We're behind in college basketball

This is purely a non-pro opinion from the sidelines, though a keen fan of James Naismith's team game as it has rapidly evolved today.

Watching the NBA pro games, or even the PBA of late, and European and world styles now, is never dull and sleep-inducing. They are getting faster, very competitive, more physical, smoother moving, more varied skills, but hewing to the basics of team play.

College basketball on tv featuring Manila schools in the 2008 Philippine Collegiate Championships showed the Manilans, individually and as a team, are a notch above the "promdis".

It's now the Manila dribblers dominating the collegiate tourneys. Among the "promdis" in late '50s, '60s, '70s and thence on, only the UV Green Lancers used to battle with Manila schools in the finals and, in fact, captured the yearly plum quite a number of times.

Watching any two Manila college teams playing each other, or one playing against a provincial team is instantly revealing. Almost to a man, whether tall or not, regardless of court positions as, say, point guard, or center, or forward, invariably the capital region boys are the sleek ball handlers, fleet-footed and ever moving, accurate ball passers, better shooters from the perimeter and foul-throws, and adept at slashing moves.

They also have better dexterity and adjustability to both team and individual defense. In the 2008 championships, the three Cebu teams - UV, USC, UC - got stymied by the all-court press defense in their initial and only games versus their Manila foes.

While the Green Lancers put up some fight, especially with the presence of almost 7-footer Greg Slaughter, it was evident from the overall game tone which five controlled the game. Was it just coaching, or failure to carry out their coaches' calls, that spelled the "promdis" waterloo? Definitely not, it's much more than that.

One factor is in the early training of young boys in summer camps, boys basketball clinics, and such early expert conditioning and orientation before teenhood in high school.

Ambidextrous dribbling, body shifting, and feinting while dribbling and maintaining peripheral and open court vision, can be mastered in no-nonsense training. Pivot moves in or around the shaded lane, or when double or triple-teamed, are also honed to perfection in proper training. Foul-shooting is crucial in close games that spell a win or a loss, is also a matter of training. The negative example is the atrocious percentage of Shaquille O'Neal who, until now, ought to have aped legendary NBA great Rick Barry with his "urinola" style of foul throw shooting.

It has become predictable now that the provincial teams when playing in Manila, are invariably "slain" by full court press, and a suffocating defense often resulting in a spate of turn-overs. Also evident, the "promdi" style of deliberate and set-up half-court offense hardly makes a dent against the Manila teams' shifting man defense, or any of the zone defense, or also shifting and semi-zone. The inevitable result is the provincial teams end up playing a scattered individual offense.

Patterned after the PBL, PBA, or NBA and world basketball styles, the Metro Manilans play very mobile fluid physical team offense and defense. No wonder the 3 Cebu collegiate teams in the 2008 Philippine Collegiate Championships never reached first base.

Though the Green Lancers have Greg Slaughter, his time to dominate the game is not yet now. He still needs aggressiveness aplenty, a dash of air and agility at the keyhole, some strength and timing to control the boards, and the hunger to excel before he becomes dominating and intimidating ala Ben Wallace. As for the two other Cebu teams, they're still raw and green, and simply mismatched.

* * *

Email: [email protected]