Sports Talk with MC

I got a chance to watch the Ateneo/La Salle tiff at the Araneta Coliseum last Sunday afternoon. The Ateneo Blue Eagles made a number of impressions on me that day.

1) Ocean Deep: Pristine waters are of a blue hue, and the Ateneo ocean runs deep. With newcomers like Nico Salva, Vince Burke, Justin Chua, and spitfire Ryan Buenafe, the Eagles suddenly have a bench that rivals the league’s best. Chris Tiu, Rabeh Al Hussaini, Kirk Long, and Eric Salamat are regular holdovers from years past, and with a good mix of veterans and young guns in both holsters this year, the Eagles look poised to make a statement on their way to, potentially, their first title since cagers like Enrico Villanueva, Rich Alvarez, and Larry Fonacier donned the blue and white.

2) Rookie? No way!: Ryan Buenafe scored 8 points in his first game as a UAAP senior. Yes, he shot an airball and made a few mistakes in execution here and there, but one thing that can be said about the former NCAA juniors MVP is that he possesses the look, and the savvy of a player that’s been around the block once or twice. Buenafe is a player that can create for himself and his teammates on offense. He can score inside and out. He has a good eye for spotting the open man. What’s more, he has the height, speed, and physical strength to weave through defenses for easy hoops, or at the very least, to draw fouls. This kid is just what the doctor ordered, considering that the Eagles haven’t really had an above-the-rim one on one star since the departure of JC Intal in 2006. Chris Tiu may be this team’s MVP and leader for today, but Buenafe, in my view, is the point man for the Atenean’s future. The number of one-on-one isolation sets Coach Black ran for him is indicative of trust, both in Buenafe’s on-court talent and basketball IQ. Look for this young man to keep getting better and better as he logs in more on-court time within Norman Black’s motion offense and 3-2 zone defense sets.

3) Pillar to post: Apart from having the luxury of decent perimeter threats in Tiu, Reyes, Buenafe, Salamat, and Long, the Eagles seem to be comfortable going to centers Jobe Nkemakolam and Rabeh Al Hussaini in the low post, either as main offensive options, or as decoys to free up shooters/slashers. More touches for the two Ateneo big men not only guarantees better looks for the team’s smaller men, but also provides the Blue and White with viable options during grind-it-out games wherein outside makes are few and far between and lanes get clogged by deep zone defenses. Having a bevy of reliable perimeter threats allows Jobe and Rabeh to play within their skill sets too. The less “improv” work they do on offense, the better. Keep the big guys in the post/baseline/under the basket, and they’ll be fine. Players knowing their roles out on the floor keeps a team humming smoothly out on the hardwood, as does a finely tuned up car.

4) Tiu the man!: As I alluded to earlier, Chris Tiu has taken the reins as the Eagles’ top dog (or, er, bird). I can still distinctly recall a gawky Tiu, around 4-5 years back, blowing an open, breakaway, layup at the Philsports Arena. Those days seem to be long gone, as the honor student, cum varsity stud, cum business man has improved by leaps and bounds not only as an individual talent, but also as a vocal, team leader.

CT has impeccable perimeter touch. He’s gotten physically stronger too, ergo, his ability to get shots/draw fouls in traffic has improved as well. The UAAP’s version of Reggie Miller could very well win the MVP award this season, judging from how the Ateneans ‘ offense is structured. The bigs get the ball inside. If the bigs are doubled, the kick and screen to Tiu or to someone like Jai Reyes or Buenafe. Tiu is a master at creating space for shots. Couple his skill with a few screens/decoy plays courtesy of Rabeh or Jobe and you’ve got one thing down pat- money. Look for #17 to average anywhere from 15 to 17ppg this year, all while shooting high percentages on only a handful of shots. As he goes, the Eagles go, too.

And finally…

5) Defensive Poise: Yuri Escueta’s late-game steal against the Archers was something that had come naturally to him over the last couple of years. 

It turned out that, the rest of the team, at least for the first game of the season, had the same fever that Yuri had.

The burned with enough desire to play tough D, and at the right times, no less.

I was impressed by the Ateneans’ emphasis on defense against La Salle. The Eagles used a 3-2 zone for most of last Sunday’s tiff, and for the times that counted, it worked to perfection. The Archers are all about shooters out on the perimeter this year, and by using guys like Jobe and Rabeh to clog the paint, the Blue Eagles also worked towards trying to neutralize slashers like Josh Webb and JVee Casio. With the exception of rotation errors by Al Hussani, the Ateneans’ discipline on screen and rolls, and La Salle motion sets, was decent. While I think that the Boys in Blue could have taken care of the ball better after forcing turnovers, reducing the opposition’s possessions per se, is enough to reflect positively on your team, because such, basically, gives you more opportunities to keep putting the pressure on, and keep the dictation of the game’s pace in your hands.

It’s funny how the “vaunted La Salle press”, at times, looked like something the Ateneans had put a patent on as opposed to it being signed, sealed, and delivered by bow and arrow.

I suppose some things can change after all.

Here’s to another great outing against one of last year’s UAAP championship round participants, the UE Red Warriors, later today at the Philsports Arena. One Big Fight!