Unique series: Deep bench and maturity

This afternoon is the first game in the best-of-three series between the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers and the University of Sto Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers for the UAAP season 76 men’s basketball championship. It will be an interesting series.

DLSU possesses the longest winning streak of nine since the start of the second round, beating the Far Eastern University Tamaraws to the first of the two finals slot after the latter had swept the first round. The Growling Tigers, on the other hand, took care of the first-running National University (NU) Bulldogs who enjoyed a twice-to-beat advantage in their own series. In short, both the Archers and the Tigers showed the door to higher-ranked teams after the eliminations. And the similarities don’t end there: both squads have Tengs in their respective line-ups, Jeric for UST and Jeron for DLSU.

The Tigers will be coming off a short, three-day respite after the grueling series with the Bulldogs and how Pido Jarencio does his rotation and what he can get from the bench will spell the difference against a Green Archer squad that has the deeper bench.

UST has a taller and more experienced starting five, with the exception of Sheak Shariff who will have to play point guard in place of Clark Bautista who’s not a natural guard. The rest of the UST starting five – Karim Abdul, Kevin Ferrer, Aljon Mariano and Jeric Teng – have all had championship experience. After these five or six or seven (including Ed Daquioag), the rest of the Tiger 10-11 man rotation will have to step up to stay in pace with the well-rested and conditioned Archers.

The starting five of DLSU has the advantage in the middle (with Arnold Van Opstal alternating with Norbert Torres) and in the guard position: LA Revilla and Almond Vosotros who can score either from beyond the arc, off the perimeter or attack the middle. In the wings, DLSU will pit Jeron Teng and Jason Perkins against Jeric and Ferrer. A relay of guards (Kip Montalbo, Tomas Torres and Oda Tampus) provide a potent back up to Revilla and Vosotros. Luigi De la Paz, Matt Salem, Gab Reyes and Robert Bolick have enough talent to become offensive threats and put up a sticky defense.

In the end, as is often the case, the match-ups will be crucial. How both sides can conserve their energy for the tough end game will be a big factor. Karim Abdul of UST has been playing more than 30 minutes per game throughout the season and surely that wear and tear could have an effect during the homestretch. He has to worry about Van Opstal and Torres (and even Perkins) in the middle in contesting those offensive and defensive rebounds and when these three Archers pound the middle.  How he paces himself (and keeps away from foul trouble) and what kind of support he gets from his relievers will be crucial.

Talent-wise, both squads are almost even. The coaching staff of both sides is adequately prepared. Both schools have fan bases, so expect the rabid crowd to inject both squads with the adrenaline needed for that extra boost and hustle. The maturity of each player will be a premium during a pressure-packed championship series of this nature.

Immature and foolhardy acts, designed to intimidate the opposing side, will backfire and will prove to be the team’s undoing as recent experience has shown. There is no substitute for keeping one’s cool, playing the game clean and respecting the sport, its rules and one’s adversaries. To do otherwise could lead to defeat, and worse, do damage to the school’s reputation, which is an even bigger setback.

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Our participation in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar this December has once again precipitated a controversy of sorts with the non-inclusion of the under-23 Azkals football squad in the biennial games. The main reason for the team’s exclusion by the POC- PSC joint task force is reportedly the record of the team.

According to Mariano Araneta, president of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF), the task force used as the only basis for evaluating the performance of the team, the 1-0 loss of the team to the Singapore Lions Under-23 team. With the non-appearance of the Under-23 squad, the Philippines will be the only missing team in football-crazy Myanmar. Araneta claims that Myanmar has offered to shoulder the accommodation expenses of the team, definitely an indication of the host’s deep interest in the Azkals’ participation.

Based on similar experiences we had when we were at the PSC, we can understand where the PSC-POC group is coming from. A balance, however, has to be created between team record and the geo-political realities of the Games. Myanmar, which is on its way to opening up its economy and political processes, wants to put on a good show and we should cooperate. At some point, we will need the country’s support for some important international issue.