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Saturday, September 24, 2011
UAAP finals preview: Why Ateneo will win
Saturday, September 24, 2011 |
Posted by
zilljanmark

Logic dictates that there is no such thing as home court advantage in
the UAAP. Since abandoning the Blue Eagle Gym as a venue for games a
few seasons ago, matches between the eight member schools have been held
at neutral venues, most notably the Araneta Coliseum. And while a loud,
boisterous crowd might be able to tilt things slightly in favor of one
squad over another, there is no truly hostile environment, no hometown
cooking.
But when the UAAP Finals roll around, things change, especially when
one of the teams lining up is the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Tri-captain Kirk
Long said it best last year, even before the Eagles had claimed their
third straight title: “The UAAP Finals is sort of our home ground.”
And the team backed him up, running the Far Eastern University Tamaraws off the court in the first game, and then surviving an emotional Tams squad that burned out before the final buzzer.
Now these two teams are back, with one side hoping for a reversal of fortunes. But even though there are significant holdovers from that FEU squad that got swept, the Blue Eagles are still quietly confident that this is once again their time, their title, their home ground.
Here are four reasons why Ateneo will win its fourth straight UAAP title.
There aren’t a lot of defensive categories the Eagles do not dominate. They hold opponents down to the worst three-point shooting percentage and two-point shooting percentage, and the worst shooting percentage in the paint, giving up just 25 points down low per game.
Ateneo also concedes the fewest offensive rebounds, just 14.29 a game, and do not allow opponents to get out and run, slowing foes down to just 6.36 transition attempts for 7.29 fast break points.
But it’s when you put those numbers into context that one truly grasps how scary Ateneo can be. In the two games they played versus FEU this UAAP season, the Eagles have shut down the three-headed monster of FEU, allowing Aldrech Ramos just 5 of 19 shooting, RR Garcia 14 of 42, and Terrence Romeo 8 of 31. That will put additional pressure on the FEU bench to compensate for the lack of scoring, except Ateneo does a sterling job of guarding opponents’ reserves, giving up just 22.29 points to players off the bench.
In fact, Ateneo boasts of the top-ranked offense in the league, as the only team to norm more than 70 points, 71.14 to be exact. They do this by devoting just a small chunk of their shot selection to low-percentage, perimeter shots, opting instead to take it inside early and often.
Numerically, that translates to the fewest three-pointers attempted and converted, 2.57 out of 12.21. But it does give Ateneo the best two-point percentage and the best overall field goal percentage as well. Due in large part to one Mr. Greg Slaughter, the Eagles get the most conversions inside the paint, 17.36, leading to 34.71 points in the paint per game. “We’re the only team in the league with a seven-footer,” Black famously said. “So we really want to take advantage of that.”
But while Slaughter is the most obvious reason behind Ateneo’s efficient offense, having the most assists per game in the UAAP (17.57) helps a lot as well. And a good deal of those assists come from when Ateneo is running the break, which they do a lot, to the tune of 11.79 attempts for 14.64 points.
Combine that with the big fella, and not only do you see a lot of fancy moves and dunks, you get a lot of fouls from beleaguered opponents trying to stop you. Ateneo draws the most fouls of any team, 21.14 per game, a figure that leads to 24.71 free throws a game. Good thing then the Eagles are the best team at the line, converting 72.83 percent of their charities.
Starters Kirk Long, Emman Monfort and Nico Salva have won three titles, and so have bench players Justin Chua, Bacon Austria and Tonino Gonzaga. Oping Sumalinog, Juami Tiongson, and Frank Golla have been together for two of those wins. The only two main rotation guys who haven’t won a title as an Eagle yet happen to be Slaughter, who won titles with his team, the University of Visayas Green Lancers back in Cebu in the CESAFI league, and Kiefer Ravena, who won three-straight in the UAAP Juniors Division as a Blue Eaglet.
This is a squad that is not going to panic, that is willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to win a title.
Admittedly, FEU has been on this stage as well, with those bright lights and with these high stakes, but being on the stage is a lot different from winning on the stage. When the Tamaraws split the regular season series with the Adamson Falcons, and then went on to beat them twice in the final four, head coach Bert Flores said that it helped that they were able to look back on two games during the summer league where they beat Adamson, as proof that the team had what it takes.
And though he’ll have tape of FEU winning both matches against Ateneo in last season’s elimination round, they probably don’t resonate as much, considering this incarnation of the Tams has yet to beat this version of Ateneo, not even in the summer preseason tournaments.
I also wouldn’t put a lot of faith in a team huddle that includes several assistant coaches yelling things contrary to what the head coach is saying, plus the team manager, and an athletic director who has the authority to call for timeouts.
Ateneo Blue Eagles win the championship series in two games
source: Adrian M. Dy -InterAKTV
And the team backed him up, running the Far Eastern University Tamaraws off the court in the first game, and then surviving an emotional Tams squad that burned out before the final buzzer.
Now these two teams are back, with one side hoping for a reversal of fortunes. But even though there are significant holdovers from that FEU squad that got swept, the Blue Eagles are still quietly confident that this is once again their time, their title, their home ground.
Here are four reasons why Ateneo will win its fourth straight UAAP title.
Reason 1: A Superior Defense
Head coach Norman Black believes that his team embodies the way he used to play in the PBA. They are big, they are defense-first, and they shut down the paint.There aren’t a lot of defensive categories the Eagles do not dominate. They hold opponents down to the worst three-point shooting percentage and two-point shooting percentage, and the worst shooting percentage in the paint, giving up just 25 points down low per game.
Ateneo also concedes the fewest offensive rebounds, just 14.29 a game, and do not allow opponents to get out and run, slowing foes down to just 6.36 transition attempts for 7.29 fast break points.
But it’s when you put those numbers into context that one truly grasps how scary Ateneo can be. In the two games they played versus FEU this UAAP season, the Eagles have shut down the three-headed monster of FEU, allowing Aldrech Ramos just 5 of 19 shooting, RR Garcia 14 of 42, and Terrence Romeo 8 of 31. That will put additional pressure on the FEU bench to compensate for the lack of scoring, except Ateneo does a sterling job of guarding opponents’ reserves, giving up just 22.29 points to players off the bench.
Reason 2: The Ateneo Attack
Squads sometimes have to compromise when it comes to player rotations, looking for a balance between scoring and defense, but Ateneo’s roster boasts numerous two-way players: guys who are just as good at denying an entry pass, as they are dishing one out.In fact, Ateneo boasts of the top-ranked offense in the league, as the only team to norm more than 70 points, 71.14 to be exact. They do this by devoting just a small chunk of their shot selection to low-percentage, perimeter shots, opting instead to take it inside early and often.
Numerically, that translates to the fewest three-pointers attempted and converted, 2.57 out of 12.21. But it does give Ateneo the best two-point percentage and the best overall field goal percentage as well. Due in large part to one Mr. Greg Slaughter, the Eagles get the most conversions inside the paint, 17.36, leading to 34.71 points in the paint per game. “We’re the only team in the league with a seven-footer,” Black famously said. “So we really want to take advantage of that.”
But while Slaughter is the most obvious reason behind Ateneo’s efficient offense, having the most assists per game in the UAAP (17.57) helps a lot as well. And a good deal of those assists come from when Ateneo is running the break, which they do a lot, to the tune of 11.79 attempts for 14.64 points.
Combine that with the big fella, and not only do you see a lot of fancy moves and dunks, you get a lot of fouls from beleaguered opponents trying to stop you. Ateneo draws the most fouls of any team, 21.14 per game, a figure that leads to 24.71 free throws a game. Good thing then the Eagles are the best team at the line, converting 72.83 percent of their charities.
Reason 3: Been There, Done That
The side effect of having the longest active final four streak, as well as winning three straight titles is the wealth of experience you give to not just your stars, but to the guys on the bench who eventually become your stars.Starters Kirk Long, Emman Monfort and Nico Salva have won three titles, and so have bench players Justin Chua, Bacon Austria and Tonino Gonzaga. Oping Sumalinog, Juami Tiongson, and Frank Golla have been together for two of those wins. The only two main rotation guys who haven’t won a title as an Eagle yet happen to be Slaughter, who won titles with his team, the University of Visayas Green Lancers back in Cebu in the CESAFI league, and Kiefer Ravena, who won three-straight in the UAAP Juniors Division as a Blue Eaglet.
This is a squad that is not going to panic, that is willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to win a title.
Admittedly, FEU has been on this stage as well, with those bright lights and with these high stakes, but being on the stage is a lot different from winning on the stage. When the Tamaraws split the regular season series with the Adamson Falcons, and then went on to beat them twice in the final four, head coach Bert Flores said that it helped that they were able to look back on two games during the summer league where they beat Adamson, as proof that the team had what it takes.
And though he’ll have tape of FEU winning both matches against Ateneo in last season’s elimination round, they probably don’t resonate as much, considering this incarnation of the Tams has yet to beat this version of Ateneo, not even in the summer preseason tournaments.
Reason 4: Coach Norman Black and his staff
The second round meeting between these two teams can perhaps be best summarized tactically as FEU’s “kitchen sink” game, wherein they threw out virtually every trick up their sleeve at the Eagles and still lost in overtime. Ateneo’s Coach Black remembers identifying that the Tamaraws were running triangle offense sets from last season’s regime, and when that was countered, FEU turned to pick and pops with Ramos. When Ramos was finally sat down due to fouls, FEU then switched back to their old offense. And the Eagles coaching staff somehow managed to solve all of those within 45 minutes. So even if FEU sends in JR Cawaling or Pipo Noundou for a Willis Reed type moment, the Blue and White can feel confident knowing that Ateneo will likely have a counter waiting for them.I also wouldn’t put a lot of faith in a team huddle that includes several assistant coaches yelling things contrary to what the head coach is saying, plus the team manager, and an athletic director who has the authority to call for timeouts.
Prediction
More than getting an elimination round sweep, repeating for the fourth straight year has always been the main goal of Ateneo, and it’s hard to imagine them faltering this close to the end. The Eagles simply have more weapons in this match-up, are a better defensive squad, and have the advantage of having beaten FEU twice, once in a blowout and then by a small margin. That is not to say that FEU will not go down fighting; in fact, I do not expect a blowout win like what we saw a season ago in game one. But the Tamaraws need a lot of things to go right for them to pull off an upset, and getting those things to go right for two games, will require more than a couple of miracles.Ateneo Blue Eagles win the championship series in two games
source: Adrian M. Dy -InterAKTV
Longtime RP team gunner Caidic giddy over SMART-Gilas success
Saturday, September 24, 2011 |
Posted by
zilljanmark

Allan Caidic isn’t just the deadliest long-range shooter the
Philippines has ever produced.
With an international career that spanned
three decades as a player and as a coach, the PBA’s “Triggerman” is
also one of the most accomplished players to don the Philippine colors
in recent history.
And even though he could no longer set up for his three-point bombs
for the national team, he still does the best thing he could do for the
SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team competing in the ongoing FIBA Asia
Championship in Wuhan, China: he cheers for them.
“It’s really amazing what that team is accomplishing right now,” said
Caidic, who began his Philippine team career with the Northern
Consolidated Cement national squad in the 1980s.
“I’m excited and happy
for them. It’s just three wins to the crown.”
The 6-foot-1 sharpshooter was part of the last Philippine squad to
win the Asian championship in 1985. He also represented the country in
the Asian Games as a professional in 1990, 1994, and 1998. His
international career came full circle when, in 2002, he became part of
the coaching staff of the national team helmed by Jong Uichico.
Now, Caidic’s heart still remains with the national team, even though he is a mere fan, albeit one who never misses a game.
“Talagang sinusundan ko sila,” he said. “Sometimes, I even watch the replays din.”
Like any other fan, Caidic had his own share of worries because of all the questions surrounding the Philippine team.
“Medyo kinabahan ako at the start, with all the distractions,” he
said. “The pullout [of reinforcements Kelly Williams, Jimmy Alapag, and
Ranidel de Ocampo from the team] to support the Grand Slam [bid of Talk
'N Text]. The [Chris] Lutz-[Marcio] Lassiter incident [when the two
players were barred from playing because of eligibility questions].”
“Pero bilib ako how they got together and stayed focus.”
These days, Caidic wears a pendant featuring three stars and a sun — a
literal manifestation of how the national cause remains close to his
heart.
He said that he still misses the international game, but one can see
how rooting for SMART-Gilas has filled a bit of that void in Caidic.
“I really hope they could go all the way,” he said.
“Mas excited pa ata ako sa kanila eh.”
source: Jaemark Tordecilla -InterAKTV
Friday, September 23, 2011
SMART-Gilas beats Chinese Taipei, enters FIBA Asia semifinals
Friday, September 23, 2011 |
Posted by
zilljanmark

The Philippines is one win away from entering the finals of the FIBA Asia Championship for Men in Wuhan, China.
Behind an inspired performance from naturalized center Marcus
Douthit, the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team defeated a game Chinese
Taipei team, 95-78, on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the
tournament.
Douthit rattled off 37 big points, including 14 in the fourth
quarter, and grabbed 10 rebounds in a dominant showing for the
SMART-Gilas big man.
But Douthit hardly did everything alone.
Ranidel De Ocampo provided plenty of support, scoring 18 points on an
array of impressive moves, and Marcio Lassiter finished with 13 points
and eight rebounds on top of his usual tough defensive effort. Jimmy
Alapag and Jayvee Casio both finished with eight points apiece.
Chinese Taipei took an early lead in the game as they outhustled the
Filipinos to several offensive rebounds, including a couple off of
missed free throws. But SMART-Gilas closed the first half with a 14-3
run to take a three-point lead at the half.
The Philippines took leads of as high as 19 points in the fourth quarter.
But Chinese Taipei made things interesting when it scored 11 straight
points, including three triples, to cut an 18-point SMART-Gilas lead
down to just seven with about two minutes to go in the game.
Unfortunately for Chinese Taipei, its top big man Tseng Wen-Ting, who
led them with 20 points on 8-for-11 shooting, had already fouled out of
the game at that point, and the Filipinos scored the last 10 points in
the game to complete the final margin.
Chen Hsin-An scored 14 points and Lin Chih-Chieh had 10 points, seven
rebounds and five assists but was held to just 3-of-11 from the field
by the staunch SMART-Gilas defense.
In the semifinals, the Philippines will face off against familiar foe
Jordan, which SMART-Gilas faced in a tune-up game here in Manila before
the FIBA Asia tilt and during the second round of this tourney, both
SMART-Gilas wins.
source: Mikkel Bolante -InterAKTV
NBA postpones camps, cancels 43 preseason games
Friday, September 23, 2011 |
Posted by
zilljanmark

NEW YORK (AP) - The lockout has started doing real damage to the NBA's calendar. Players won't report at the usual time. The preseason won't start as scheduled.
And more cancellations could be necessary without a new labor deal soon.
Out of time to keep everything intact, the NBA postponed training camps indefinitely and canceled 43 preseason games Friday because it has not reached an agreement with players.
All games from Oct. 9-15 are off, the league said. Camps were expected to open Oct. 3.
"We have regretfully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of preseason games," Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "We will make further decisions as warranted."
The players' association did not comment.
NBA.com's schedule page, which has a banner across the top listing the number of games on each day, was changed Friday morning to read "0 Games" for each date until Oct. 16, when there are four games.
Those could be in jeopardy, too, without an agreement by the end of this month or very early October. The league scrapped the remainder of its preseason schedule on Oct. 6 in 1998, when the regular season was reduced to 50 games.
That remains the only time the NBA has lost games to a work stoppage.
The cancellations were inevitable after Thursday's meeting between owners and players ended without a collective bargaining agreement. Both sides still hope the entire regular season, scheduled to begin Nov. 1, can be saved.
The league locked out the players on July 1 after the expiration of the old labor agreement. Owners and players still haven't agreed on how to divide revenues — players were guaranteed 57 percent under the previous deal — or the structure of the salary cap.
The next talks aren't scheduled, but both sides said Thursday they hope to meet again next week — though the window could be limited because of the Jewish holiday and a union meeting Tuesday in Miami. They probably need a deal by the middle of October to avoid canceling real games.
Asked Thursday if he thought things were far enough along to still believe that was possible, Commissioner David Stern said: "I don't have any response to that. I just don't. I don't know the answer."
According to NBA policy, ticket holders for canceled games will be refunded the cost of the ticket plus 1 percent interest.
The NBA had long prepared for a shortened or canceled preseason, declining to schedule exhibition games overseas for the first time since 2005 — also when a labor pact was set to expire.
Still, the hope had been to find a way to negotiate a deal in time that would allow the ball to be tipped as scheduled in Detroit and Orlando on Oct. 9, the first of five games that night. Realistic chances of that passed in recent days, given the expectation of about two weeks from a deal in principle to a completed agreement.
source: AP
And more cancellations could be necessary without a new labor deal soon.
Out of time to keep everything intact, the NBA postponed training camps indefinitely and canceled 43 preseason games Friday because it has not reached an agreement with players.
All games from Oct. 9-15 are off, the league said. Camps were expected to open Oct. 3.
"We have regretfully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of preseason games," Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "We will make further decisions as warranted."
The players' association did not comment.
NBA.com's schedule page, which has a banner across the top listing the number of games on each day, was changed Friday morning to read "0 Games" for each date until Oct. 16, when there are four games.
Those could be in jeopardy, too, without an agreement by the end of this month or very early October. The league scrapped the remainder of its preseason schedule on Oct. 6 in 1998, when the regular season was reduced to 50 games.
That remains the only time the NBA has lost games to a work stoppage.
The cancellations were inevitable after Thursday's meeting between owners and players ended without a collective bargaining agreement. Both sides still hope the entire regular season, scheduled to begin Nov. 1, can be saved.
The league locked out the players on July 1 after the expiration of the old labor agreement. Owners and players still haven't agreed on how to divide revenues — players were guaranteed 57 percent under the previous deal — or the structure of the salary cap.
The next talks aren't scheduled, but both sides said Thursday they hope to meet again next week — though the window could be limited because of the Jewish holiday and a union meeting Tuesday in Miami. They probably need a deal by the middle of October to avoid canceling real games.
Asked Thursday if he thought things were far enough along to still believe that was possible, Commissioner David Stern said: "I don't have any response to that. I just don't. I don't know the answer."
According to NBA policy, ticket holders for canceled games will be refunded the cost of the ticket plus 1 percent interest.
The NBA had long prepared for a shortened or canceled preseason, declining to schedule exhibition games overseas for the first time since 2005 — also when a labor pact was set to expire.
Still, the hope had been to find a way to negotiate a deal in time that would allow the ball to be tipped as scheduled in Detroit and Orlando on Oct. 9, the first of five games that night. Realistic chances of that passed in recent days, given the expectation of about two weeks from a deal in principle to a completed agreement.
source: AP
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