Team Disappointing
Monday, 5 October 2009 6,982 Views / 97 Comments
The UAAP Men’s basketball season comes to close for sure on its next play-date, while the NCAA campaign is only starting to heat up for its own playoff run. The Most Valuable Player for the UAAP is Dylan Ababou of the University of Santo Tomas. He went down fighting, although his team may not have done the same. The UAAP Mythical Five has already been known for weeks, and three of them (Rabeh Al-Hussaini of Ateneo and Paul Lee and Elmer Espiritu of the University of the East) still have a game to play. In the NCAA, many players have shined brightly, with a legit claim to a mythical five slot. Prior to the season, there were many players who were predicted to shine brightest, to carry their teams and be primetime performers, or at least be significant contributors. Let us take a look at those who did not live up to the hype, did not take off, or who fizzled out somewhere along the way, leaving memories of disappointment, underachievement and, at times, utter failure.
Presenting, the UAAP Men’s Basketball tournament All-Disappointing Team:
At guard, Leo Canuday of Adamson University. Five years ago, Canuday burst on the scene with so much potential and hype. His early mistakes, observers charged to lack of maturity and experience. However, in his fifth and final season, being one of the veterans for the Falcons, Canuday showed that he still plays exactly the same way, error-prone and out-of-control. He oftentimes left coach Leo Austria shaking his head. While he did end up third on his team in scoring (9.2 ppg), he shot only thirty-one percent (31%) from the field and played matador defense. He did not distribute the ball and orchestrate the offense, and he did not produce at the two position either – not a good way to end a collegiate career.
At the other guard, Clark Bautista of UST. After showing so much potential last year, hitting big shots and lighting up the scoreboard with occasional scoring binges, especially from beyond the arc, Tata shot a little less than 34 percent from the field, norming just 7.2 ppg. Some point to the fact that his minutes were down from last year, but precisely, his minutes were down because his production was, too. Once featured as one of the “players to watch†on the college basketball show One U, and expected to open things up for Ababou in the shaded area, Bautista still has a chance to redeem himself in the future. But basing it on this season, surely, he was a disappointment for Tiger fans.
At one forward spot, James Mangahas of De La Salle University. This fellow has got to be the biggest disappointment of the season, by far. Already a big part of a winning tradition, and expected to lead a young but promising DLSU team to, at the least, the Final Four, Mangahas was the epitome of failure under pressure, lacking the character and willingness to step forward and accept the role of main man for the Archers. Many times, he stepped away from the action, preferring to watch the younger players try to fashion out a win, when he should have demanded the ball and shown the skills everyone knows he has. He normed only 7.9 ppg, good for only third on the team, on pathetic 34 percent shooting, only 21 percent from three-point range, and, worst of all, 54 percent from the free throw line. And he did all of this in a team-leading 22 minutes of action per game. No wonder DLSU had such a terrible season.
At forward/center, Magi Sison of the University of the Philippines. Sure, nobody expected UP to make any noise this season, and to a large extent, they were right. UP can boast of having beaten both Ateneo and DLSU, but unfortunately, that did not take the Maroons out of the cellar. However, Magi Sison, the tallest man on the roster and a member of the Smart Gilas national team, was expected to show marked improvement. Everybody knows he will never be a low-post banger, but he also did not deliver from the perimeter, where he is allegedly more comfortable. Despite towering over his opponents, he scored only 6 ppg. He did collect 6 rpg, although with his size, Maroons supporters definitely expected more. He was not an intimidating presence on defense, with opponents driving straight at him and daring him to block their shots. Defenders purposely fouled him, owing to his inexcusable 36 percent free-throw shooting.
At center, Michael Galinato of Adamson. It is so frustrating to watch Galinato play. He has the size, some skills, and you can see on his face that he is really trying. But, for someone who has shown an inside presence in the past and who was expected to be the main post threat for the Falcons, like Bautista earlier, his minutes went down due to poor production. He averaged only 4.2 ppg, on 34 percent shooting. Worse, he corralled less than 4 rpg, outrebounded by some of his smaller teammates. With all the close games of Adamson, if only Galinato played as big as he is, they may have pulled a few of those out.
Additional notes: Jewel Ponferrada of National University, and Bader Malabes and Simon Atkins of DLSU, and JR Cawaling of FEU were also considered. However, looking back, they were never really expected to be main men for their teams. They had their failings in the past and, overall, did not have seasons as disappointing as those who made the team since expectations for them here were not as high. Ponferrada had a hot start, but tapered off in the end and, in fact, had a pretty good season (7.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg). As for Atkins and Malabes, some green-minded folk has already politely asked them to leave. Cawaling almost made this list. He could be considered the sixth man.
Regarding Mark Andy Barroca, his season was disappointing in that he surely did not meet the pre-season MVP expectations that many placed upon him. But in several games, he was productive and even clutch. As to the allegations of game-fixing/point-shaving, he is still innocent until proven guilty. Disappointing? Yes. Enough to be on this team, no.
And now, the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament All-Disappointing Team:
Take note, some of these guys may still have something to show since the NCAA season is not yet over. And, in truth, practically every player who was expected to lead his team has done so this season. In fact, some have been even bigger than expected. This NCAA All-Disappointing Team is composed of players that should have been a big part of their team’s rotations, providing more than adequate support numbers to their main men. However, it has not turned out that way at all. Without regard to positions, the players are:
Borgie Hermida of the defending champion San Beda Red Lions. Ok, ok…so he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury only a few months ago. They said he may not be back for this season, but he did come back, and is averaging almost 18 minutes of playing time. Did he come back too soon? He had a career year last season, but his production has surely dipped from last year’s. He is averaging less than 6 ppg, shooting 34 percent overall. Of course San Beda has a bunch of players on whom it can rely, and its record speaks volumes of how good a team it is, despite the loss of stars from last year’s third championship run. But Hermida is only a bit player on this year’s stage.
Jeff Morial of the College of Saint Benilde. The disappointment with this fellow is that, despite averaging 14 ppg and 4 rpg, he failed to bring it every night. He had two 30-point games, but lacked consistency and definitely fell in love with the three-point shot, settling for the bomb even if there were other clear options. Then, as the season was coming to its end, a “lingering injury,†allegedly involving his knee, shelved him for the remainder of the campaign. According to the CSB coach, surgery is expected soon. Let us see how this guy can bounce back stronger, more productive and less disappointing. However, that won’t be in the NCAA as this is his final year.
Reymar Gutilban of Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Gutilban is already in his fifth year in the league, playing about 17 minutes per game. However, he averages just 5.1 ppg on 28 percent shooting overall. Once thought of as a capable third gunner to back up RJ Jazul and Rey Guevarra, Gutilban has not fulfilled the role, and, in the process, Letran has suffered.
Ilie Johnston of CSB. Johnston is a fifth-year man, formerly from the UAAP’s Adamson Baby Falcons. He has the body, and some serious skills, but he averaged under 10 ppg, shooting barely 40 percent from the field, mostly due to his ten percent 10 percent three-point shooting clip. He did average 4.5 rpg. He is very reminiscent of former Adamson men’s player Marc Agustin – you know he has it, but he fails to show it all the time. Worse, like Morial, Johnston will not finish the season as an injury has ended his college career. Some say it is due to a bad attitude. Whatever the real reason for his early exit, it is CSB and hardworking Coach Richard del Rosario that, after a strong start, suffered yet another disappointing season.
John Foronda of CSJL. He is averaging about 6 rpg, which is fine, but definitely nothing great. This guy is big, 6’5†at least, so, like in the case of Galinato, the fans expect so much more. And he just is not a low-post player, although he loves to get down in the block, asking for the ball. He shoots 41 percent from the field in almost 20 minutes of action each game. Sometimes, his low-post game borders on comical, and the fans have let out a chuckle or two whenever he tries to operate down low. The desire, however, is there. Execution is the problem.
Additional notes: Players from the guest teams (Arellano University, Angeles University Foundation and Emilio Aguinaldo College) were not considered, since even if they were expected to be the vital cogs for their teams, they never played NCAA ball before. For them, being disappointments was kind of expected. Of course some of them really proved that they belong in the “big leagues.†Cheers to those guys that did perform and open the eyes of the NCAA fans to their great play. Lots of things yet to happen in the NCAA. Can Baste make it all the way? Or are they some sort of UE two years ago all over again? So many so-called experts are saying JRU goes all the way this year. We will see. Has everyone counted out Beda already?
Thanks to Chris Soler for the additional info for this article.
(8 votes, average: 3.13 out of 5)
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i agree with you esp. with the case of Galinato, im not from adamson, im a guy from cebu who just loves to watch college hoops esp. uaap and ncaa, i like adamson so much ever since the times of abadia. this team is loaded with talent and promise, they got a good coach in the likes of leo austria and a school that is in search for that illusive championship. by this season, it was supposed to be adamson not UST whose gonna be in the final 4, damn, it makes me so sad that they let this season slip in their hands again, as you can see, galinato is tall, got the wide body, has a perimeter shooting but he is always struggling from the shaded lane, he can’t almost get that rebound when smaller athletic guys come in and challenge him, it’s embarrasing but you could also see he is trying his best to improve his game, i hope next season he would assert more effort, patience and low-post dominance too. If he could improve his low-post then he is gonna be force to be reckoned with next season esp wala na cla rabeeh. Adamson got talents in the likes of canada, alvarez and nuyles, no reason that next time they would make it.
ang players talaga nagbabago ng aura ng laro..
no body’s perfect…
What about Eric Salamat as a late entry. He is either throwing his game or choking at a crucial time. Either way he’s the biggest disappointment. I think when Ateneo loses Rabeh Nonoy and Jai next year they better not rely on Eric to lead the team because they will be disappointed
@Lea
Sana si Bacon ang mag-step up for the Eagles next year. Coming off a winning tradition from the Eaglets, he has the hunger and heart of an Atenean.
Salamat is just full of himself.
@Charlie
I agree with you spot on with your UAAP nominees, especially on Galinato, right on the money there.
However, I am in disagreement with some of the names on your NCAA list. Actually, save for Ilie Johnston I am in disagreement with you on the others.
First and foremost is Borgie Hermida, FYI, the guy is still playing injured and in fact he is taking a huge risk just by suiting up for this season. His is the best example why collegiate teams should be given ample rest during the offseason, he suffered an ACL during the champions league and its quite obvious that that injury has impacted negatively on him.
For me the real disappointment at point in the NCAA today is MIT’s Randolph Soriano, he was a vital cog last season and as was even a starter for the first couple of games, alas when he failed to deliver and the cardinals’ losses kept on coming, Coach Victolero resorted to using Guillermo at the point out of necessity.
I also disagree with Jeff Morial, the guy gave it his all and being the only bonafide threat on that CSB team it is actually a testament that he lit up two teams for 30 plus points a game. Sure he laid a fat 0 in one game but that was because he was already injured. Lastly, to average 14 pts when everybody on the opposing team knows that you and only you can put that ball in the hoop is quite an achievement in itself already.
Given this, I would slide Letran’s Gutilban to Morial’s place and offer Marvin Hayes instead to take Gutilban’s position in the frontcourt. Yes, you read right, Marvin Hayes. I consider his season right now as disappointing, sure the hustle is there but let’s not mistake activity for productivity, he is no longer as good a rebounder as he was before and his scoring also took a nosedive. Note that this guy is a former mythical five member.
Lastly, no one really expected Foronda to do anything but comical this season. Thus, I must disagree on this as well and offer James Sena as the real big (if not the biggest) disappointment of the year in the NCAA. Face it, with Sam Ekwe using up all his eligibility everybody and his mother expected Sena to dominate his way to a MVP award. But what happened? Sena took things “easy”, too easy in fact that his coach was even quoted that he is “disappointed” with supposed to be main man. Regardless of whether or not Sena is playing it safe (owing to him being drafted by SMB in the PBA) the fact of the matter is of all the players expected to dominate this year’s NCAA wars he is the one who really fell far, far short of expectations.
Baka natamaan lang ng Sophomre Jinx. :) isama niyo dapat dito si Ryan Buenafe. mas maganda pa pinakita ni Salva eh.
Hermida lost majority of his quickness and agility this season. It is no longer a secret to all NCAA coaches that Hermida is a below average threat from the perimeter and most (approximately 70%) of his scoring numbers in the past are drives to the basket. Take out his agility and you take out his offensive game hence low scoring numbers and subpar field goal percentages.
@observer..
i think you’re right..Sena was the missing link for the bombers..especially during this crucial stage of NCAA. His numbers got very low compare last season. Maybe, being drafted by SMB affects his aggresiveness on the court..worrying that he mightget injured and to the extent that SMB will not sign him anymore..
Nevertheless…on my own opinion, Sena still giving support to JRU by providing “enough” numbers considering that too many “J’s” in the JRU’s line-up is currently adding big game production, especial mention to John Wilson (I already assume that he is the MVP this season) because of his spectacular games..
but who knows, Sena is reserving his energy going into final four..and if god’s will..going into finals…
Basta, Goodluck to Heavy Bombers..its now or never..
iaalay nyo na lang ung game nyo para kay Jason Nocom and pati na rin dun sa mga victims of ondoy..
God Bless Philippines…..
mabuhay ang NCAA!!
@Observer
I agree with you that Borgie is playing injured, he had another injury 2 or 3 years ago on the other knee. He was sidelined then too. I know he must be scared to have another injury. Its right that the lost his agility and quickness to ACL.
Here is a clip of Borgie in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmtIpHLvtOg
Also, on the JRU side its Sena who is more of a disappointment and a shadow of his former self. For whatever reason he may have, its not the Sena of Season 84 specially versus the Red Lions at the Championship games.
i’ll save clark bautista because JR cawaling was really a disappointment…he made it to the national team..and i really expected a lot from him..at his height..maybe only val acuna can match up at the SG spot..he was a disappointment in game 1 of ue-feu series although he recovered in game 2…barroca, garcia, ramos and cawaling performed better than him…
is it the final year for hermida?anjo caram stepped up for sbc..Sena was a missing link in the 2nd round..and i’d rather put him in the list instead of johnston..
@ Charlie Cuna
- In case you haven’t noticed, Bautista plays the same position as Teng. That’s the main reason why didn’t play that much.
@wild thing
Sir, about JR Cawaling, I agree he didn’t carry his team being the Kapitan, in tagalog, di siya maka-pitan ng mga Tams para ma muno. IMHO lang po.
All I recall is the twice to beat game 2 vs UE where he was hot and scored 17 pts. but 2 pts after the half. Was it the coach who took him out? Or did he start flaking out? Its a mystery.
What a terrible loss for a national team player from FEU for a below par performance this season…and his last for the TAMS. My money was on an FEU vs ADMU Finals at pre-season because this FEU team was loaded.
Borgie has another year with us, Caram was a revelation…and so was Jom Villanueva, he can bring the team too if given the time.
I think Barua of DLSU should also be included
to writer: ang panget naman ng column mo unlike Tony and Christian’s
Hindi napapanahon!
oonga! magsulat ka na lang sa newspaper column – obituary
@bball fan, writer
suggest ko, tabloid na lang basahin nyo, mas mag enjoy pa kayo. nahahalata tuloy kung san school kayo galing.
whew! buti na lang walang cardinal dito… mukhang mababa talaga expectations sa cards this season… hehehe… at least we’re ending it on a very good tone…
ano daw? borgie hermida is a disappointment this season? intindihin mo muna facts bago ka mag sulat ng article…..
ano daw? borgie hermida is a disappointment this season? intindihin mo muna facts bago ka mag sulat ng article…..
ano daw? borgie hermida is a disappointment this season? intindihin mo muna facts bago ka mag sulat ng article…..
@ observer
you have legit points ther man… pati si allan mangahas nga mejo disappointed ako… kay sarangay,kay cornejo… although i really can’t blame them… malaki talaga nawala sa team namin this season…
@ observer
you legit points ther man… pati si allan mangahas nga mejo disappointed ako… kay sarangay,kay cornejo… although i really can’t blame them… malaki talaga nawala sa team namin this season…
bakit hindi na lang sabihin disappointment ang buong Mapua team? pati Adamson team?
Mapua = since dapat mas maganda ipakita nila sa mga bagong pasok na teams kaso ano nangyari diba? talunan sila
Adamson = kasi mas malakas ang team nila kesa sa DLSU at UST pero san sila pinulot? ang ganda sana ng pagkakabuo ng team nila. magaling din coach nila pero walang nagawa. tsktsk
@lance – OO same with what school you came from! VOVO!
pake mo SPONGKLONG!
Is it true that Louie Alas is no longer the coach of the Letran Knights?
It is true that Manny Dandan is no longer the coach of the NU Bulldogs.
I think, Coach Louie Alas is what Henry Sy, owner of the SM Malls, and team managers of the Bulldogs, waiting / looking for.
Kunin na ang opportunity! A championship caliber coach in Coach Alas is available.
And according to the Rebound Mag, The Bulldogs are preparing for the arrival of their Cameroonian Imports.
Right now, the NU Bulldogs has the financial muscle to do what Ateneo and La Salle, perhaps San Beda, what they’ve doing.
Question now that will his sons Kevin and Toffer follow their dad?
Sobrang Cheesy, Manny Dandan has been axed by NU. Among his possible replacements: Ronnie Magsanoc, George Gallent and Eric Altamirano.
Louie Alas will be coaching the Philippine Patriots in the ABL.
why include foronda in the center position? no one expects him to do. he’s just a starter… don’t you think that ryan buenafe should on this list? he season this year is sub-par only..?
instead of hermida, i think it should be allan mangahas of MIT…
Why mention UE? Baste already lost right? No point of comparison. You should have consulted another writer aside from Chris Soler. Get it right next time please!
ok i’m an atenean, so like the great tgm my post will be seen through blue-tinted glasses bustill it counts for something…
ryan buenafe – yes his numbers are down and many are wondering why he’s not peppering the stat sheet like he should. he’s now been placed as more of a bench player who is tasked to defend the off guard/small forward of the opposing teams. if you notice the games, he is also a very important cog in their offensive plays and the ball goes through him for him to go to the basket down the middle and to kick out when the opposing bigs collapse on him. many actually find merit in his playing this year because he has become more of a contributor in a lot of small ways – stifling and physical defense and rotating the ball for open shooters and big men down low. credit his sure play as more of maturing rather than disappointing
eric salamat does not merit to be on this list simply because two games in the finals is not reason to dismiss the other 16(?) games where he played well. he may have disappeared in game 1 but most ateneans dismiss it because his “a” game was not needed. alas, i have no excuse for his disappearing in the second game…
one big fight!
sobrang cheesy,
“perhaps” San Beda?
Duda ka pa ba? You made me laugh! Hahaha!!
Bader should be the star player of this team. League leader in air balls, favorite whipping boy of TGM and the La Salle alumni, momentum breaker for La Salle, thick skinned and master ball hog. I nominate Bader to the hall of shame. The trophy should be in his image.
mali mali mali…
i only found out magi sison was in smart gilas when i watched yesterday’s game…why the heck was he recruited?
anyway you have to include buenafe in this list.
I agree that James Sena’s production slide down.
But I think its fine as long as they keep on winning.
Its too early to say but great players are determine to be great during pressure games. Let’s wait for the upcoming playoffs.
ANY One can Answer..
will Coach alas leave Letran knights Behind For the Philippine Patriots? i mean Kailan ba yung ABL na ito?…Magcoconflict ba ito sa Next Years NCAA for coach louie To resign as letran’s head Coach? wag naman sana kasi … ok na ang system ng letran basketball… consistent naman sila sa final four.. tsaka di iiwan ni coach ang tatlong anak nya aantayin pa ni coach anak nyang bunso si keiffer…
Wala bang coach ang team disappointing?
^ Si Aboy Castro ng UP at si Pido Jarencio ng UST ang mga head coaches ng Team Disappointing. *grins*
I dont really get the ‘Malabes’ hate thing now … 2 years ago everyone hailed him as a hero and now he’s the opposing team’s ’6th man’, and in this article it says “However, looking back, they were never really expected to be main men for their teams. They had their failings in the past and, overall, did not have seasons as disappointing as those who made the team since expectations for them here were not as high” … ya sure he played badly this season but if everyone could see that he wasnt really gonna be a ‘big’ player why all the hype about him when he first showed up? … but then again maybe they were just fans who thought he was cute;p nothing really serious oh well …
I think Tata Bautista is “the Khasim Mirza” of last year. A bit of Sopho-Jinx. In fairness to Tata, he led UST in scoring for 2 games this season unlike Khasim whose presence was not really felt in his second year, not even a bit. But Khasim did bounce back this season scoring in double digits and even crashing the boards. I hope Tata will do the same, to get back to his real game next season.
honorable mention for letran is J.P. Belencion. This sharpshooter almost got letran back from the depths in that 1st sand beda game in 08 giving you perhaps the shape of thins to come. i don’t even know any improvement at all in his game. with guevarra out maybe this is his chance to redeem himself.
One school and their best sportswriter of
the decade w/an est.IQ of 90 are the best
example of bad karma.After their SYSTEM
got exposed,monitored and controlled thru
suspension and stricter rules,they slowly
but surely started to choke.
Their Z-Jrs. heavily favored to Win the
UAAP Crown choked to death in the finals.
Their Srs.w/many national team players
set an all-time record in the embarrassing
plane of failure by finishing 6th.
Resignations and transfers to other
Schools of their top players are in the
offing.Their top writer’s articles and
comments may be described in 2 words..
“Que horror.”
Fight Adamson.USTe.Lets Go Tamaraws.Go UE.
One Big Fight!
the real disappointment is that there’s a school cheating and circumventing eligibility rules and residency requirements.
now that’s the real team disappointing.
nice article Mr. Cuna…
Although many here would disagree with some points, we all have our own opinion, right ?
keep it comming Attorney !
@lea and @chickslea
Okay lang kayo about Salamat? Mga tao nga naman, hibang. Clutch player nga yun e. So what if he’s full of himself (which is a subjective judgment), just look at his percentages and ppg. Duh.
I think that this sports writer doesn’t really understand college basketball. some of the people that are on this list, bautista, gutilban, foronda, sison are ROLE players. They are not expected to drop 15+ a game. They have star players that put that are supposed to put up the points. That’s the problem with fans like you, you do not appreciate the whole game. Don’t just look at points, Gutilban is a great defender, and doesnt concentrate of scoring, because of Jazul and Guevarra, 2 RP players. bautista has an MVP teammate, Mirza and a ROY, whats wrong with 7.2 PPG from a Point Guard???? Players that stay within their role for the sake of their team and winning should be applauded. learn to appreciate the intagibles.
I think that this sports writer doesn’t really understand college basketball. some of the people that are on this list, bautista, gutilban, foronda, sison are ROLE players. They are not expected to drop 15+ a game. They have star players that put that are supposed to put up the points. That’s the problem with fans like you, you do not appreciate the whole game. Don’t just look at points, Gutilban is a great defender, and doesnt concentrate of scoring, because of Jazul and Guevarra, 2 RP players. bautista has an MVP teammate, Mirza and a ROY, whats wrong with 7.2 PPG from a Point Guard???? Players that stay within their role for the sake of their team and winning should be applauded. learn to appreciate the intagibles.
Nice article Charlie Cuna.It stands out in the field
of sports writing esp.when compared direct to that of
one super biased columnist.Quite pathetic are his articles including his comment column(s).
His appearance on National TV “es que horror tambien”.
St.Ata_de appears and sounds like he’s always drunk in defeat or high in drugs.This yields a very negative effect on his attitude,writing style,company and school.
He edits/deletes opinions he can’t stomach.
Yet he cries foul and asks for pity and attention
when something similar happens to his comment or his own being.
Just like Cris Tiu,Hussaini,Baclao and Jai,may we
reiterate the saying of many a Blue Eagle..”No one is
indispensable!”Halikinu….
@charlie cuna
“Borgie Hermida of the defending champion San Beda Red Lions. Ok, ok…so he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury only a few months ago.”
hope you saw the game today where borgie was named the best player. you don’t know how hard and how long it is to get back after an acl surgery (i know, i had one)..siguro ngayon magiisip isip ka muna bago ka magsulat ng mga ganitong article and naming people that “disappointed” you because you really disappointed me with this article of yours..