10 'What if' scenarios from UAAP Season 76

1. What if Adamson Falcon Gian Abrigo had not been whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul in round one versus DLSU?

All sports are dominated by the concept of "what if," as the difference between winning and losing can be the bounce of a ball, or an errant tip. That said, a season can be affected as well by injuries and decisions or rulings made off-court, and UAAP Season 76 had plenty of such moments.

Take for example the unsportsmanlike foul whistled on Adamson Falcons forward Gian Abrigo back in July 24. Abrigo was trying to keep La Salle Green Archer Norbert Torres in check prior to an inbounds, but one referee whistled for an unsportsmanlike foul, giving Torres four charities when they were up by just two with seconds left. Torres hit three and the Archers went on to win the game.

To add insult to injury for the hosts, UAAP commissioner Chito Loyzaga later suspended the referee and acknowledged that the call was "untimely…result[ing] in an advantage to La Salle, which eventually won the game."

But what if the referee had swallowed his whistle and Adamson went on to win the game, either by a steal of the inbounds or because they fouled someone who went on to miss his charities? Well the Falcons probably wouldn't have plunged into a 1-8 end to their season, and perhaps the school would still have confidence in Coach Leo Austria, who said during the press conference of his team's sole second-round win that he was leaving when his contract was up.

Furthermore, it would have taken away a win from DLSU, who managed to create a three-team tie for first place thanks to a 10-4 record. Even a 9-5 card would have put them in third place and given the FEU Tamaraws the twice-to-beat advantage, meaning they could have been the ones in the Finals now, and not the Green Archers.


2. What if Gee Abanilla stayed as DLSU head coach?

La Salle shockingly parted ways with then-head coach Gee Abanilla barely a month to go before the start of the UAAP season, replacing him with assistant Juno Sauler, as Abanilla was later handed the reins to the PBA's Petron Blaze Boosters.

Things worked out for both parties, as Petron has the first seed in the on-going Governors' Cup quarterfinals, while DLSU is in the Finals, but what if team management opted to give Abanilla more run?

It's hard to say if keeping Abanilla, who was in control when DLSU flamed out of the FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup, losing three of their last four games, would have given the Archers more or less wins, especially since he'd still have Sauler on hand as his assistant. What we do know is that his rotation would have been different, with rookie Jason Perkins getting involved earlier (Sauler only really gave him burn at the start of the second round), Arnold Van Opstal playing less, and Gab Reyes and Jarelan Tampus seeing regular minutes, based on his summer rotation.

Perhaps more interesting would have been the fallout PBA-wise. If Petron doesn't get Abanilla, do they tap Adamson's Austria, after his ABL championship run? And how would that have affected the Falcons?

3. What if Mikee Reyes had played more than one game for UP?

After a two-season absence spent rehabbing his shoulder, Mikee Reyes made his return to the UAAP as the starting point guard for the UP Fighting Maroons. However, in their season-opener versus Adamson, Reyes wound up playing just 19 minutes, including none in the final quarter. A few days later, he parted ways with the squad and never returned.

Reyes said that he had been demoted by then-head coach Ricky Dandan to the third-string, but it's hard to imagine him never making his way back if he stuck things out. UP suffered from a dearth of playmakers, finishing last in the league with 9.9 assists, and his replacement, sophomore Henri Asilum, didn't really turn heads with his 5.4 point, 1.2 rebound, 1.8 assist averages.

In Reyes' first and only UAAP game of Season 76, he put up four points and six assists (albeit versus three turnovers). But what if he had played more? It's actually possible that his veteran status could have helped this young, rookie-filled UP squad avoid its third winless campaign in seven years.

 
 

 
 

4. What if Alfred Aroga had not been ruled ineligible to play?

NU found its groove in the second round by playing small, turning a 3-3 record into a 10-4 card and the top spot after the elimination round played out. However, playing the likes of Robin Roño and Will Porter was not entirely inspired coaching, but also partly out of necessity, as the team had to deal with 6'6" center Alfred Aroga being ruled ineligible at the start of the season.

During the summer, Aroga normed 13.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 24.3 minutes. While not as good a post-up threat as Emmanuel Mbe, Aroga is more athletic, and a better shot-blocker, and would have allowed NU to keep an intimidating foreign center on the court at all times.

What if NU had Aroga in their line-up the entire season? Maybe the Bulldogs post a record even better than the one they have right now, definitively staking out the number one position.


5. What if Russel Escoto had not torn his ACL?

FEU stunned many by forging a perfect 7-0 record after the first round, a surprise given that they really had only two big men - Anthony Hargrove and Christian Sentcheu, and couldn't even play both at the same time due to the UAAP's rule on foreigners on the court. Meanwhile, undersized guys like Carl Cruz and Mac Belo were forced to play at power forward.

But what if the team had Russel Escoto in their fold? The 6'6" center had torn his ACL during the summer while playing with FEU's D-League affiliate, the Fruitas Shakers, and he could have had a huge role with the Tams, given their lack of size. Last UAAP season, he normed 4.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and half a block in 16.5 minutes, and his combination of shooting range and an ability to bang bodies down low would have helped Far Eastern U in certain match-ups.


6. What if Yutien Andrada had not torn his ACL?

After years of being known as a guard-reliant team, DLSU has gone big this year, with the trio of Jason Perkins, Arnold Van Opstal and Norbert Torres being key to their success. However, they could have possibly been even better had Yutien Andrada not torn his ACL during the summer.

The gangly 6'5" power forward would have been the Archers' best one-on-one defender down low, and a great target for drive and drops, thanks to his sneaky footwork. In Season 75, he normed 6.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 23.5 minutes. With him in their fold, it would have been tough for any team to get into the shaded lane when playing La Salle, which could have given them an outright twice-to-beat advantage, as opposed to them having had to face FEU for it.

 
 

 
 

7. What if Jeric Teng was healthy this season?

Jeric Teng was primed to put up a ton of points this season as his side's main playmaker. He normed 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists during the summer, but after two UAAP games, he suffered a shoulder injury when hit from behind by Jeoffrey Javillonar. He tried to make a comeback in round two, also versus NU, but wound up hurting his hamstring, forcing him out of the UST line-up anew.

All-in-all, Teng played in just seven regular season games, including the two he got injured and re-injured in. What would have happened had he been 100 percent healthy? It's a strong possibility that the Tigers would have locked up their Final Four berth much earlier, instead of needing to dispatch Ateneo in a do-or-die game on the final day of eliminations.

8. What if Kiefer Ravena was healthy this season?

Speaking of injured players, Ateneo's Kiefer Ravena was putting up MVP-caliber numbers in the FilOil preseason tournament, averaging 21.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals, prior to his side withdrawing from the rest of the contest, ironically, citing a need to avoid injuries.

Well, Ateneo fans know what happened next. Ravena got injured right before the start of the season. He tried to give it a go in the first game of the season, before skipping the next three to really give his ankle a rest. In that span, the Blue Eagles went 1-4 to start the season, and though they made a late run, the five-peat champions were eliminated on the last day, losing to Season 75 Finals opponents UST, as Ravena never got into a rhythm from long-distance (20.4 percent) or from the line (53.7 percent).


9. What if there was no "new UAAP rule" to stop Jerie Pingoy from suiting up?

Jerie Pingoy did not let the league's new residency rule, two years sit out for players going from a UAAP high school to a different college, stop him from enrolling with Ateneo, but what if Senator Pia Cayetano's summer hearing was enough to let the UAAP board see the error of their ways and revoke all high school residency rules completely?

Well, with Ravena injured, it's likely that Pingoy would have had an immediate opportunity to strut his stuff. Maybe he lands in the starting five with Juami Tiongson shifting to shooting guard, and he gets to show off his passing ability (5.1 assists). Or maybe he leads the second unit to give the Blue Eagles some additional punch off the bench (21.0 points), as the Ateneo reserves in round one were desperate for any sort of scoring. While it's hard to imagine him putting up numbers comparable to his UAAP juniors averages, the blue chip rookie could have given Ateneo one more win, which was all they needed to make the Final Four.

10. What if the UAAP went forfeit-happy as a result of the rule "clarifications"?

Towards the end of the elimination round, UE sought clarification as to why suspended Ateneo head coach Bo Perasol was at the game venue when the two sides met. Ateneo fired back by pointing out that suspended players, of which there were many this UAAP season, aren't supposed to be near their team's bench either, something that happened frequently.

Ultimately, the UAAP sought the easy way out by issuing a series of warnings, and having Perasol re-serve his suspension. However, the nuclear option would have been multiple teams receiving at least one forfeit, producing the following standings:

NU	9-4
ADMU	8-4
FEU	8-5
DLSU	8-5
UST	7-5
UE	6-6
ADU	4-9
UP	0-12

In doing so, the dynamic of the last few elimination round games would have been radically different. NU still stands on top, but suddenly things are thrown wide open again for the next five teams, namely Ateneo, FEU, DLSU, UST and UE. It's possible we could have gotten an entirely different Final Four, and most likely, another set of complaints about games being decided in the boardroom, and not on the court. - GMA News