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Nov 23

Mayhem in Manila

by Christian Soler
3,185 Views | 134 Comments

ANY doubts about the quality of play in this year’s Collegiate National Championship have to be shipped out of Manila.

The country’s capital city can now lay claim to the reality that it has witnessed the best brand of college ball the nation has to offer. Despite some schools opting to skip the annual tournament for announced (Letran) or rather vague (De La Salle and UE) reasons, the level of play has been nothing but superb.

Let’s begin with the squads that literally flew into Manila to sow mayhem. Ex-Philippine Basketball Association sniper Boy Cabahug’s University of the Visayas Green Lancers, for instance, aren’t the biggest strangers on the country’s basketball map. But nonetheless, the school that made an immovable force out of current Alaska Ace JR Quiñahan was never tipped to strike it big in this year’s affair.

Hypothetically, the top-seeded DLSU Green Archers could have impeded the Lancers’ progress. The absence of the current UAAP champions, however, should not be taken against their counterparts from the Cebu Sports Association Foundation Inc., particularly with the way the Lancers demolished their opposition. After drubbing the Lyceum Pirates by 21, UV took apart the University of Mindanao Wildcats by 20.

UV’s stellar play has been spearheaded by 6’11� Greg Slaughter, a promising recruit who’s got pro teams buzzing. Much of the offensive load, though, has been shouldered by off-guard Ritchum Dennison and polished inside operator Rino Berame, who’s averaging a double-double in points and rebounds. These three players all have the potential to follow in Quiñahan’s footsteps and make it big in the Philippine hoops scene.

Outside the glamour of the NCAA and UAAP but within the confines of the National Capital Region are the STI Olympians. Seeded a lowly 13th after copping the NAASCU plum, the Olympians may have benefited from the Red Warriors’ withdrawal, but proved to be worthy opponents by shocking University Games champions Far Eastern University.

STI’s upset, the biggest since the tourney’s inception in 2002-03 and possibly UP’s 52-41 win over Letran in 2005, should not be taken as a fluke. Instead, it’s indicative of the fact that the basketball landscape in the Philippines is changing, with erstwhile unnoticed programs like that of the Olympians inching their way up the hoops ladder despite having relatively littler resources than the big teams.

If anything, the Collegiate National Championship is fertile ground for the talent and development that evades our view of mainstream basketball. Once all this gets noticed, expect even more mayhem in the years to come.

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Comments

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  • mark-man  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 6:34 pm

    UV is joining the CCL since the start..but they never win the championship.they have good players but not GREAT players.

  • dragonZz  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 5:14 pm

    anywayz… thankz justice for the Update…

  • dragonZz  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 5:12 pm

    relly? wow naman.. ang galing talaga na UV Green Lancers…
    I think UV will be the champion this year..
    Nice game Lancers….
    Keep up the Good Work…
    I know na kaya nyo maging Champion sa CCL

    Good Luck sa Finals
    UV GREEN LANCERS….

  • james  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 5:08 pm

    thanks justice for the update

  • Justice  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 5:00 pm

    uv wins, 81-70

  • dragonZz  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 4:37 pm

    sino may update jan kung sino nanalo sa
    UV vs STI…???
    pls.. pls… pls… pls…

  • mighty bangaw  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 2:03 pm

    may point si red. deterrent din sa pagsali ng mga vis-min teams ang sufficient fundings. pero tingin ko once mag-allot ng slots ang CNC/CCL sa ibang teams e gagawan nila ng paraan to gather support or sponsorships from whoever. saka dun sa mga manila teams naman e sana seryosohin nila yung cnc. sabi nga ni mark-man e they bring in their top players but not to take it seriously.

    pag pumasok ang uv mamaya sa finals im sure makikita din ng organizers ng cnc ang capabilities ng ibang teams from the south. just to be fair and to provide more excitement to this “new” league, isama natin yung iba pang teams! mas marami, mas bongga!

    gud luk to ust maya! sa mga tomasinong wala naman gagawin mamaya, lets storm in to san juan to support out tigers!

    go uste!!!

  • mark-man  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 12:38 pm

    like I said,
    It’s like US team in FIBA.they bring their top players to play but not take it seriously.

  • red  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 12:11 pm

    yeah, there really are bigger talents from far provinces. not only in basketball, even in other kind of sports (and entertainment too!), they are just waiting to be discovered.

    Another reason i can think of why some better teams from vis-min regions couldn’t join is because of lack of funds. Admit it. Some institutions would rather spend their money for improvement of their campus, like facilities, academic or athletic programs etc…

    For some, the reasons could be - Sayang na sa pamasahe, sayang pa sa oras. This is why I salute all schools who came all the way from visayas and mindanao just to prove their worth. And UV - wow, they just made a name!

  • mighty bangaw  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 11:52 am

    tulad na lang ng UV, they are relatively “unknown” to college basketball fans here in manila. tapos yun pala ang lakas ng team nila! imagine mo na lang yung iba pang teams na kasabayan ng uv sa cebu (tama ba?), ibig sabihin maraming kayang pumalag sa mga sikat na teams here in manila. say for example sina james yap, dondon hontiveros, nonoy baclao of ateneo. they all came from the south. andaming talents dun na pakikinabangan ng rp basketball. siguro cnc can play the role of providing exposure to these kinds of players.

    i move for the inclusion of more teams in the next cnc seasons tapos elimination format na lang at hindi knockout!

  • red  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 11:17 am

    i agree with bangaw, the league really seems to be unfair. they got more representatives from ncr, specifically from ncaa and uaap teams and only a few from down south. participants from other leagues are also limited to fewer teams as compared to the number of teams coming from ncaa and uaap. i wonder how they formed the criteria…

  • mighty bangaw  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 11:14 am

    salamat yellow_we.

    fry those eagles! pilitin ko manood maya. go uste!

  • yellow_we  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 10:51 am

    mighty bangaw..

    I absolutely agree with you.

    Good luck to our tigers later.

  • mighty bangaw  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 10:40 am

    sana dagdagan ang representatives from vis-min. lugi ang mga players/teams from down south. dun lang siguro natin mage-gauge ang prestige CNC. bring ALL of the best teams!

    saka sana in due time e ibahin ang knockout format, eliminations na lang. mas mahaba, mas masaya. of course if resources will permit..

  • yellow_we  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Monday, 26 November 2007 at 9:12 am

    Do you think whatever will be the outcome of CNC today concludes the best among the best collegiate teams in the country despite losing DLSU (UAAP champs), UE and LETRAN (UAAP nd NCAA runner ups) in the original cast of this league? In my own opinion, this league should have been at its best if these teams have resumed its participation. My personal thought, CNC’s intention was good - to bring all the top or best collegiate teams together in one league to slug it out against each other and prove their prowess. But the league’s ultimate goal only remains a dream until all the invited teams opted to accept the challenge. I hope whoever wins the crown, we are not going to hear anything from other schools saying like “they won because our team was not there.. blah blah blah.. ” after all, it was their team’s choice not to join the league so I don’t think they have a right to even make a comment out of it.

  • Christian Soler  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 11:26 pm

    If form is our guide, UV is the favorite, Truth-hurts. And if Slaughter doesn’t show up to play, there’s Berame, who’s actually taller than Jervy Cruz (if ever the two sides meet up in the finals).

    Mark-man, the purpose of the CNC IS TO DETERMINE who’s the best in the country. The nice things about the tourney this year is that schools have taken the games seriously. Take Ateneo for instance. Despite fielding in seldom-used players like Bacon Austria and Mike Baldos, the Eagles still banked on Chris Tiu to spell the difference against Jose Rizal University. It’s a good sign in spite of the absence of three of Metro Manila’s best squads.

  • mark-man  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 11:01 pm

    if I own a team that is competing here and in uaap (for example…)

    why would I take this CL seriously?
    I got nothing to win here.
    if you become champions here doesn’t mean your the best.
    why?
    because other teams (such as ateneo,ust,feu)doesn’t take this league seriously because what if one player hot injured..

    It’s like USA team in FIBA.

  • Truth-hurts  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 9:17 pm

    alright..
    lets just enjoy the final four..
    Im routing for UV though,,and the matchup between Jervy cruz and Slaughter..

  • Christian Soler  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 6:52 pm

    If anything, Truth-hurts, (mal)practices like paying collegiate players should be stamped out. I’m glad this current UAAP player won’t accept that “offer.” For now, though, let’s try to take the STI win for what it is. Those Olympians did a pretty good job disposing off a team (FEU) that just won the University Games.

  • Truth-hurts  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 6:14 pm

    @Christian Soler…

    kaya ko nasabi yun,, coz a current UAAP player actually playing his 5th and final year in the coming UAAP told me so.. He’s been offered by STI to play for them after he graduate from UAAP. But dont you worry,sometimes pride can help into your decision making,,kahit sa panaganip daw he wont do it..
    I dont blame the school,, I guess the league theyre joining should have major revamp regarding eligibility rules.

  • Mike Abasolo  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 4:58 pm

    The reason why they had the CNC or CCL in November is to prevent people from having basketball overload. But the most likely adjustment would be to move the PBL sched. to a later month. This movement to a national level will take a little time and a lot of cooperation from all schools.

  • Christian Soler  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 4:29 pm

    CCL or CNC a month earlier…sure. Good idea. As to STI paying its players, well that’s the type of statement that has to be verified or if ever proven, brought into the open since it may be a breach of rules or conduct. It’s similar to, say, the “news” that DLSU’s Mike Cortez threw away Game 3 of 2002 UAAP Championship series against Ateneo, or UE’s Bonbon Custodio wanting to tank the do-or-die Final Four game against UST in 2006. All this has to be proven first.

  • Truth-hurts  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 3:16 pm

    someone told me,,”STI parang isang pbl-team na naglalaro sa college league”.. they pay their players to play for them… thats why im not surprised at all, reading articles regarding STI basketball team…

  • Hail Mary Squad  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 2:15 pm

    They should have the CCL earlier. A month after the UAAP, NCAA, and other tournaments have ended. I like the idea but its poor execution. It should be like the NCAA tourney in the states.

  • Christian Soler  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 12:18 pm

    Yes Prince, the key here is to bridge a seemingly big gap between the different collegiate leagues. Again, we’re trying to arrive at which school is really the best, basketball-wise.

  • prince  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 5:26 am

    yes. that would be a good start. now lets get the word out there and convince people that this is a good idea both for the game and for its corporate sponsors. it’s a win-win for everyone.

  • Christian Soler  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 2:27 am

    Logistically, it would be tough to “unify” the UAAP, NCAA and possibly the NCRAA. However, one good move would be to include interleague games, like what you suggested. For instance, each UAAP/NCAA school can lock horns with two schools from the other league (i.e. Letran versus DLSU and UP, or Ateneo versus San Beda and CSB). That way, old rivalries could be rekindled, and so-called bragging rights could find a more competitive venue because these games would count in the team standings.

  • prince  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 1:22 am

    cause it seems like the cnc lacks the prestige and legitimacy to capture the nations attention. why else would some schools skip this tourney?

  • prince  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 1:15 am

    or at least a few interleague games that count in the overall standings. after spending years watching us ncaa basketball i keep wondering why we cant do this.

  • prince  Add karma Subtract karma  +0
    Sunday, 25 November 2007 at 1:09 am

    what do you think of ncaa/uaap unification? maybe ncraa too. that would be good for the fans and good for business too. maybe down the road have a real national tournament and a “march madness” style playoff. crowning the one true collegiate champion with no “vague excuses” for skipping the tourney.

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Christian
Christian Soler

When you meet Chris, chances are you'll assume he wants to be a rock star. But he's a college professor specializing in liberation theology. Outside the classroom, Chris loves basketball, football, ice hockey and much more. Before getting his feet wet in the world of college hoops, he served as opinion editor for a nationally-circulated newspaper.