The De La Salle Green Archers were shredded by University of the East, 46-65, to open the 2009 UAAP season on July 11 at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Archers could not get their rhythm going as they seemed disoriented whole game long. The last time they led was at the end of the first quarter with a 10-9 tally.
From there, it was all UE as the Red Warriors broke away for good in the second half, going ahead by as many as 22, 63-41, with a Paul Lee conversion, a few ticks before the two-minute warning.
This is the lowest output of the Green Archers since losing to FEU, 52-70, back in 2004.
No one from the green and white squad scored in double digits as James Mangahas made only nine points in 4/12 field goal shooting. He also accounted for seven rebounds and three steals.
Rookie Sam Marata and Peejay Barua both recorded seven markers.
Meanwhile, Pari Llagas topscored for East with 15 points, shooting 7/10 from the line, along with seven boards. Lee came up with 11 markers, six caroms, and seven feeds.
Paul Zamar and Elmer Espiritu both scored nine points with the big man notching 14 rebounds and three blocks.
Both teams started off slow as points came in trickles and turnovers and misses in droves with the first quarter scoreline resembling more like an American football game.
As the Recto-based camp picked up its pace, the green and white remained static. Pari Llagas started making headway, scoring seven of the last nine points of UE in the half.
The only semblance of a run the Archers did was a 5-0 counter-rally from a 4-0 spurt by the Warriors. Two fastbreak layups courtesy of Paul Zamar and Raffy Reyes made it a 21-14 affair midway of the second period. Bader Malabes scored on a three-pointer from the wing then Barua followed up Malabes’ missed three in the next possession to trim the lead to two, 19-21, 4:25 remaining.
The red and white side just kept on piling the points in the second half as the Archers played lost and tentative. Set plays were slow to materialize and conversions were few and far from between.
The closest De La Salle got was three, 33-36, 3:24 in the third, Simon Atkins giving a bulls eye of a lead pass to Joshua Webb for a transition lay in.
Problems compounded in the fourth when DLSU-M went scoreless for six minutes, while eating UE’s dust along the way. The UE gallery were chanting “Blow out! Blow out!” during a timeout break four minutes to go in the ballgame and the Warriors up, 56-41.
Stats worth taking note is that the Green Archers shot 24% at the field, 9/18 at the freethrow line, committing 22 errors, leading to 18 UE turnover points.
The result was not unexpected. UE is a veteran team, and is expected to crowd FEU and Ateneo for top honors. Paul Lee showed why he is regarded as one of the premier guards by slicing through the Archer defense to deliver several drop passes to the UE bigs for gimme shots under the basket. Fortunately for us, UE did not perform much better, missing several easy shots and making almost as many errors. But the Warriors settled down in the 3rd quarter to win comfortably.
Given the current composition of the team, a final 4 appearance is probably realistic, but I wouldn’t count on much more. The rookies are now being exposed to the much tougher environment of the UAAP, and some jitters, uncertainty, and errors were to be expected. Franz gave the rookies ample playing time, and the veterans didn’t get too much floor time. The offensive patterns of the Archers were still not smooth, several blown passes, travelling errors, hurried or carelessly taken shots. Charge it to the learning curve of this young team. Setting records has never been Franz’s cup of tea, and the 46 points scored today will be forgotten in the overall scheme of things.
In everything, there’s an upside. Today’s game was kinda ugly, but the team can’t play much worse than this. They will learn, get better, and start showing why they’re expected to be a contender in a couple of years. In the next games, we’ll probably start seeing flashes of the brand of Archer ball that we’re used to.
It’s still early in the season, no need to panic. Let’s enjoy the growth and development of this team. It is exciting to watch, sometimes frustrating, but once it gets its act together, will be something to watch. In the meantime, let’s sit and enjoy the ride. And cheer them on.
DE LA SALLE University opens its title campaign against University of the East (UE) when the 72nd season of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) kicks off Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.The Green Archers, losing finalists to the Ateneo Blue Eagles last year, meet the Red Warriors at 4 p.m.With the exit of the sweet shooting JV Casio and main man Rico Maierhofer, the Green Archers will have to lean on a formidable class of rookies led by the highly touted Arvie Bringas.
The 19-year-old Bringas, the 6’5″ who powered San Sebastian to a rare “four-peat” in the NCAA juniors, is poised to fill in the void left by Maierhofer in the paint.
“He will give us size,” said La Salle Coach Franz Pumaren. “He’s a physical player and he can definitely help us.”
Pumaren also has the luxury of having his former players in the RP Youth team with former UAAP juniors Most Valuable Player Joseph Marata, playmaker Joel Tolentino, Gabriel Banal and Jed Manguera along with Yutien Andrada now in the La Salle roster.
James Mangahas will banner the Taft-based cagers with support coming from Peejay Barua and Simon Atkins.
The Red Warriors, who will parade a new coach in Lawrence Chongson, are eager to get back at the Green Archers, who swept them in the Season 70 finals after scoring a flawless 14-0 elimination round record.
With Marcy Arellano and workhorse Hans Thiele no longer seeing action for UE, the Red Warriors will rely on the consistent play of Paul Lee, Rudy Lingganay and Paul Zamar.
Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas and Adamson University square off at 2 p.m.
The 6’3” rookie Darrel Green, a multi-awarded junior player, will join veterans Dylan Ababou, Khasim Mirza, Allen Maliksi and playmaker Jeric Fortuna for the Growling Tigers, who are all set to make a comeback in the Final Four after missing it last season.
With a solid core and Leo Canuday set for a return after missing the entire Season 71 because of an injury, Adamson coach Leo Austria believes that this is the year for the Falcons to soar.
Host Far Eastern University has prepared a festive opening ceremony carrying this year’s theme “One Color, One Goal” at 1 p.m.
– Krista Angela M. Montealegre
Meet Ms. Erin Torrejon, the new courtside TV reporter for DLSU this coming UAAP season. Our very own Andrew Tan recently caught up with her for a brief interview. Due to audio problems, you will probably not hear anything in this video so we transcribed the whole chat here.
Andrew: I am here with Ms. Erin Torrejon, the next UAAP courtside reporter. Hi Erin, How does it feel to be next Sharon Yu? Erin: I can’t compare yet myself with Sharon Yu, I am very excited and I feel that this will be a very good experience to be the courtside reporter for La Salle for the Green Archers. I am excited and nervous because I really picture to be a court side reporter for La Salle.
Andrew: Can you tell us more about yourself? Erin: I am a CommArts major, I am 19 years old
Andrew: What drove you to apply for court side reporter? Erin: Well it has been a good opportunity, and I always wanted to pursue that path. And I thought that being inside the court would be different so you would not have to write everything that happened in the game. It is a good experience.
Andrew: In the past, do you have some sports involvements? Erin: Ah yes actually, I used to play basketball aside from the fact that my friends were from the basketball team so I got interested as well as soccer I am also sort of soccer fan but i enjoy basketball better.
Andrew: How about your friends, do they know about this already? Erin: I’ve told a few friends but not alot.
Andrew: How did they react? Erin: They were shocked and proud at the same time. They know that I am here to do something and they are proud that I am taking the step.
Andrew: Do you feel pressure right now? Erin: Yeah of course, the fact that I am seen on TV, I want to make sure that what I am saying has substance and that I could actually help the coverage of the UAAP.
Andrew: So Saturday is the big day, how do you see it you know UE is the opponent and UE is a strong team? Erin: Well you know La Salle the team is currently a rebuilding team. There are many rookies I think you know that they can do it. They are going to go up against big teams and I think that the game will b e exciting this saturday.
Andrew: Who is your favorite Green Archer? Erin: My all time favorite is JV Casio. I feel that he really helped the Green Archers, such a good player and a good leader at the same time. I think Rico is good too.
Andrew: So thank you Ms. Erin and I hope that you will have a wonderful career. Erin: Thank you too.
Here it goes! With the Season 72 just around the corner, it’s time to make a calculated guess on what the outcome will be. There is no formula to determine the outcome but it is just so much fun to give an opinion. National University:
The Bulldogs are nowhere near the level of players they had last season. With Asoro, Aguilar and Jahnke gone, they just don’t have the pieces to match up against the other teams. I have always liked the underdog and NU has always been just that. They may just win one game and that is if they are really lucky. Even with the backing of the Sy family, NU is still not the primary destination of prized rookies. It will take at least 2 seasons to make them as strong as their teams of the last 3 years.
Projected record: 1 – 13
University of Santo Tomas:
It’s not going to be easy for the Growling Tigers to replace Jervy Cruz. A player (especially a center) of his caliber comes few and far between. Add to that the loss of the experience and leadership of Japs Cuan and what you have is a UST team that is definitely rebuilding. Dylan Ababou and Kasim Mirza will have to play a notch or 2 higher that what they have done in the past for UST to make an impact this year. Last season, even with an almost intact line-up from their last championship, UST failed to even make the Final Four. It looks like another grim year for them this season.
Projected record: 4 – 10
University of the Philippines:
The Fighting Maroons will definitely be better than they were the last two seasons. Coach Aboy Castro has done a great job in improving their defense. They will no longer be the team that other schools will consider sure wins. What they lack is height and consistency. They need to come to the floor and play solid basketball for four quarters. Barganza, Gamboa and Woody Co need to provide the leadership by example.
Projected record: 6 – 8
Adamson University:
The Falcons will surely be in the thick of the battle for a slot in the Final Four. They showed their mettle in the summer leagues by beating top tier teams. Leo Austria is a very good coach and if his players respond, then they are capable of beating any team in the league. The downside of Adamson has always been their ability to perform in the big stage that is the UAAP. It always seems that playing in front of a big crowd intimidates the Falcons. Players like Galinato, Cañada, Canuday and Colina have to be consistent and unintimidated.
Projected record: 7 – 7
De La Salle University:
This may be the most difficult year for the Green Archers to grab a slot in the Final Four. They do not have a consistent go-to guy like they have had in previous years. A lot will depend on how their rookies and veterans jell. Hampered by injuries and other unfortunate events that have sidelined many of its players, La Salle will have to be in peak form every game. Barua, Mangahas and Atkins will have to carry the cudgels for the Green Archers. La Salle will win games because of their trademark Franz Pumaren defense. If they can match their defensive tenacity with a balanced offensive game, then they may just make the Final Four. They don’t need big games from 1 or 2 players. What they need is a balance point production from 4 or 5 players.
Projected record: 7 – 7
University of the East:
The Red Warriors may be the sleeper this season. Most pundits are picking FEU and Ateneo to end up in the Finals. However, with a core group of Espiritu, Llagas, Lingganay, Zamar and most especially Paul Lee, this team may be more than capable of matching up against the best teams. They have the talent and experience that will make them a solid contender. Too bad that James Martinez has been sidelined with an injury as that would have made them even stronger. New coach Lawrence Chongson has the parts to win. It’s now or never for the Red Warriors.
Projected record: 10 –4
Ateneo de Manila University:
The Blue Eagles will surely go all out to defend their title. They have a solid frontline with Al-Hussaini , Buenafe and Baclao. Salamat and Reyes form a very potent backcourt combo. The question for the Blue Eagles is how their bench will fare. So far Kirk Long has not made an impact on the team. Can Chua and Burke come in and give productive minutes? The loss of Baldos will also significantly affect their bench. Will the absence of the leadership of Chris Tiu change the complexion of this team? Coach Norman Black is a great tactician and their extensive off-season training will surely make this team a top contender.
Projected record: 10 – 4
Far Eastern University:
The Tamaraws are ripe for a championship. With a core of Smart Gilas Team members in Barroca, Cawaling and Ramos leading the charge, FEU will be the measuring stick of Season 72. Cervantes and Ramos will be a formidable frontline. Barroca and Knuttel may just be the best backcourt combination in the league. Sanga and Nondou can likewise be major contributors to their title run. Coach Glen Capacio is an extremely talented coach who can take this team to the championship which is something Mr. Anton Montinola would love to have in the year that FEU is the host school.
Projected record: 11 – 3
I’ll go out on a limb here and forecast an FEU – UE finals, with FEU winning the championship.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
