UAAP Layup Lines - Season 76 week two

UAAP Layup Lines is a regular compilation of thoughts, musings and ponderings on the previous week's UAAP men's seniors division basketball games. From the mighty to the mundane, the analytical and the surreal, our group of writers has you covered.


The line-up:

• Less is more for La Salle, for now
• Just how good are the Adamson Falcons?
• An Atenean amidst a sea of green
• A new hero rises for the Red Warriors
• Shooter's bounce - How Luigi Dela Paz got his stroke back

Less is more for La Salle, for now
by Renee Fopalan, writer, GMA News Online

La Salle's decision to field only 13 players in Season 76 may have come as a shock to some, especially with so many gifted recruits the Archers have at their disposal. But the team decided that 13 players and three coaches are enough, and three games into the season, we're seeing why it just might work.

The most noticeable difference, compared to La Salle's preseason campaign, is that the team has decided to live and die with Jeron Teng, as his back-ups get squeezed out of the picture.

During the FilOil preseason tourney, DLSU limited Teng's minutes, and experimented with making former DLSZ standout Gabby Reyes a regular part of the rotation. In the beginning, it worked, with Reyes norming 21 minutes and 12 points, while Teng got 19 minutes and 11 markers. However, Reyes' production tailed off, never scoring more than eight points again, and even going scoreless twice (versus ADMU and EAC).

More noticeably, Reyes turned into a liability from beyond the arc, going from 5-of-13 in their first three games, to finishing the summer on a 2-of-19 clip, with both makes coming from a single game. In short, Reyes fell in love with the three, and in the process, the La Salle coaching staff fell out of love with him.

That put back a large share of the offense in the hands of Teng, whose minutes jumped up to 33 per outing in the UAAP, and so far, after a shaky season opener, he's settled down into his role, with averages of 14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals per outing. Reyes on the other hand, has already logged one DNP and a total of 23 minutes.

Also missing from coach Juno Sauler's rotation is Oda Tampus. The fourth-year swingman averaged 11.4 minutes in the summer league for 5.0 points off a 50 percent shooting clip. In this young DLSU campaign, Tampus has only played in one game for one minute.

With LA Revilla out of the equation, the Archers have leaned heavily on their starting five of Thomas Torres, Almond Vosotros, Jeron Teng, Jason Perkins, and Norbert Torres, plus Luigi De La Paz and Arnold Van Opstal off the bench. This tightened rotation has resulted in two wins, following a nailbiting loss against UST that ended in OT.

But 14 is 14 games. Their team's two wins helped keep the UP Fighting Maroons and the Kiefer Ravena-less ADMU Blue Eagles winless. They have yet to face another squad that learned that less is more, the FEU Tamaraws, plus FilOil champions UE, Red Warriors, title contenders NU Bulldogs, and the solid host team Adamson Falcons.

For now, the less is more formula may be working for La Salle, but its effectiveness has only been measured against teams that are lacking. The true test will come in the next few weeks and by the end of the first round, we'll see how the Archers stack up against the rest of the UAAP.


Just how good are the Adamson Falcons?
by Job B. De Leon, writer, GMA News Online

“Yeah, sure, Adamson’s a contender.”

I hear people talk about the Falcons as among the best in the UAAP, but it’s more of a casual acknowledgement than true respect. Why can’t they get serious credit in the same way people fear National University, UE and UST? You didn’t have to look further than their Saturday game against the Growling Tigers to see why.

Adamson showed a monstrous effort on defense in the first half, denying Karim Abdul his usual makes around the rim while swiping at the ball for fast break buckets. Their halfcourt offense was silky smooth too in stretches. They found ways to get Sewa involved, whether through direct entry passes or lobs in case the defender was fronting him, and it worked beautifully. Roider Cabrera was making his triples and Jericho Cruz was also being Jericho Cruz, resulting in a 34-26 halftime lead.

But when UST started to press and zone them up, things got hairy. Too many turnovers, too little ball movement. They looked completely deflated, like a completely different team. It wasn't until late that Don Trollano reenergized them with unlikely triples, though ultimately, they still lost, 67-62.

The good thing is you’ve got the unlikeliest of heroes stepping up when all hope seems lost. The bad is your main guys disappear, which puts them in hero ball situations. When adversity stares at them in the face, like when the Tigers’ veterans showed their swagger on Saturday, the Falcons have a tendency to wilt away. This game was Leo Austria’s tenure with Adamson in a nutshell: good, but not quite good enough.

I’ve got nothing but respect for these guys; they’re my second-favorite team to root for in the league. But for the sake of their hosting year, their loyal fans and for their own personal validation, I hope they find a way to bring out that killer instinct, and sustain it from start to finish.


An Atenean amidst a sea of green
by Carla Lizardo, writer, Humblebola

The Ateneo-La Salle basketball rivalry has drawn massive crowds, for as long as one can remember, with students and alumni from both schools lining up as early as 4am in the hopes of securing a seat to the game.
 
I’m an Atenean who has no idea how to secure tickets, so I always end up depending on my friends, most of whom are from DLSU. As a result I have never watched a game on the ADMU side, and it’s always an interesting experience to be the only one wearing blue in a sea of green.
 
During last Sunday’s game, I was one of the three Ateneans sitting in section 204. The other two were (understandably) cheering quietly, but I was clapping and shouting my heart out for every point my team made. ADMU was dominant in the first half, and my excitement was drawing hostile looks from a DLSU alumnus seated in front of me.
 
When I saw the halftime performance of the DLSU Animo squad where they formed a 0-3, I quickly pulled out my phone to rant about it. At that point, I really wanted Ateneo to get the win. As an Atenean, I was irked – but I could hear the La Sallians around me laughing and saying, “Sana manalo tayo talaga, para totoo yung formation!”
 
I was thinking, “Yeah right. 40-28 nga yung score eh.”  As the third quarter began, I got into a long and heated argument with my La Sallian friend about Ateneo's “One Big Fight!” cheer, which doesn’t make sense, according to him. I was caught up in our conversation when I realized that everyone around me was on their feet, whooping and cheering. The Green Archers had somehow tied the game.
 
In the fourth quarter, I was getting really stressed out since the DLSU crowd was going wild over the events unfolding on the court. There was shouting, there was booing, and there were insults directed towards the players. By the last minute, I already knew that we weren’t going to get the win this time around, so I sat there quietly, trying to be a good sport.
 
When it comes to this rivalry, fans from both sides really end up getting carried away in the heat of the moment. During the game, the DLSU fans may hate the ADMU fans, and vice-versa, but despite the hostility and overwhelming excitement felt within the arena, hopefully we all went home, happy to have enjoyed such a good game of basketball. And after some moping from the losing side, life goes on.


A new hero rises for the Red Warriors
by Chuck Araneta, From the Stands, contributor to GMA News Online Sports

There was an unforgettable moment in last Saturday’s thrilling matchup between the UE Red Warriors and the NU Bulldogs. It happened right before Roi Sumang sank an improbable three in the face of the reigning MVP Bobby Parks. A familiar bald headed individual clad in Warrior red attire rose to his feet as Sumang dribbled away the seconds on the clock.
 
The man in red was none other than former Warrior and PBA Rookie of the Year Paul Lee, no stranger to this type of situation. During Lee’ heyday as THE Warrior for the University of the East, he made his mark as an unstoppable force of nature wrapped in a 5'10" body that managed to carry the weight of the campus on his shoulders with nary a complaint.

At the same time though, Lee was a magnet for those who were against hero ball, often a condescending term used to describe those who keep the ball to themselves in the dying seconds of a game. But for those who cheered for the Warriors? Paul Lee was their Spartan. Their Leonidas. A mythical figure who never backed down.

That is the legacy of stars in the UE program. Even past Paul Lee, a hotshot from Bacolod named James Carlos Yap sent female fans swooning, and opponents wondering how to defend him. And before Yap, the greatest shooter in PBA history made his mark as a Red Warrior: The Triggerman, Allan Caidic, someone you may have heard of.
 
It’s a wonderful legacy of heroes for the UE Red Warriors. And Roi Sumang was ready to take his place in its hierarchy. A hero of the improbable FilOil champions, Sumang was fighting tooth and nail against Parks, against falling into a 0-2 hole in Season 76 of the UAAP. On the Warrior’s previous offensive set, they had tried a pick and roll, in which he willingly passed and watched the ball miss the basket.
 
For their final play of the game, and given another chance to win, there would be no alternative. Sumang demanded the ball. No questions asked.
 
With Parks, a superb defender, eying Sumang, the crowd rose in anticipation. And in the background, Paul Lee rose as well, clapping his hands the entire time. Because he knew all too well that this was what Red Warriors basketball was all about. Thus Sumang fired away. And when it went through the net, he ran straight to Paul Lee, as Warrior recognized Warrior.
 
Paul Lee raised his hands in triumph. It wasn’t about hero ball. It was about a new hero for the University of the East


Shooter's bounce - How Luigi Dela Paz got his stroke back
by Polo Bustamante, From the Stands, contributor to GMA News Online Sports

Luigi Dela Paz coolly rose up and sank a jumper over the outstretched arms of an Ateneo defender last Sunday. The on the next possession, he found himself wide open on the right wing and without hesitation, let another one fly.

Swish.

They say shooters should have short memories. The same could be said of Dela Paz in his game against the Blue Eagles. For most of the preseason and the first two games of Season 76, Dela Paz found himself a fixture on the bench of La Salle. But with every jumper he sank, the memory of his time on the pine slowly faded away. That’s the thing about shooters. You should never give them daylight. Once their jumpers start falling, the confidence comes rushing back.

Dela Paz’s mini-run to start the third quarter not only sparked the La Salle comeback from 14 points down, it also ignited his confidence in his game. You could see it, not only in the way he shot the ball, but in the way he defended on the other end.

For most of the second half, Dela Paz was assigned to defend the faster, more athletic Chris Newsome. Yeah, Newsome shrugged him off for a couple of baskets. But on the next defensive possession, he was back, right in Newsome’s mug. In the first half, Newsome had a clear path to the basket. In the second half, he had to work his way, through and around the pesky Dela Paz.

Luigi Dela Paz wasn’t the leading scorer in this game. His baskets though, were the biggest of the game. The two jumpers to start the third gave La Salle the energy and confidence they needed to overcome the lead. His three-point dagger in the closing minutes of the fourth derailed any hope the Blue Eagles had of a comeback. Dela Paz proved that if you give a shooter an opening, he’s always going to take it. - AMD, GMA News