inboundpass.com - Covering Philippine college basketball / UAAP, NCAA, CCL

San Beda has won off the court.  Their prized rookie Pascual will play in the coming NCAA tournament.  It was another example of the misdeeds of Philippine Christian University that almost caused a young man his future.

I wonder what my co-writer here at inboundpass.com will say regarding this fiasco that continues to hound PCU.  Apparently Pascual was asked to repeat his junior year in high school to be able to play for the PCU Junior squad.  But nobody told the player that this was not allowed in the NCAA.

The NCAA Board heard all sides and decided not to punish the unsuspecting player.  This was a very noble move by the board.

On the UAAP front, there are countless rumors swirling around about payoffs to release players and other not too flattering moves just to make sure that the rookies are kept on the roster.  Of course none of these have been substantiated (yet), but I hear that some quarters are making deliberate moves to uncover these actions.

The most surprising move by the UAAP board was that about a month before opening, they decide to increase the number of players on the roster from 15 to 16.  In addition, the age limit was likewise increased from 24 to 25 years old.  But then again, nothing surprises me anymore about the UAAP.

Why this sudden change?  It just does not sound right to do this so close to the opening of the basketball season.  In an interview I recently did with La Salle coach Franz Pumaren, he told me that he was scrambling to find the addition to the roster that he had to fill.  He had to hold an open tryout for students since that would be the easiest way to get a player without having to worry about entrance exams, since school has already started.

Can anyone from the UAAP please explain this sudden change in the rules?  Who will benefit from this change?  Will the addition of 1 player to the roster make that much of a difference?

The increase in age limit is another matter.  Is this supposed to accommodate certain individuals or institutions?  How can people not be weary of these changes when it happens so close to opening day?

I also heard that there are a number of coaches in the UAAP who are on the bubble with their jobs.  Word is that this may be the make or break season for these coaches.  A lot of money is spent to maintain a team in the UAAP and nothing less than a championship is expected in return.

The consensus is that there are 6 teams who will compete for the Final Four in this year’s UAAP.  Many have said that La Salle, Ateneo and UE are a lock.  This means that FEU, UST and Adamson are going to fight it out for the last slot.

Then you have the always unpredictable National University who will give many teams a headache.  I am sure Ateneo will attest to this after what they went through at the hands of the Bulldogs in their last regular season game.  Maybe this year the Blue Eagles won’t take any team lightly as well as not make premature reservations for out of town trips.

I expect this season to be filled with upsets. Even UP will win a couple of games that will affect the standings.
I hope the UAAP board will not decide games in the in the boardroom.  I hope that they do not impede on the responsibilities of the Commissioner.  I hope that they follow the rules and not find loopholes to decide on the basis of “it did not affect the outcome of the game”.

As part of their centennial celebrations, University of the Philippines is this year’s host and I am hopeful that they have a season that will not be plagued by controversy.  Unfortunately these last minute changes they made regarding the roster may be a sign of things to come.

Let the games begin.  I am anxious to see if I will be baking a cake again this year.

Tags: Dolphins, Franz-Pumaren, La-Salle, Mancom, ncaa, PCU, Petron, San-Beda-Red-Lions, The-Green-Mind, UAAP

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Posted in The Green Mind