Aside from MVP, other key figures leaving Ateneo basketball

At the end of Season 75, Ateneo will lose three of its starters, as forward Nico Salva, center Greg Slaughter, guard Tonino Gonzaga exhaust their five-year eligibility. Prized reserves center Justin Chua and forward Oping Sumalinog are also graduating. Coach Norman Black has also announced, albeit much more amicably, that it is his last year with the Ateneo, concluding one of the most successful coaching runs in Philippine college basketball history. Losing Slaughter and Salva

 

The loss of Slaughter and Salva means that the Eagles will lose two of their top three scorers, as the duo combine for an average of 27.7 points per game. Sophomore Keifer Ravena tallies 14.9 an outing and is expected to anchor the team until he transitions to an almost certain professional career. Slaughter and Salva are also the team's top two rebounders, combining for 14.8 boards a game.

 

All in all, the five graduating players contribute an average of 38.9 points and 22.3 rebounds a game for the blue and white.

 

This leaves Ateneo with JP Erram and rookie Giboy Babilonia at the center spot. Erram, too, will be playing his final year next season, while he sits out the rest of this year due to an ACL injury. Meanwhile, the Eagles will be left with Frank Golla and Kris Porter in the power forward spot, with Golla playing his final year next year.

 

The departure of Gonzaga and Sumalinog will most likely lead to Ryan Buenafe getting his starting spot back, provided that the 2010 UAAP Finals MVP stays another year. If not, it paves the way for former De La Salle - Zobel standout Gwyne Capacio to have a crack at the small forward position. Keifer Ravena will still have Von Pessumal as a backup in the shooting guard spot, while Juami Tiongson will have former Archers Nico Elorde and Isaac Lim to share pointguard chores with.

 

Coach Black will be ending an eight-year stint with the Eagles, as he takes over Chot Reyes' job with the Talk n' Text Tropang Texters, a Pangilinan-owned team. It took Black four years to build an Ateneo championship team, a squad led by Cris Tiu which won the title in 2008. Teams under Black have since won three more, and this season's team is favored to capture Ateneo's fifth straight title, which would punctuate one of the most storied eras in college sports in the Philippines. - HS, GMA News