SWU or USC?

The players are rested. They’re raring to go. The coaches have done their homework. Tapes have been reviewed. And they can’t wait to apply their strategies on the floor. It’s game time for the CESAFI championship series of the collegiate division between Southwestern University and University of San Carlos.

From a coaching standpoint, SWU has the edge with the multi-awarded Yayoy Alcoseba, the winningest coach in Cebu Basketball. He is able assisted by no less than Mike Reyes who also happens to be an ex-USC coach. The other brains on the bench include Mark Tallo and Bong Begontes. USC parades a young head coach in Junthy Valenzuela, who is on his second year as head coach of the Warriors. Assisting him are Roland Remedio and Armand Colina, with Julian Macoy as consultant. Experience will play a big factor and this is where Coach Yayoy has the edge. I’ve lost count on how many championships he has been involved in, from the days of the CAAA with USJ-R and Cebu Doctors’ College, and the commercial leagues with the M. Lhuillier ballclub. Reyes complements Yayoy through his tactical mind and cool demeanor. If there’s any edge on Coach Junthy’s side, this would be his youth and precious experience in the PBA. He has injected his never-say-die spirit style of play in the Warriors and they’ve responded. They wouldn’t be at the top without these.

The imports are going to plan a crucial role in this series. The USC pair of Shooster Oldago and Espoir Toyambe have a slight edge over the SWU duo Landry Sanjo and Ben Valdor only because of the size factor. Toyambe and Olago are interchangeable at the center spot while Valdor is more of a wingman and a stretch power forward who can’t replace Sanjo in the middle. Every time Valdor is on the court to give Sanjo a breather, USC would have the edge since the Cobras don’t have have any other big man who can match up against the USC imports. This is a situation that USC will try to exploit. In reverse though, Valdor maximizes his time on the floor by using his athleticism to outplay his defenders.

Aside from the imports, the key players for SWU are JR Parker, Macmac Tallo, Anton Pardo and Jovanie Luz. SWU’s heavy guard set-up will be relied on heavily for offense with Adams Mohammed not at 100%. Meanwhile, Bernie Bregondo and Daryl Goloran will reprise their roles as tough defender/enforcers and rebounders who will get their few chances to score. I see Parker dominating the point guard match-up and the series might just depend on how he performs. He leads the SWU offense and needs to be at the top of his game for SWU to win. The X-factor of the team is Melvin Holper. He doesn’t get a lot of playing time on the floor but he can light up the scoreboard with instant offense from treyland.

On the USC side, their bench is just as deep as that of the Cobras. The missing link will be Ian Ortega who will have to sit out the rest of the season (and maybe another six months) with a torn ACL. The positive side is that their bench and rotation has been able to adjust to Ortega’s absence through the semifinals and the last games of the elimination round. Victor Rabat, Charles Pepito and Christian Laude have provided support offense to Olago and Toyambi. Meanwhile, Kiefer Lim and Ian Bensig will take care of the point guard chores, with Giovanni Layugo providing spark off the bench whenever needed. USC’s X-factor is Laguyo, a rookie who provides energy, speed and peskiness every time he’s on the floor. He may not be a go to guy but his energy rubs off on the other players on the floor. USC’s downside is that they haven’t been to the CESAFI Finals since 2007 when they faced UV and a guy named Greg Slaughter. That went all the way to a Game 5 in one of the most thrilling and exciting championship series ever played.

When the dust clears, one thing is for certain. We’re going to see an awesome series that will feature a lot of action both ways. It’s tough to say who’ll win it all. USC is the top seed and therefore a slight favorite, but SWU has championship experience with them, having been in the CESAFI finals for the past two years. This can easily wipe out whatever edge USC might have. I can’t wait to get it started. Expect another hot and steamy Cebu Coliseum that will be filled to the rafters. This early, SWU and USC are already mobilizing their students and supporters to fill up the coliseum. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be rocking. It’s going to be basketball bonanza all over again. The CESAFI Finals is on!