From opening day until the finals, the ticket sales were described as blockbuster.
Ateneo Blue Eagles vs. FEU Tamaraws for the UAAP seniors. Adamson vs. Ateneo in the high school division. Letran Knights vs. San Sebastian Stags for the NCAA seniors. And for the high school, it was Mapua Red Robins vs. San Beda Red Cubs. At the women’s division, Adamson vs. the University of the Philippines.
Both the NCAA and the UAAP are over now. The cheers, the jeers, the drums and the cheering squads – as well as the scalpers – take a rest for the meantime. But the celebrations go on.
We wrap up the season with the following emerging as proud winners for 2003: FEU Tamaraws and Coach Koy Banal for the UAAP; and Letran Knights and Coach Louie Alas for the NCAA.
The San Beda Red Cubs won over the MIT Red Robins in the NCAA juniors while the Ateneo Blue Eaglets blasted Adamson to bring home the UAAP juniors.
And in the honor roll: James Yap from the University of the East stood out from the rest, including all the Tamaraws and Eagles, with his heads-up play throughout the season. He was adjudged the uncontested MVP in the UAAP. Over at the NCAA, San Sebastian’s Leomar Najorda was named MVP after a sterling performance that helped his team earn a finals’ slot against Letran. But it was the amazing Ronjay Enrile that was later named Finals MVP by the NCAA board.
W inners all are the UAAP Mythical Five for the 2003 season Richie Alvarez of Ateneo, Dennis Miranda of FEU, James Yap of UE, Paul Artadi of UE, and Arwind Santos of FEU. The message is simple: These five have turned out to be among the best in the UAAP and it’s not going to be a surprise anymore if all them make it to the PBA in the next few years. Artadi, Alvarez, and Yap are expected to get into the PBA drafting for 2004, and yes, all three of them can make it to the first round. Meanwhile, the Mythical Five of the NCAA are Ronjay Enrile of Letran, Leomar Najorda of SSC, Arjun Cordero of San Beda, Mcdonald Santos of JRU, and Alejandro Magpayo of College of St. Benilde.
The MVP in the women’s division include Minerva Narciza of the Adamson Lady Falcons. The juniors MVPs, meanwhile, are composed of Ken Barracoso of Ateneo for UAAP and JR Taganas of San Beda Red Cubs for the NCAA. The winning coaches are Louie Alas for Letran, Koy Banal for FEU, Edmundo Badolato for San Beda High school, and Jamike Jamir for Ateneo Juniors.
But the biggest winners here are both the NCAA and the UAAP. For one, they proved that they’re still the premier collegiate leagues in the country, the most-followed and widely-watched, thanks to Studio 23. The Rizal Memorial Coliseum was filled to the rafters when the Knights and Stags squared off for Game 3 in the finals.
The Araneta Coliseum was filled with UAAP fans when the Eagles and the Tamaraws clashed for the title. To think that before their finals, the Eagles and the De la salle Green Archers brought in a much bigger, record-breaking crowd when they battled in the cross-over semis.
It was one long season for the UAAP and the NCAA and now that they’re over, college basketball fans will surely miss them.