand 1, Walsham 0, Malabes 0, Atkins 0

UST 79 – Cruz 28, Ababou 15, Mirza 11, Vargas 9, Bautista 5, Camus 3, Cuan 3, Canlas 3, Allera 2, Fenequito 0, Fortuna 0, Gile 0, Taylor 0

Quarter scores: 15-13; 34-36; 54-47; 81-79

More photos at http://greenarchersph.multiply.com/photos

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, Maui Villanueva, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 71, UST Tigers

The View From the Armchair: Game 11 vs FEU

By | August 27, 2008 | 2:21 pm |

s71-g11-feu-24The Green Archers failed to play their usual game last Saturday and went down to the fired-up FEU Tamaraws, 75-83 at the Philsports Arena. Except for the first quarter which ended in a 14-all tie, the Archers were outscored in the last three quarters, 18-23 (Q2), 15-17 (Q3), and 28-29 (Q4). The defense was inconsistent, with the Archers allowing the tams to tally 83 points. This represented the highest score of a La Salle opponent so far this UAAP season.

The game saw the return of Simon after he missed a few games due to injury. His presence failed to lift the Archers as mainstay JV was recovering from an illness he suffered that week. Perhaps realizing that the Archers were not at full strength, the tall and athletic Tams forced a fast-paced game in a effort to tire out the Archers. This forced Coach Franz to adopt an unusual rotation pattern, often substituting his guard line in an effort to conserve their energy for the end game. He also played small ball for extended periods of time to prevent match up problems with Tams, with Rico, James, Maui, Joshua, and Peejay manning the front line. As a result, the Archers’ centers played sparingly, with Ferdinand logging only 7 minutes mostly in the first quarter and JWalsh not able to enter the game at all.

The Archers uncharacteristically opened the door for the Tams in the last quarter, turning the ball over in successive plays which the Tams converted into quick baskets. This proved the turning point of the game, giving the Tams enough of a margin that could not be surmounted by the Archers’ last ditch rally.

Offense

The Archers’ offensive machinery performed roughly according to their season averages over the first 10 games. The point production was only 2 below their 10-game average of 77.4. From the 3point area, the Archers hit 7/20 for 35%, roughly about their average, while they made 21/45 2point attempts for 46.7%, slightly better than the season average of 42%. If the Archers made their free throws, they could have kept the game close at the end, because they missed 8 out of the 20 tries at the foul line. JV carried the brunt of the offensive, hitting 3/8 3pointers and 3/4 on field goals for 15 points. Rico actually topped the scoring with 18 points, but some of his fgs came during garbage time. James was also relatively successful on offense, making 1/2 treys and 5/11 fgs. LA scored two quick 3pointers in the first quarter, but was silent offensively thereafter. Peejay tallied only 7 points, below the 9 point “benchmark” that the tv sportscasters had set as the minimum he must score if La Salle was to win.

Defense

It was on defense that the Archers underperformed. Prior to the game, the Archers had limited their competition to 67.2 points per game, but in this game allowed FEU to score 83, 16 over the average of La Salle opponents.

With JV and Simon coming out of sick bay, FEU exploited the temporary weakness of the La Salle guard line, as Tamaraw guards Fernandez and Barroca repeatedly found the bottom of the net. Fernandez strung 8 straight points highlighted by 2 triples to allow FEU to grab the driver’s seat in the first half, and FEU pg Barroca played his career game, exploding for 26 points against all his defenders and orchestrating the Tamaraw offensive together with Knuttel. The FEU guards repeatedly attacked the perimeter defense through dribble penetrations, and when the secondary defender would slide over, dished to a waiting teammate under the basket or at the wings for an open shot. This success at cracking the Archer defense allowed FEU to shoot a high 56.5% from the field while connecting on 4/12 from 3point territory. FEU definitely played a good game, and it’s difficult to hold down a team that is as hot as FEU was last weekend. This game also showed that the Archer perimeter defense can be breached by good dribblers and off-the-ball movement by the wingmen. The 29 fouls called on the Archers were translated into 29 free throw attempts by FEU, of which they made 19.

Others

The Archers forced FEU to turn over the ball 23 times, but also committed 22 of their own, effectively negating the edge that the Archers usually have over their opponents. The 22 turnovers is 6 over their per-game average of 16. Turnovers caused by the pesky La Salle defenders usually is a source of quick points, but their unusually high turnover rate was used by the Tams to score points of their own. Playing small ball, the Archers were outrebounded by FEU 33-38. Rico pulled down 13 rebounds, helped by Maui who had 6 of his own. Despite being out of shape, JV showcased his all-around game with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. The relative weakness of the guard line resulted in a below average assist total of only 12 against their average of 15.5 per game.

The Rookie Watch

As usual, Maui logged the most minutes with 24 and was also the leading rookie scorer with 8 on 3/5 fgs and 2/2 fts aside from his 6 rebounds. However Maui also committed 5 turnovers due to the extremely physical defense played on him by the taller and heftier FEU frontline. LA saw action for only 11 minutes, mostly in the first half, pulled down 3 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, stole the ball once, and converted all of his 3point attempts but was 0/2 from close range. Joshua played 10 minutes and was effective on offense, nailing 2/3 of his field goals, but his inexperience showed against the more mature Tamaraw frontliners. Hyram was fielded in for 6 minutes primarily for ball handling duties, and Jovet saw action for 4 minutes but did not score.

What needs work

The ailing Archer guard corps will have to get healthy soon if the Archers are to be competitive in the remaining elimination round games against UST, Adamson, and Ateneo. They are primarily responsible for ball handling and distribution, calling the plays, and keeping the offensive machinery working smoothly. Last Saturday, they were sometimes a half-step slower than the FEU guards, and FEU took advantage of this to penetrate into the secondary defense area for easy passes to open Tams under the goal or on the wings. In the fourth quarter, on certain plays, the Tams simply gave the ball to Barroca to create for himself, and he responded by scoring 13 in that decisive stretch. The Archers will need to get their defensive focus back, because they cannot allow opponents to score 83 points and hope to win via a shootout.

Our inside presence also has to be addressed. Against a team with no dominant centers (Cervantes and Ramos like to play the perimeter), the Archers could not establish an inside game. Without the consistent inside threat, the Tams were able to extend their defense and made it difficult for our outside shooters to find the space and time to make their shots. One notable area that the Archers must watch out for is their tendency to commit a travelling violation when faking prior to a drive. They committed several such miscues at various times which tended to stall whatever momentum they were trying to build up during the repeated rallies. The Rico alley-oop play should be used judiciously if ever, because other teams have players who can match Rico’s jumping ability and he tends to land with the ball instead of taking the attempt.

What worked

The Archers offensive machinery will usually deliver their current average of 77 points per game. However, our perimeter shooters will have to be more consistent and confident. JV is a marked man wherever he is on the floor, so Bader and Peejay will have to step up and make their shots count. James continues to be arguably the best one-on-one operator in the league, but will have to take care of the ball. LA’s shotmaking ability can take some of the load from JV, but he will have to make his shots consistently.

Next game: vs UST (4pm Thursday, Aug 28 at the Araneta Coliseum)

UST is coming off a rousing win over NU, and will come into the game with some confidence. They pose the same kind of threat that FEU had, with tall, agile, athletic wingmen (Canlas, Allera, Mirza, Ababou) who can light it up from 3point area or dribble and slash. Plus they have reigning MVP Jervy Cruz, Gile, and Taylor in the middle. Their ability to hit it from outside can open up the middle for Cruz and company.

Another concern is the absence of Coach Franz for the next 2-3 games as he coaches the national youth team in the ongoing FIBA-Asia youth tournament in Tehran. Coach Jack will handle the team in his absence.

Come and cheer the Archers against UST – they’ll need our support. We’ll also try to update the game scoreboard with running updates as the game progresses.

KEEP THE FAITH!

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, FEU Tamaraws, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 71

Just For Kicks!: Green Archer Celebrity Lookalikes

By | August 25, 2008 | 11:20 pm |

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The movie star good looks of the Green Archers have catapulted their popularity from league favorites to full celebrity status, attracting fans even from rival schools and kibitzers from outside the league. Proof is in media attention-magazine covers and big advertisement contracts started long before pre-season, with sporting giants cashing in on the success and commercially viable good looks of season 70′s surprise champs. Sophomore playmaker Simon Atkins and star point guard JV Casio are in fashion mags and billboards. Basking in their share of the limelight are multinationals Bader Malabes, PJ Walsham and Rico Maierhofer, with the last one starring in a full-length TV commercial for a major sports brand. It appears an unofficial tradition for DLSU Green Archers to score high in the looks department with its long line of basketball celebrities—Maoi Roca, Mon Jose, BJ Manalo, Dominic Uy, Mike Cortez, Jason Webb, Luigi Trillo, Lago Brothers, among others. This year, the men’s basketball team obviously, if inadvertently, maintains the tradition by having members who are deadringers of TV and film stars. Decide for yourselves if it’s a hit or a miss for these stellar match-ups:

Rico Maierhofer is sometimes incredible in the spectacular moves he makes, but can he pass as an alter ego to the actor who’s the latest to play the Incredible Hulk, Edward Norton?

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Lately, we have been seeing more of Ferdinand in action. Hopefully, he gets to log in more playing minutes and not be relegated to hiding in the house attic as what his lookalike, Josh Hartnett did in the vampire movie, 30 Days, 30 Nights.

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Shooter James Mangahas is always serious when he plays. But heck, we are not complaining because he delivers. But do you think he looks like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” singer Blue’s Simon Webbe?

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Maybe we’ll get to see the slashing moves of sophomore Rejan Lee, after all he is not dubbed as “Little Ninja” for nothing. But can you his resemblance to Hong Kong’s singing superstar Jackie Cheung, who once did a duet with Philippine’s very own, Regine Velasquez

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Rookie Maui Villanueva is playing like he’s no rookie at all. This early, he is showing his basketball IQ and experience, But does he look like Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition’s Bodie Cruz, son of 70′s movie icon and experienced actor Tirso Cruz?

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We have not seen him play last year. And for the limited time he saw action for the Green Archers this season, we were witnessed to the quality minutes he gave the team. Marko Batricevic is Just like his look alike, Cillian Murphy, who played quality villain role in Batman Begins as the Scare Crow.

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Bader Malabes has exploded in some games and continue to improve his defensive game. Hopefully, he gets a second crack at greatness this season, after a not so impressive performance last season, as his look alike Patrick Dempsey, who got a second crack at stardom after potraying McDreamy (?) in the hit show, Grey’s Anatomy

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Finally, last year’s finals MVP Cholo Villanueva. He is no longer playing but he is still with the team. One more chance for Cholo to prove his special love for DLSU. That statement says it all—Cholo as John Lloyd, would you agree?

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Until next time, XOXO

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
Tags: Bader Malabes, Cholo Villanueva, Ferdinand, James Mangahas, Marko Batricevic, Maui Villanueva, Rejan Lee, Rico Maierhofer

ARE THE BLUE EAGLES FOR REAL? (from archerpride.com)

By | August 25, 2008 | 1:19 pm |

img_0459From the editorial forum of GreenArrows in www.archerpride.com

This season has finally seen the true transformation of the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Since the resurgence of their basketball program in 1999, Ateneo has slowly and steadily built up a program which would make the Blue Eagles a consistent contender in the UAAP Mens Basketball tournament.

The initial stages of their resurgence which culminated in the 2002 Championship was built on a team which was, in many a pundits’ minds, the collegiate version on an all star team. Led by Enrico Villanueva, he had outstanding support from players like Larry Fonacier, LA Tenorio, Wesley Gonzales, Rich Alvarez all of whom are now stars in their own right in the PBA. Undoubtedly, the 2002 Ateneo team will find few, if any, equals in the UAAP teams so far in this millennium.

But this resurgence showed its own failings when ADMU was unable to retain the crown in 2003 when an Arwind Santos-led FEU Tamaraws won their 17th UAAP basketball crown. This development must have been clearly seen by the proponents and supporters of the Blue Eagles’ program who resolved to correct this situation and correct it soonest.

In 2004, PBA Champion coach Norman Black was hired by ADMU to be its ‘consultant’ to then Head Coach Sandy Arrespacochaga. Champion Coach Joel Banal’s two year contract was up and was ‘moved up’ to the PBA team Talk n Text. Coach Sandy was on his way to a great season until he lost deadshot Larry Fonacier due to an ACL tear in a game against UP. This, however, did not stop Ateneo from finishing the first round of that season with an immaculate 7-0 record. But the absence of Fonacier bore heavily on the Blue Eagles as the season wore on which eventually led to their being booted out in the Final Four stage by the De La Salle Green Archers.

Again, this loss showed the weakness of the program which, since 1999 was mainly based on personalities – players who had great skills – but who could not ‘bring home the bacon.’ Their loss to their arch rivals DLSU in 2004 saw the end of the Head Coaching days for Coach Sandy as Coach Norman Black stepped him as Head Coach.

Having inherited the team and players brought in by the previous program, Coach Norman was still able to bring the Blue Eagles back to the Final Four in 2005 but was again turned back by De La Salle.

With the suspension of De La Salle in the 2006, Coach Norman showed what he had in mind by bringing Ateneo to the Finals against an emotionally driven UST Growling Tigers. The Finals was truly a nailbiting three-game affair which games were determined by only a field goal or two. Ateneo was so close, and yet so far. They were just a missed follow up point away from winning the crown. Sure, UST won the crown but, to me, this signaled the arrival of the ‘NEW’ Blue Eagles.

Last season, ADMU kept close on the heels of the 14-0 UE Red Warriors and swept DLSU in both elimination rounds though both games was decided only in the last minutes of each game. You could feel and see the new confidence of the Blue and White team, a team basically WITHOUT any real certified superstar – so unlike their champion 2002 team which was overflowing with superstar players. Perhaps this new found confidence was a new experience for the team as they never anticipated to lose to a lowly NU team on the last day of the eliminations. A loss which ADMU paid dearly for and which led to their eventual loss to, again, their arch rival DLSU Green Archers in the step ladder semifinals. If it was any consolation to the Blue Eagles, they lost out to the eventual champion Green Archers who swept UE in the Finals. At the very least, ADMU extended the twice-to-beat DLSU and is the only team to have a winning record against the Green Archers last year with a 3-2 win-loss record.

NOW COMES SEASON 71. Immediately after last season, ADMU recruited 4 of the most highly prized rookies of the coming season led by NCAA Jr. MVP Staglet Ryan Buenafe and Bedan Nico Salva. They also got Chiang Kai Shek behemoth Justin Chua and Kirk Long’s Faith teammate Vince Burke. Note, if not already the best, these rookies were at least the tallest batch with Buenafe being the ‘shortest’ at 6’3”. But this was only the first step in Coach Norman’s wholistic approach for the Blue Eagles.

Next step was the intensive training they had in the US which not only allowed the players to bond even more with each other, but brought out and enhanced the individual skills of each of their players. This was crucial because a player like Rabeh Al Husseini would not be as dominant as he is now if not for this training. You could even say that Rabeh would be the Most Improved Player this year if not the Most Valuable Player.

But still, there was something still missing in the Blue Eagles. And here is where Coach Norman Black has woven his magic. He has indoctrinated this batch of Blue Eagles with a philosophy which he had believed in and used in the past but was only mentioned in passing by previous Blue Eagle teams. Coach Black changed the focus of the team and of each player by making them concentrate on the main basis behind the success of Coach Franz of DLSU. And that focus is called DEFENSE!

It is DEFENSE which makes Coach Franz very successful in the UAAP year in and year out regardless of the skill levels of his teams. Many teams in the UAAP had better players in the 10 year tenure of the Coach Franz era, but DLSU has continued to be a major force in the UAAP despite the relative inferior line ups Coach Franz has to make do with. Coach Franz has brought DLSU to the Finals in 8 of the 9 years he has coached DLSU. And with line-ups which, at the beginning of each season, seems like a weaker one than the year before. Yet, Coach Franz has managed to make DLSU a force to reckon with every year because of his system. A system based on DEFENSE!

Prior to the start of this season, Coach Norman stated in an interview that to win, Ateneo had to play up to the ‘game level’ of both DLSU and UE which he emphasized stressed DEFENSE! To win, Ateneo would have to retool and play DEFENSE with the same intensity and level that both DLSU and UE play with. And here, you see where Coach Norman ‘transformed’ the Blue Eagles.

At the end of the first round, ADMU has been the best DEFENSIVE team in the UAAP. Surprisingly, defending champion DLSU is only in the middle of the pack. And where is ADMU as of this writing? Number 1 – a position they have held since the start of the season. I may be wrong but with 12 games played, this is the longest that any ADMU team has held the number 1 position in this millennium.

What explains this consistent performance? Well for one, Rabeh Al Husseini has been playing MVP ball. No one, not even the most ardent Blue Eagle follower would have imagined that Rabeh would be their main man this season. But, he is not their only MAIN man.

There is, of course, their only certified superstar Chris Tiu who has taken his game to a totally new level. No more forcing his shots to help his team. He passes well, defends adequately and scores when the team needs him to score. Instead of forcing his game, he has allowed the game to come to him and he has made their opponents pay dearly for it.

Also, another main man for Ateneo is my own choice for best player – Nonoy Baclao. Nonoy gives the team the added advantage of covering defensively the areas that Rabeh can not cover. In my opinion, his intimidating defense, specially as a shot blocker, has given him a wider coverage in the paint with which to clamp down on any incursion by opposing teams and helping the Blue Eagles get the defensive and offensive rebounds. Nonoy is a tall player who is also quick and fast. Last year, he was easily foul prone which led to the Green Archers knowing how to take him out of the game. But this year, with the new concept of TEAM DEFENSE under Coach Norman, Nonoy has thrived – quietly BUT very effective.

Ryan Buenafe is truly a super rookie. At the 3 position, he gives Ateneo the height and basketball IQ at the position most teams tend to take forgranted. He even brings the ball down when teams like UE and DLSU press the ADMU guards using his height and ball handling skills to bring the ball with time to spare. Also, he brings his game inside the opponents paint to daringly challenge the opposing teams’ big men to stop him which is not quite often.

Eric Salamat, a co-Baste junior player like Buenafe, has also blossomed this season. His type of pesky defense fits well into Coach Norman’s system. He and Nonoy give the Blue Eagles solid defense both down low or up high making it difficult for many teams to play any level of step up tempo. Also, he has started to assert himself on the offensive end thus making up for the little slack in the offensive performances of Jai Reyes, Yuri Escueta and Kirk Long. The Salamat-Tiu combination is probably the deadliest backcourt combination this year, even better than UE’s or FEU’s.

Yes, Coach Norman has transformed not only the Blue Eagles but also the Blue Eagles’ fans. Whereas they would cheer lustily for every shot of past players, now they cheer even more for every rebound, block, steal and interception that their players get. Coach Norman has been responsible for this transformation and unless the other teams, DLSU included, realize this, the Blue Eagles are mowing down the opposition enroute to a possible FOURTH UAAP crown.

In the past, after DLSU always made the Finals, my Atenean friends would text me congratulations and good luck. I could almost feel their angst and frustrations. I would always say, that it is never about the players because players come and go every year. But DLSU continues to be a force to reckon with because IT’S THE SYSTEM! It’s the system that matters. No matter the results, DLSU’s performance and consistency is always dependent on THE SYSTEM. Specially on DEFENSE.

This year, Coach Norman’s SYSTEM and philosophy is bearing fruit. It was a work in progress since 2004 when he became the team ‘consultant’. His SYSTEM and his emphasis on DEFENSE has made the Ateneo Blue Eagles the team to beat this season. And if we don’t watch out, the Ateneo Blue Eagles could be the team to beat EVERY season for as long as Coach Norman is there to implement HIS system.

Are the Ateneo Blue Eagles for real?

You better believe it!

Tags: Ateneo Blue Eagles, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 71

Green Archers get railroaded by Tamaraws

By | August 24, 2008 | 2:43 pm |

The Green Archers wanted to give a winning send-off for Coach Franz Pumaren, who will be missing the Archers final three elimination games to coach the RP Youth Team, but the FEU Tamaraws wanted to have a party of their own as the Morayta-based squad score an 83-75 victory over the defending champions.

After a lead grabbing three-point shot from JV Casio 6:33 left in the game, an auspicious buzzer beating 3-point shot from Reil Cervantes prevented a momentum shift to De La Salle. Green Archer forward James Mangahas scored underneath the basket to tie the count anew. But the Green Archer defense just couldn’t stop Mark Barroca from converting one basket after another. The wily point guard made four straight baskets from all areas of the floor going into the final two minutes that saw the FEU Tamaraws with a sudden 6-point lead. The Green Archers struggled in offense with Casio sitting on the bench. It was revealed by a team insider later that Casio’s entry in the ballgame had to be paced since La Salle’s main gun is just recovering from a flu.

The Green Archers, visibly surprised by the Barroca onslaught, lost the ball twice at the backcourt, which were easily converted by the Tamaraws. With only 2:20 left in the game clock, the Archers just couldn’t overcome the almost insurmountable 10 point-margin.

With the win, the FEU Tamaraws and the Green Archers are now tied at 2nd place, at 8-3 win-loss card and will figure in a tight race to notch that twice to beat advantage in the Final Four.

The game was tightly fought in the first 10 minutes of play with both teams finishing the first quarter with 14 points each. But FEU’s Benedict Fernandez went on an offensive attack scoring 14 points in the first 4 minutes of the 2nd quarter against La Salle’s 4 points for a double digit Tamaraw lead. But the Green Archers clawed their way back, figuring in a 7 point swing in less than 30 seconds to move to within a point. But the Tamaraws maintained their composure to end the 1st half with a five-point lead, 37-32.

THE SCORES:

FEU 83 – Barroca 26, Fernanded 14, Cervantes 13, Knuttel 11, Cawaling 6, Adolfo 6, Tanuan 4, Ramos 3, Macazo 0, Alisbo 0, Sanga 0, Cabagnot 0

DLSU 75 – Maierhofer 18, Casio 15, Mangahas 14, Villanueva 8, Barua 7, Revilla 6, Webb 4, Atkins 3, Mendoza 0, Bagatsing 0, Malabes 0, Ferdinand 0, Lee 0

Quarter Scores: 14-14; 37-32; 54-47; 83-75

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, FEU Tamaraws, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 71

The View From the Armchair: Game 10 vs NU

By | August 19, 2008 | 4:51 pm |
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img-2642Coming from a 1-week layoff, the Green Archers came out flat and fell behind by as many as 15 points before recovering in the second half to overwhelm the NU Bulldogs 79-67 last Saturday at the Philsports Arena. A combination of factors may have lulled the Archers into thinking that NU would be easy pickings: the relatively easy first round 93-69 victory, the 2-7 W-L record of the Bulldogs, and the injuries Jahnke and Garcia suffered against UE. Boy were they wrong.

The ‘dogs came out snapping and snarling, and raced to a 9-0 lead before the Archers regained their bearings to tie the game at 16-all. NU held on to take the first quarter, 22-19. Just when it seemed that the Archers were poised to take over the game, NU exploded with 20 points in the second quarter while holding the Archers to just 12 to take an 11 point lead at halftime. A noticeable lack of Archer intensity translated into several botched offensive plays and a wide open defense that allowed the Bulldogs to take a double digit lead in the first half. Notably off their games during the first half, James and Rico committed most of their turnovers in this stretch.

After a good talking-to in the dugout during the halftime break, the Archers came out focused and with a renewed sense of urgency. This was critical as NU was playing with a great deal of confidence up to that point. JV Casio led by example as he ably orchestrated the plays, sank his 3pointers, and showcased his overall leadership as the Archers limited NU to 9 points while equalling their 31 first half points in just the 3rd quarter to completely turn the tables on the Bulldogs. The decisive 3rd quarter saw La Salle outscoring their NU counterparts 31-9 to take an 11 point lead going into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Archers were content to match NU to take the win.

Offense

The Archers offset their first half shooting woes with a masterful 3rd quarter scoring onslaught, draining consecutive 3pointers and making most of their 2point shots to tally 48 points in the second half. In 3pointers, the green-and-white team made 8/21, slightly above their game average, while they made 22 out of 47 2point field goals for 46.8%. Free throw shooting continued to be below par, as the Archers sank only 11 out of 16 fts for 68.8%. Peejay continued to perform well against NU, almost singlehandedly keeping the Archers in the game in the first half with over 10 points. One of the offensive highlights of the game was a spectacular one-handed dunk from Ferdinand off an assist from one of the Archer guards. Ferdinand snapped out of his recent funk with 2/2 shooting, and his performance and renewed confidence augurs well for the next games.

Defense

The Archers first half defense was woeful, surrendering 42 points by allowing NU to take uncontested perimeter shots and allowing dribble penetrations from both the guards and the big frontliners. Asoro was forced outside by the tough defense, but he made the defense pay by sinking 3/7 3pointers and 4/7 from closer range. Aguilar also had his way inside in the first half, making most of his 11 points on close-in shots before being shackled in the second half by the active and physical defense of Maui and Ferdinand. The second half defensive effort limited NU to a total of 32 fg attempts, of which they made 16 for 50% shooting, rather high for a DLSU opponent.  The active Archer defense yielded 24 free throws, which NU converted int 17 points. The press was present throughout the game, but was particularly effective in the 3rd quarter where it forced several NU turnovers during that decisive run.

Others

The Archers were surprisingly outrebounded by NU, 35-42. Former rookie of the year Asoro hauled down 10 rebounds against the Archer frontline. Peejay and Maui were the most active rebounders among the Archers with 6 apiece. Peejay underscored his nose for the ball with 5 offensive out of his 6 boards. Bader and Ferdinand collected 4 rebounds each. The improved team play of the Archers in the second half saw them out-assist NU, 19-13, led by JV and Rico with 5 each, and LA with 4. Rico continued to guard the middle, rejecting 2 NU interior attempts. The Archers committed 19 turnovers, but forced NU into 28 as they turned the game around with the pressure defense.

The Rookie Watch

As in previous games, Maui logged the most minutes of any rookie with 22. He was instrumental in keeping the NU bigs out of scoring position, often fronting Aguilar in the second half to prevent a repeat of Aguilar’s strong first half performance. LA logged 15 minutes and scored 8 points on 3/6 shooting plus 2/4 free throws on top of 4 assists. Hyram also played 15 highly effective minutes, hitting 1/2 on both his 2 and 3 point attempts for 5 points aside from 3 rebounds. The hustle of the 3 rookies contributed to the third quarter push of the Archers.

What needs work

The Archers were probably overconfident going into this game, and they almost paid for it. With the tournament approaching the homestretch, each game will count, and the Archers cannot afford to take any team for granted. The players must execute the game plan to the letter in order to have a chance to win. The first half showed how a lack of concentration and focus can lead to potentially disastrous results.

The veterans must follow the example set by JV, who literally carried the team on his shoulders by the quality of his play. James and Rico cannot take the same lackadaisical attitude they showed in the first half, because their play is critical to our undersized frontline. At this point of the tournament, it will all boil down to the mental aspect of the game as well as the players’ heart – which team wants the win more.

The Archers will also have to start each game strong, instead of letting the opponents grab the initiative and the lead. Unfortunately, this has been the case in most of the games this year, starting from the game against Ateneo where they were unable to get back into the game despite making a strong second half run. In both our losses, the Archers simply ran out of time. The team cannot make it a habit to come from behind the way they did against NU.

What worked

Again, the defense, when the Archers decided to turn it on full blast in the 2nd half. The interior defense is starting to stiffen, and this will be critical when the Archers play the taller teams like UST and Ateneo. The ball movement in the second half was particularly good. I don’t know what Franz told the team in the locker room, but the Archers came out breathing fire. The team will have to bring this mental attitude and focus at the start of each game, and keep it up throughout the full 40 minutes.

Next game: vs FEU (4pm Aug 23 at the PhilSports Arena)

FEU is riding high on their win over UST, and may have Kave back in their lineup. The tall, athletic Tams will definitely be a handful, and their supporters are expected to come in large numbers. We have a good chance to win on the court – let’s not lose the war in the stands.

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, NU Bulldogs, UAAP Basketball, UAAP Season 71

UAAP Season 71: Archers survive Bulldogs

By | August 17, 2008 | 9:45 am |

img_2743The Green Archers overcame an eleven-point deficit in the halftime to win over the dangerous NU Bulldogs, 79-67 in the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Philsports Arena.

After a shaky start in the first quarter and going sour in the 2nd quarter, scoring a mere 12 points, the defending champions exploded with 31 big markers in the 3rd canto and limited their rivals to only 9 points, to grab and never relinquish the upper hand. JV Casio led the cause for the Green Archers with 22 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds.

“May mga games talaga na ganun ang start. Pero ang importante, we have to stay focused. It’s how we bounced back. I talked to my teammates, if we don’t work together, we’ll end up just like in the UE game,” said the DLSU point guard referring to their first round loss to the Red Warriors.

Just like in their first round game, the NU Bulldogs started strong and kicked off with a 9-0 run against the Green Archers. But Casio spearheaded De La Salle’s 16-7 run midway in the first to equalize the ballgame at 16-all. But the Bulldogs were unperturbed by the recovery of the Archers as they continued to drill in the baskets and ended the first quarter on top 22-19.

The Bulldogs continued to wax hot in the 2nd quarter, but the Green Archers’ woes seemed to never stop. The Green Archers featured in one bungled play after another. This allowed the Sampaloc-based squad to erect a 15 point margin, its biggest in the ballgame, with 4:51 left before halftime. The Taft-based squad regrouped and managed to slash the lead to only 7. But the determined Bulldogs never relented and maintained their composure to finish the 1st half with an eleven point lead, 42-31.

img_26111At the start of the 2nd half, the team figured in a shootout, with each trading baskets. But a Casio 3 point in the 5:55 mark changed the complexion of the game. The Archers then streaked into an 18-0 run, with Casio scoring 9 points in the said run, to wrest the lead for good. The Bulldogs were at a loss on what had befallen them, and never recovered after that sensational 3rd quarter of De La Salle.

As the Archers’ took the steam out of the bewildered NU Bulldogs, the final quarter saw the defending champions zooming to a 17-point lead, 78-61 highlighted by the spectacular dunk by sophomore Ferdinand from an assist by Casio to the delight of the La Salle gallery.

With the win, the Archers solidified their hold of 2nd slot in the standings at 8 wins 2 losses. The NU Bulldogs dropped to 2-8.

Meanwhile Coach Franz Pumaren confirmed that he will not be around in the last three games of the Green Archers (against UST, Adamson and Ateneo) as he will take a leave of absence to help the country’s stint in the Asian Youth Championships. Although this is already at the crucial stretch of the elimination games, he is confident that the team to be managed by Assistant Coach Jack Santiago can deliver. “I trust my players and the team is in good hands,” assured Coach Franz. “Coach Jack has been my assistant coach since 2002 and he is very familiar with the system,” the multi-titled coach added.

GAME PHOTOS AT http://greenarchersph.multiply.com/photos

THE SCORES:

DLSU 79 – Casio 22, Barua 14, Revilla 8, Mangahas 7, Maierhofer 7, Malabes 6, Bagatsing 5, Villanueva 4, Ferdinand 4, Webb 2, Walsham 0, Mendoza 0

NU 67 – Asoro 19, Aguilar 11, Jahnke 10, Baloran 7, Luy 6, Ponferrada 4, Tungcul 3, Dela Cruz 3, Garcia 2, Catamora 2, Berry 0, Batac 0

Quarter Scores: 19-22; 31-42; 62-51; 79-67

Tags: De La Salle Green Archers, NU Bulldogs, UAAP Season 71
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