Yearend thoughts on college ball
Tuesday, 22 December 2009 3,314 Views / 53 Comments
LIFE mirrors basketball in a multitude of ways. Although the philosophical type can argue that hoops is but a miniscule part of real life, both run on parallel lines. These lines, this season, in this basketball-mad country, diverged with a roaring vengeance.
***
Ateneo de Manila University and San Sebastian College-Recoletos showed just how far a powerful machinery can take you. Not to be misconstrued in a malicious fashion, but power in the college game has come to represent a stranglehold on recruiting, skills development, food allowances and everything in between.
The Blue Eagles successfully defended their UAAP title in convincing fashion, thwarting the upstart University of the East Red Warriors in three games to take UAAP title number five. With a patron whose last problem in the world is wealth, the Blue and White have dominated their league like no other, losing a total of three games in two full seasons. And while the departure of Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Jai Reyes will definitely be felt along Katipunan, a production line of talent is in the offing, with the Pilgrim Christian College and Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan de Oro duo of 6’6 John Paul Erram and 6’4 Paul Siarot entering the fray along with Norman Penola and Ateneo Blue Eaglet hotshot Ael Banal, among others.
The Stags, meanwhile, not only marked their first Final Four appearance since 2005, but won the championship altogether. Coach Ato Agustin has not only transformed the team on the floor, but has harnessed a newfound recruitment stranglehold that is Pampanga. Rookies Calvin Abueva, Ronald Pascual and Ian Sanggalang all call that province home. All in all, eight of SSC-R’s 15-man lineup hail from Central Luzon.
While hard work and dedication to the game are prerequisites to victory, so is power. Just like in today’s society, where power comes off as a surefire key to success, whether in the electoral arena or even the job-hunting and employment markets, college hoops has embraced the notion in equal fashion. The tail end of the year saw the strength and scope of schools like San Beda College, who have at two Fil-Australians (the Semerad brothers), and a Fil-American in Kyle Pascual, and even the Henry Sy-backed National University, which has at least two Cameroonians in its backyard.
Without a doubt, the powerful have blended well with college ball. Whether it’s good or bad in the long-run remains to be seen, but one important point to raise entering 2010 is how the “powerless†– the financially not-so-extravagant squads – will perform. Not so long ago, we saw the likes of Perpetual Help march all the way to the Finals (2004). Will, say an Adamson University, with its low-key and not-so-high athletic budget, be able to barge at least into the Final Four in Season 73? Let’s not forget that, on paper at least, the Falcons would be pretty formidable in 2K10 now that Leo Canuday is gone, and 6’8 Kenyan Austin Manyara in the fold. Alternatively, can Mapua Institute of Technology, with just a single player ineligible next season from its current team in Randolf Soriano, make a serious run? Or will their “lack†of power and influence serve as their death sentences?
***
Very few basketball programs have the luxury of owning a superb high school program. 2009, as well as the previous seasons, has demonstrated the stability and excellence of the programs of Ateneo High School, De La Salle Zobel and San Beda-Taytay. With the exception of the latter (then located in Manila), which has seen its superstars plucked out of their midst like eyebrows, not a lot of their stars make it to their college varsity squads (Team A, ok?).
Seeing the Blue Eaglets capture the 2009 juniors plum over a taller and more favored Junior Archer quintet was bittersweet. The sweet part is obvious (HS ’01), but the bitter part lies in the reality that programs like Ateneo resort to tapping players from outside the “home†program while leaving homegrown stars to toil in Team B.
The argument supporting that rationale (at least for Ateneo, let’s get to DLSU in awhile) goes this way. Over the years, coach Jamike Jarin’s players have been, well, let’s just say, a tad taller than him. They’re “not big†for college ball. There’s also a side justification that calls these Blue Eaglets “less talented†than kids from other places.
While Postgame is not at all opposed to gathering the best ballers, regardless of birthplace or high school attended, it gets the impression that developing the deep platoon that is the Ateneo Blue Eaglets takes a back seat to grabbing the better players. Clearly, this strategy has pitfalls, as it places a primacy on immediate impact and instant wins over long-term player development and even sacrificing academic competence at times. In simpler terms, inserting three or four more Blue Eaglets into the senior lineup would incentivize the juniors to play even better, while giving them a shot at playing for the school they served in high school. If not, it begs the question, “What’s a great high school program for if you’re not going to use it?â€
This applies to all other schools that fail to see the value of their juniors programs, while becoming symptomatic of a social situation that values quick fixes over patience and long-term visions of reality.
(This part of Postgame is for the likes of Paolo de Leon, Mike Guidaben, Bits Tolosa, Stan Aldover, Niko Frez, Meds Medina, Jay Gonzalez, Juergen Estanislao, Gio Pasion and all the other heroes who failed to make the seniors cut despite playing their guts out)
***
In the Philippines, there is a serious disparity between what is said, and what is actually done. Call it a discord, or a cleavage or tear, but the fact remains that word and deed are as disharmonious as Taft and Loyola Heights (or, Mendiola and Loyola Heights, for the Mike Abasolo types). Back in March, Postgame was crucified in this very same Web site, as well as other forums, for the saga that was and is Smart Gilas. The object of that rant early in 2009 was not the players, nor the coaching staff, of the team, but the rationale behind how it was formed.
Fast-forward to the end of the decade, and the program seems to be undergoing an extended period of birth pangs. The latest saga, that of hiring that elusive American reinforcement, comes off as the first order of duty. The predicament of oft-troubled CJ Giles, dismissed by two reputable US NCAA programs (Kansas and Oregon State), has taken centerstage, so much so that it has mutated a distraction from campaigns like the one in the PBA.
Wasn’t honing the skills of Chris Tiu, JV Casio and Dylan Ababou for the 2012 Olympics the stated mission-vision of the program? It wouldn’t surprise Postgame if Fil-foreigners like Chris Lutz (Marshall University), Stanley Pringle (ex-Penn State Nittany Lion) and Ryan Wetherell (University of Southern California) take the Gilas helm in lieu of the original hires.
(7 votes, average: 3.86 out of 5)
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Great Article Chris! I hope the DLSZ stars will go to DLSU next year. And I hope DLSU makes it to the final 4 next year. Merry xmas and happy new year to all!
Nice article, Mr. Soler.
Ask ko lang, ha? Medyo pikon ka ba? Hehehe, Parang Oo eh. But I certainly hope not. Regarding the Blue Eaglets, I agree with Black Sedan. There are some former eaglets in the current line up. For me that’s enough already. At least they prove their worth in the juniors division. They can brag that for the rest of theyre lives, and no one can take that away from them.
Yeah thought of it.
Nice article.
Merry X’mas and Happy New Year.
Ahahahahaha!
go ateneo.u will be competitive next year……….think positive!
Nice Read. as for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, im sure all the players on those teams know that not all of them are cut-out for the college game. Basketball has always been and will always be a game of height. all else being equal, the taller player will always be superior to the not so tall.
and like what Black Sedan posted, Jamike is able to use whatever advantage his team has and maximize it, if it happens he has a team with a few tall trees, he’ll go inside, but for teams that has to make due with 6’2-6’3 players as their centers and PF’s, he’ll go with speed with of course defense as his main anchor all the way. making his Blue Eaglets permanent fixtures in the UAAP Jrs. Championships this past decade.
HEY GUYS JUST TO ASK TOTOO BA NA C MARK BAROCCA NG FEU EH LILIPAT DAW NG UE?? KUNG TOTOO MAN TO POSIBLE BA NA MATANGGAP C MARK BAROCCA SA UE BASKETBALL? BILANG WARRIOR NA FORMER TAMARAWS ? PANIGURADO MADAMING AAYAW NA UE STUDENTS DITO.
you can visit the chismis thread at Gameface if u want to know ahahhahaha
Hello Killua
Mark is absolutely not going to transfer to UE. He is a year or 2 years younger with the maximum eligibility age requirement. Due to residency matters, he will be needing 2years before he could be able to play again in the uaap and in time, he is already 24. There is no way he’ll get back to college basketball. No more college hoops for Mr. Mark Barroca.
please publish an article about the past decade in college basketball…the “looking back at the decade” article…im sure a lot of people would want this as well.
Wow! Nice article Mr. Soler! Merry Christmas everyone. God bless you all, cheers!!! =D
BRAVO BASTE!
First of all, Merry Christmas Christian!
I understand the sentiment that more and more blue eaglets have been ignored and not prioritized in the seniors. There was also a period when there where at least 2 or more of the members of the team that were either a former San Beda Red Cub or a San Sebastian Staglet(Arao,Baldos,Escueta. The next year w/ Salva,Baldos,Escueta. The Staglet connection of Salamat and Buenafe)
I know you have some attachment to those eaglets who didn’t get a chance to crack the seniors A-team but the fact of the matter is you should be thankful. Your school is getting the best talents available in the land. Blue-Chips. The Best of the best. The MVP’s of their high school team.
The aftermath? BACK TO BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR ATENEO. And I have to admit, this Ateneo team is poise to return to the finals in the next two years.
The Ateneo junior’s batch of Villanueva and the rest were a case that they were the best during those times. To me, I know how good the Ateneo recruiting team is, arguably the best in the business. So if they think that an eaglet wants to be part of the seniors team, he should prove that he belongs there. It shouldn’t be an automatic slot.
Point is they got those former standouts in the other league because they were the best. No argument needed.
I remember Ken Barracoso not long before hyped as the next big thing. Too bad his hype didnt match his talent and skills…
More power to the the Ateneo Basketball team. Nice article by the way Christian! Happy Holidays!
@math01
first of all, i think your comment regarding Ken Barracoso is uncalled for. I watched this guy play since he was in gradeschool and i watched him dominate the high school ranks, masterfully orchestrating the 2,3,4 and 5 positions with ease. He’s no Bader Malabes sir. Without a doubt, this guy can play, too bad thee weren’t too many breaks or minutes for him to showcase what he can really bring to the table due to what Christian is primarily pointing out in this article.
In my opinion, sets college hoops apart from the pros is that team play and program plays a more significant role that individual talent. In college hoops, a fluid motion offense is almost always more effective that isolation plays. Which brings me to my point, that in college basketball, a team does not necessarily need to have 10 MVPs in their fold, all you need to have is a good program, players that will fit well with the system and play their roles excellently. Yuo can see that on coach Jamike’s high school squad, and he results are quite impressive. Again, as Christian pointed out, eaglet stars Medina, Dizon, Pasion, Aldover etc, who obviously are capable of donning Team A’s jerseys, are being side-swiped in favor of other recruits. Please don’t get me wrong, I have no qualms of getting talents from outside Katipunan, but the program big wigs should not just ignore these “undersized” eaglets. Come to think of it, Jai Reyes, despite being no more than 5’7, arguably played with the biggest blue eagle heart all season long.
nice read. kahit walang ‘power’ ang Cardinals pagdating sa recruiting, i still believe na makakabalik kami sa F4 next season. *wishful thingking
you’re very biased. i dont like the way you and charlie cuna write columns. inboundpass should get columnists that know their basketball
@miguel enrique:
at sino naman ang hindi biased? si tony atayde? wow pare, at sino yung may alam ng basketball? ikaw? wow pare.. bago ka magcomment alamin mo muna sinasabi mo ok?
Nice article. Very informative. Thanks Chris!
guys, baka may nkakaalam kung nasan na si tony atayde… mas madami kc ngcocomment pg cia ang author hehehe… =)
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
happy new year!!! sa mga cabalen ko!!!!
bong pineda
Great article Mr. Soler!
As for the Smart Gilas team.. It’s very sad to know that fil-foreigner players will eventually replace the home grown talents who played for the team from the very start. We can’t blame them if they pick “loyalty” over “talent”.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
to jueteng lord, racer_sebastian, TruBlu, MacTavish and spider_fan
Happy New Year to inboundpass guys like juaneggo and jorem
RakenRol
Januanry 6 and Labanan Purefoods vs. Smart Gilas
take down notes
Top 10 Green Archer Games of the Decade
http://www.greenarchers.ph/2547/top-10-green-archer-games-of-the-decade/
duh .! i really hate chris soler! he’s so so biased … atska sa PBA nman mostly na magagaling na plyer ay galing sa UE …
@letien
nothing to worry dumb ass! im sure chris soler hate your ass also! UE is not a school, UE is pretending to ba a school. it’s a diploma mill. why dont you morons just wake up and smell the coffee? UE is more concern in its MBT than it education quality.
well said…….sapul!!!!!!
Hindi naman lahat nagiging under sa mga Fil-Foreigners. Guys like Arwind Santos, LA Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio and Mac Cardona are some of them. And they make me proud.
@ get that ball,
I want to say first Happy new year to you Sir. I understand the sentiment, I really do…
But my point is just that the Ateneo recruitment program as far as everyone is concerned is attracting the best players across the land. So you cannot blame either the coaches or the management per say if they increase the playing time of a Salamat or a Buenafe rather than a Barracoso.
I have nothing against Barracoso. I know he is a hardworker and has the heart to deliver, considering his talent and the experience he gained during his high school days. I watched the guy play. And I also watched how he was given exposure and experience to fully grow as one of the main gunners of the Blue eagles. But watching Chris Tiu, Ford Arao, Rabeh Al-Husseini improve through the years as standout players left Barracoso as a forgotten role player. One reason I think is because of the hype he created during his juniors days and everyone expected him to unleash his potential and become the next big star or the future king eagle on that matter.
Well, sadly though… it never really materialized.
With his talent alone, he can be an improved Jc Intal version. But after years of waiting for him to explode, new players alrady made their marks. Kirk Long, Eric Salamat, Ryan Buenafe and so on…
Heck, even in my own school I experience the same kind of situations regarding high school players who stayed but was never given a chance to don the Team A’s uniform because of talent coming outside of the institution.
I share the sentiments w/ you “get that ball” and Mr. Chris. But this is a reality in our world that we have to accept. My hats off to all the players mentioned in the article.
@ get that ball
ken was overrated…nuff said.
jai is overrated…he is not in the same league as escalona and tenorio…he knocked down a couple lucky shots but his overall game and consistency was lacking. so he has a big heart…still not enough talent to go with it.
my opinion is that the ateneo high school basketball program is mediocre at best. la salle, xavier and chiang kai even have better programs…not to mention the supremity of letran, san beda and san sebastian. and do you really believe that ateneo will win championships with purely homegrown players? heck they might not even win 10 games a year.
look ateneo isnt really good at recruiting…they just offer scholarships (and then some) to the best known high school talents in metro manila (save for baclao…who technicaly was a transferee so he doesnt count) and those said players get blinded by the glitz, glamor and promise of ateneo basketball…this is what sets them apart from the ncaa powerhouses, letran/beda/baste/jru…they search far and wide for the best available talent out of high school. baste had a mostly pampangeno lineup this year…and of course who would forget beda’s gem in ekwe.
so i dont really know if you guys are boasting of the ateneo recruitment program or resent it because your high school guys cant play in team A but i am sure politics in involved in recuitment…hindi mawawala ang palakasan jan.
@wye
So can you give me a school that has a better recruitment program than ADMU. Cause results matter. FYI do you know how many championships admu jrs have? Pls stick to the facts, not on sourgraping, yur team lost to ADMU and that a fact, if we add up statistics it would just put you down more.
lol, uunga, di nya alam ang facts nya. wala pa cguro sa mundo yan noong nasa ncaa pa ang admu. pati jrs dominated nila noon, hehe. tsaka offering scholarship to a good school is the best recruitment tool. Recruitment and bball program are 2 different things. Former involves spotting talents (potential or realized) and latter involves further honing up said talent; in another word, development.
Program wise (which is an entirely different thing from another aspect which is the system, mostly coach-initiated and placed), San Beda ‘used to have’ a superior program before (think Badolato), starting with their grade school midgets. Admu/sbp pasarelle has long caught up. At need ko pa ba sabihin kung ilan na ang championships ng Admu sa uaap jrs now? considering 1978 lang sila pumasok din?
Think things clearly WYE before you shoot off of your mouth^^
At dadgdag pa, lastly, usually, these guys have options, choices (which is more than what I could say for other players). Yon bang kung di uubra ang basketball (o di mabigyan ng break), meron pa namn silang pwedeng gawin asaide from basketball. Kaya nga nag-(a)aral eh.
Aguilar studied abroad. Tiu stayed 1 year in the states, etc. At pagbalik, don sila mag-wre-wreak havoc, lol. Don’t know what Ken’s doing now.
Meron choices really.
@bugs donkey:
why, lets see how much u know basketball… dare me =)
Ahahahahahahaha!
Someone’s challenging…
Let’s see who will be the next winner or… loser.
Ahahahahahaha!
ken is doing fine in the corporate world, last time i checked, he was with PRC, drives a bnew civic, w/c is only given as a carplan to managerial positions. Another one who has made good use of his diploma.
lam nyo nakakainggit nga ang ateneo ehhhh kaya nila kunin ang best talent sa buong bansa plus the very best basketball programs. pero kung ung mga former eaglets ay hindi maa-crack sa team A simply because may mas effective. kung ganyan ang magiging pananaw ni Chris eh di politica yan, palakasan. di baaa….
@ miguel enrique:
ok senor, if you insist that your knowledge in basketball is wider than Mr. Soler’s, wow us with what you know.. disclaimer: playing NBA 2k10, having a dozen of fantasy NBA teams, and reading the Book of Basketball doesn’t make you a basketball authority. By dribbling the ball 10 times with your palm as your most terrific move doesn’t count either. Ok?
Ateneo won because of Al Husseini and Baclao. Were they also products of the Ateneo Juniors team?
No they were not products of Ateneo Juniors. Neither are Buenafe and Salamat. Ateneo just pays these tall street children to play ball for them.
@cute angina mo
FYI Ateneo was the last team in the UAAP to resort to hiring players from other schools. Do you remember the ADMU 02′ championship team, more than 3/4ths of that team were from the HS, actually since Prep and Grade School.
Before you comment, look at the other schools, i don’t see you commenting about the UP team, Feu or DLSU? Can their UAAP basketball team graduates work as executives in companies? I don’t think so. Can they read and write? Can they speak english?
Having the best basketball program and best academic status among all other schools in the Phil., where would you want to play for.
Bitterness, Envy and lack of school pride that’s what you have ; @cute angina mo
I dont know if its true, but I read a long while back that Mac Cardona from the DLSU Green Archers was a former cigarette vendor on the streets of Mandaluyong. No wonder he plays and acts the way he does. But I’m happy for him. At least he found an opportunity and capitalized to shine.
@Commentator, ateneo graduates work as executives in companies owned by la salle graduates.
@KFC, what do you mean mac cardona plays and acts the way he does because he was a former cigarette vendor (true, but that was when he was still a poor kid)? are you implying that cigarette vendors are what??? and how does mac cardona play? you didn’t elaborate mr. matapobre.
all i’ve seen is that cardona plays basketball very well.
sa mga atenista, which is which ba talaga? you say ADMU has the best basketball recruitment program and yet you boast about having more homegrown players (% wise) in your college ball lineup?
don’t tell me about “recruiting” from your high schools or starting them young (as young as gradeschoolers) because that’s laughable.
@ USLD,
Hindi mo pa ba naalala yung antics ni Mac Cardona nuon? During his era, he is widely considered as the league’s premiere trash talker. I can still remember the game against the UST Growling Tigers when he attempted to score on their (Tiger’s) basket then laughed. Also against the FEU Tamaraws during the 2004 Championship. He scored over Mark Isip and Arwind Santos. Arwind got the ball over his head right after it went through the hoop, about to step out of bounds when Mac Mac slapped it and whispered something.
I KNOW na ang mga LASALLISTA hindi ganun umasal.
And I KNOW sa mga street games, karamihan ganun ang laro.
I therefore conclude that Mac Cardona plays that way because he was from the streets, selling cigarettes and playing basketball.
But make no mistake about it, I’m very happy for him. He reached what his talents should reach.
@ usld,
“all I have seen is that Cardona plays basketball very well.”
Plays well, oh yes.
But the so called “proper bench decorum”, oh no.
You might know him personally, maybe that’s why you’re offended, so I apologize.
But from what I have seen, and what I’ve heard, he plays the slimy bad guy oh so very well.
@dong,
AdMU’s Ken B. in PRC? Philippine Racing Commission? or do you mean Unilever? hehehe… I thought he’s now connected with Procter& Gamble? in Sales? Peace =)
After Ateneo’s 2002 UAAP title, the ADMU men’s basketball program decided to intensify recruiting from other schools to be competitive with the other MBT programs.
Going through its key players on its 2008 and 2009 title teams – Al-Husseini (PCU high), Baclao (West Negros U), Buenafe & Salamat (San Sebastian),
Salva, Baldos & Escueta (San Beda) Long (Faith Acad) Monfort (AdI) indicate they had plenty of non-homegrown talents to team up with Jai, Bacon and Tonino G. fr the Eaglets.
sa mga atenista, which is which ba talaga? you say ADMU has the best basketball recruitment program and yet you boast about having more homegrown players (% wise) in your college ball lineup?
Ahahahahahahahahaha!
tagal naman ng colloge hoops dito sa pinas… any news kung 10-team format parin ang NCAA?
@ Bonzi – TITEMO”HOMEGROWN” LOL LOL LOL
MASYADONG BUSHY! LOL
@ mapuan,
Sori ka pre, off season na eh. C’mon man, everybody needs it, including you.
Aral muna, tapos relax, drink, date, sex, sleep.
Regarding kung 10 teams pa rin ba next season, from a reliable source from the Arellano University, maglalaro pa raw sila this coming 2010 season, including EAC and Angeles.
For me personally, I wish they go back to the original 10 team format. But Arellano and EAC hopefully stays. And Perpetual and Angeles just disappear.