UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION OF THE

PHILIPPINES
SEASON 72
“One Color, One Goal”

LEAGUE NEWS

UAAP mulls expansion may tap two new teams

By: Joey Villar
July 8, 2009
Lifted from: ngetstudio.com

Like its counterpart, the UAAP is also entertaining plans of expanding in the future.

UAAP president Anton Montinola of Season 72 host Far Eastern University yesterday said
the league is open to the idea of accepting a ninth or a 10th member, possibly next
year, in a bid to generate more interest and excitement and attracting more fans.

"I t's possible, maybe we'll go nine teams or maybe 10," said Montinola during the signing
of memorandum of agreement between the Tams and The Old Spaghetti House in
Libis, Quezon City.

The 85-year-old NCAA is set to accept three regular members next year, which may not
necessarily be the same guest teams currently playing this season.

Montinola, meanw hile, pointed to San Beda as a primary candidate for regular
membership in the UAAP.

"If there's a university that brings to the table something that's difficult to refuse, then
why not. What I mean is a very strong sports program in all sports not only in basketball
with alumni supporting a team w in or lose and a school management that is serious
about competing consistently in all sports," said Montinola.

"Apparently, the school that comes to mind w ithout alienating the other schools
interested would be San Beda," he added.

Montinola said San Beda, which has 14 NCAA titles, including a three-peat, w ill be a
strong candidate if it applies.

"They're strong in all sports, their alumni are always behind them, they have a serious
basketball program that w ould enhance the popularity of the UAAP," said Montinola.

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"With them around, we would have old riv alries that would be rekindled and create
new ones like UST-San Beda, FEU-San Beda, La Salle-San Beda, things like that," he said.

He, however, said San Beda must pass all the requirements for it to be accepted as a
regular member.

"First, they must be a university and they're in the process of becoming one. They should
write a letter of application and they probably have to pay a fee because the UAAP is
quite a v aluable product that if they w ant to join the party, they have to open their
checkbook.

UAAP okays rules on tiebreak, instant replay

By: Joey Villar
June 13, 2009
Lifted from: ngetstudio.com

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines w ill apply new rules in resolving ties
in Season 72, w hich unfolds on July 11 at the Araneta Coliseum.

League president Anton Montinola of host Far Eastern U yesterday told The STAR they
are instituting changes in breaking ties by eliminating unnecessary matches that
prolonged the event in past years.

"This year, we will be using common sense to break ties," said Montinola a few days after
he presided over a meeting that discussed the technical matters of the tournament.

"I n the past, the practice w as No. 2 plays No. 3 w ith the winner playing No. 1 for the top
seed. That is senseless when you can break the ties faster," he said.

The rest of the rules, like giv ing incentive to a school that could pull off a rare sweep, will
remain as implemented last season.

This means the team that w ill score a sw eep w ill gain a tw ice-to-beat adv antage in the
finals compared to two years ago w hen University of the East accomplished the feat
but got ambushed by La Salle with a sweep in the best-of-three finals.

The league will also implement rules that give teams a chance to challenge a three-
point conversion at any point of the game v ia instant replay and suspend the
possession arrow rule in the last two minutes of the match.

Pro-grip, an adhesive used by players to enable to handle the ball better, is still
prohibited w hile schools will still be limited to two foreign players each with one allowed
to play at a time.

UAAP basketball tournament director Mark Molina said the opening day games pit
Univ . of Santo Tomas against Adamson at 2 p.m. and last year's losing finalist La Salle
versus UE at 4 p.m. on July 11.

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The next day, Univ. of the Philippines squares off with National U at 2 p.m. and
defending champion Ateneo tackles a Mark Barroca-led FEU side at 4 p.m.

Commissioner Joe Lipa said the league will be tapping a combination of pro, semi-pro
and amateur referees from the PBA, PBL and the BRAASCU.

Only the best referees for UAAP says Lipa

By: Jasmine Payo
June 21, 2009
Lifted from: ngetstudio.com

Commissioner Joe Lipa has gathered the country's finest referees in a bid to improve
officiating in the UAAP basketball tournament this season.

Lipa, a unanimous pick by the board to run the league's premier cage event for the
third time, formed a new pool of game officials by hiring the top professional and
amateur referees.

"We'd like to give the UAAP the best group of referees," said Lipa. "We made sure they
are very familiar w ith the rules and the mechanics of three-man officiating. But most
importantly, they must have the integrity."

Lipa has selected game officials from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the
Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and Braascu.

"Any association for that matter can give us a list of referees," said Lipa, a many-time
national coach. "The SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) also has its own pool of
referees and we're waiting for their list."

The diverse backgrounds of the referees shouldn't be a drawback, according to Lipa.

"There should be no confusion," he said. "They may hav e been trained differently, but
the Fiba rules are well crafted. All referees must understand the spirit of the rules and
carefully study them."

"I have long been an adv ocate of this," added Lipa. "All stakeholders in basketball must
be given a pool of referees instead of hav ing the attitude of being parochial."

The league unfolds on July 11 with University of Santo Tomas battling Adamson at 2 p.m.
and last year's runner-up La Salle taking on University of the East at 4 p.m. at the
Araneta Coliseum.

Ateneo w ill open its bid for a second straight championship the next day against
preseason favorite Far Eastern University at 4 p.m.

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PRE-SEASON ARTICLES

10 reasons to watch the UAAP opening weekend

By Patrick Leonard M. Mayo
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 4 July 2009

This week, 2bU gives you 10 good reasons East are some of the players expected to
why you should w atch the opening become go-to-guys this year.
weekend of the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines (UAAP) on Courtside reporters
July 11-12, as they usher in the 72nd
season of the country‘s premier collegiate Ev ery year, beautiful faces grace the
basketball league. UAAP as courtside reporters representing
the member schools. They keep your eyes
Opening ceremonies glued on your TV sets even during
timeouts and lulls, and this year will be no
Much is expected from this year‘s host exception, of course.
school, Far Eastern University, so they will
be going full-force not only in the games Finals preview?
but also in the opening ceremonies.
It may be too early to tell, but with all due
They w ill be tapping their homegrown respect to the other teams, the Ateneo
talents from the FEU Dance Club, Bamboo Blue Eagles and FEU Tamaraw s are the
Squad, Chorale, Theater Guild, Drum and early favorites this season.
Bugle Corps and Pep Squad to deliver a
rousing opening presentation. Despite losing team captain Chris Tiu, the
Blue Eagles still has a solid core in veteran
Rookies guard Jai Reyes; reigning Defensive Player
of the Year Nonoy Baclao and MVP
Some of the names to w atch out for this Rabeh Al-Hussaini.
season are former Xav ier School main
man Jeric Teng of the University of Santo The Tams w ill be led by RP Team members
Tomas Growling Tigers; preseason MVP RR JR Caw aling and Mark Barocca.
Garcia of FEU; and prized rookie Arvie
Bringas of the De La Salle Green Archers, Expect a slam-bang affair between these
who is arguably the most sought-after tw o teams.
player coming out of the high- school
ranks this year. Halftime

Leaders Halftime performances from the pep

squads are always a sight to behold.
A new batch of leaders will emerge as Stunts of reigning champs UP Pep Squad
they take the leadership role for their and the synchronized moves of the UST
respective teams. Dylan Ababou of UST, Salinggaw i Dance Troupe always keep
Michael Luy of the National University the crowd on their seats.
Bulldogs, and Paul Lee of University of the

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Basketball hangover mater in the middle of a jam-packed
arena. Go! Go! Go!
Whether you are a basketball geek
reeling from the NBA Finals fever or just a Celebs in the crowd
die-hard fan of the game, UAAP
basketball will give you a different kind of Celebrities, even politicians and the
hangover. Fast-paced, run-and-gun Who’s Who of society troop to watch
basketball with age-old rivalries to boot. the games live, and you just might bump
into one of them if you are lucky.
School spirit
Cheers
If you are a freshman and you w ant to
“legitimize― your entry to college Animo! Go fight! Fight! Fight! What better
life, you better include watching the way to harness your cheering prowess
UAAP games live on your “to-do― than to support your team, live! A word of
list. There is a certain kind of high you get caution, though: You may v ery well lose
from cheering and supporting your alma your voice after cheering your heart out.

UAAP: The Enigmatic Eight

By Adrian Dy
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 4 July 2009

As the start of the University Athletic ripping the ball off his opponent and
Association of the Philippines (UAAP) zooming dow n the lane for an open lay-
season looms, another cycle of up. As the first guard off the Ateneo
graduation and recruitment has been bench, Salamat w as instant offense,
completed. The big names have moved usually in transition, where he was a one-
on, the Chris Tius, the JV Casios, the Jervy man fastbreak. But he faded down the
Cruzes. I t‘s now time for other, less familiar stretch, and w as limited to being a minor
players to become household names. contributor during the two-game set that
ended with an Ateneo championship. As
These eight players w ill have to take on the incumbent starting shooting guard for
bigger roles, and their success as key the Blue Eagles, he‘ll be asked to do
contributors may decide whether or not much more then just steal the ball every
their teams book a spot on the Final Four. now and then.
Watch out (and cheer) for them this
season. 2009 Outlook: For Salamat, it‘s all about
putting everything together. He can torch
Eric Salamat: “The Man of Steal” you from outside sometimes (4/5 from
Ateneo Blue Eagles long distance in the second round versus
FEU). He can slash inside and give you
2008 Season: 20.2 minutes, 8.9 points, 2.2 three-point play after three-point play
rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.1 steals (17 games) occasionally. He‘ll make nifty passes
every now and then. This lack of
If there‘s a single mental image that can consistency can be maddening for the
capture the essence of Eric Salamat, it coach, the team, and the fans. Toss in the
would be of this pesky defender, cleanly fact that the new referees might be more

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inclined to call more reach-in fouls, and it After missing the entire 2008 season w ith a
becomes clear that in order to repeat, shoulder injury, Leo Canuday returns, only
Salamat w ill need to open up and to find himself as the oldest tenured
div ersify his game. Falcon on the squad. He also finds himself
as the walking solution to the Falcons‘ ills
James Mangahas: “The Last Old Gun” last season: Their outside shooting, or lack
De La Salle Green Archers thereof. Despite playing on a team that
starred the never-shy-to-shoot Patrick
2008 Season: 24.4 minutes, 9.9 points, 4.4 Cabahug, Canuday still got a lot of
rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.3 blocks, 0.4 steals touches from beyond the arc, and he
(18 games) converted on more than 30 percent of
them, a high percentage, given how the
Gone are the days w hen James shooting guard corps of last season barely
Mangahas was the third, or even lower reached that mark, shooting only in the
option. Gone are the days when he could high 20s.
sit patiently in the corner, w aiting for the
kick-out, watching as JV Casio and Rico 2009 Outlook: Canuday can play both
Maierhofer put the team on their backs. guard positions, which w ill be a great
Now it‘s up to him to lead a, well, green boon to their coach, Leo Austria.
team, full of rookies, possibly back to the Canuday w ill make the w ide-open threes,
finals. He scored in double digits eight courtesy of Jerick Canada drives that
times last season, and had seven games Paul Gonzalgo missed. Also, he‘s a more
with more than five rebounds, but natural back-up to Canada, which was
he’ll have to average at least that, something Gonzalgo did horribly last
while still shooting daggers from afar. season when he had to go out of position
Sounds tough? Maybe, but it‘s his time and run the team. I f the Falcons are to
now . soar, Canuday will definitely need to
provide some lift.
2009 Outlook: The onus is on Mangahas to
score, but he can‘t rely on his jumper Riel Cervantes: “The Forgotten One”
alone, not w hen each team‘s best Far Eastern University Tamaraws
defender will be gunning for him.
Mangahas will need to learn how to put 2008 Season: 22.8 minutes, 9.8 points, 6.2
the ball on the floor and drive to the rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.3 steals
basket. Also, as one of the few veterans (16 games)
left, he‘ll need to lead this Green Archers
team, both on the court, by upping his When Macmac Baracael had to miss
assists, and by example, hustling for games recovering from his gunshot
rebounds and loose balls. If his team can wound, Riel Cervantes slipped into the
feed off his energy, then it‘s back to the power forw ard position at FEU and it fit
Final Four for these guys. him like a glove, perhaps, even better
than the aforementioned Baracael. And
Leo Canuday: “The Prodigal Son” during summer league play, when three
Adamson Soaring Falcons of his teammates, JR Caw aling, Aldrech
Ramos and Mark Barroca spent most of
2007 Season: 25.6 minutes, 9.5 points, 4.5 their time with the RP Youth Team, it w as
rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals (14 games) Cervantes again to the rescue.
Combining a ferocious desire to scoop up

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rebounds and a smooth mid-range the ball in his hands, it‘s just a matter of
jumper, Cervantes may be flying under aggressiveness. Ponferrada had a grand
the radar for now, but if pundit total of 21 free throw attempts last season
predictions come true and FEU does in despite appearing in all of their games,
fact go the distance, he‘ll be a big and that has got to change.
reason why it w as possible.
Magi Sison: “The Gentle Giant”
2009 Outlook: While opponents map out University of the Philippines Fighting
strategies on how to contain his three Maroons
more famous teammates, Cerv antes will
quietly make the most of his opportunities. 2008 Season: 22.2 minutes, 6.6 points, 8.1
It‘s his small forward-like athleticism that rebounds, one assist, 0.7 blocks, 0.3 steals
makes him such a difficult power forw ard (14 games)
to guard, and if he extends his range
further out to the three-point line, then the Can you be big during one half of the
Tams can be considered a lock to go to game and small during the other half? It‘s
the Championship round. reality for UP center Magi Sison, w ho
routinely notches more rebounds than
Jewel Ponferrada: “The Diamond in the scores points, despite his giant-like stature.
Rough” He‘s not afraid to bully his w ay into the
National University Bulldogs middle and sky for a rebound, but on the
other end, he‘s timid, and overly reliant
2008 Season: 17.7 minutes, six points, 5.4 on a jump shot, not a post move. Toss in
rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.1 blocks, 0.4 steals the fact that he‘s more likely to be called
(14 games) for a foul than to draw a foul, and you
hav e a unique problem for the Maroons.
How much of a big deal can be made of
one game? If you‘re Jewel Ponferrada, 2009 Outlook: Sison has a lot in common
one game last season against FEU might with Ponferrada of NU. Like Ponferrada,
be enough to give NU fans even just a Sison had one game last season that got
slight glimmer of hope. I n their last everyone talking: A 20-point, 13-rebound
assignment in the first round, Ponferrada performance against UST. After that, he
had 16 points on six of seven shooting, six only had two other games where he
rebounds and a w hopping four blocks in scored in double digits, both 10-point
a career-high 29 minutes. Now w ith Edwin games. I f Sison can put together some
Asoro and Raymond Aguilar gone, the semblance of a post-game, or adjust to
minutes and touches are there for hav ing UP point guards throw him lob
Ponferrada. Will that one game be a big passes for lay-ins, then opponents of the
deal, a sign of things to come, or no big Maroons will definitely have a fight on
deal at all? their hands. Otherwise, there‘s no
incentive for opposing teams to have
2009 Outlook: NU is more well-known for someone guard him.
taking ill-advised triples despite having
some behemoths patrolling the painted
area, and so step one for the Bulldogs
ought to be looking for Ponferrada
underneath the basket first, before
spotting up for a forced trey. Then, w ith

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Khasim Mirza: “The Man Without Aim” Paul Lee: “The Lone Gun”
University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers University of the East Red Warriors

2008 Season: 15.2 minutes, 5.9 points, 3.7 2008 Season: 14.3 minutes, 6.8 points, 2.7
rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.2 steals rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 steals (13 games)
(12 games)
Like Eric Salamat, Paul Lee w ill be making
In 2007, Khasim Mirza joined a storied line the transition from sixth man to starting
of multi-positional, long-armed UST shooting guard. Unlike Salamat though,
marksmen, the type that, along w ith Jervy Lee will be in a w orse position. The Red
Cruz, shot their way to a 2006 UAAP Warriors lost their most productive big
Championship. I n 2008, Mirza could play man in Hans Thiele, as well as veteran
multiple positions and had the long-arms, Marcy Arellano. To make matters worse,
but couldn‘t make a shot to save his life starting point guard James Martinez could
(29 percent from the field and from be out for the season thanks to an ACL-
three). His minutes w ere wildly injury. An offense that used to be
inconsistent, and he even sat during two balanced, is now Lee-centric, and
games in the first round. But now, with the although Lee had some success with the
graduation of not only Cruz, but of almost ball in his hands all the time in the PBL,
all the other UST forw ards, he‘ll really need there‘s no way of knowing whether or not
to make a shot, not just to save his life or such an offense would work in the UAAP.
career, but the basketball life of his team
as w ell. 2009 Outlook: I t‘ll be tempting for Lee to
fully embrace his role as the first and best
2009 Outlook: True, it‘ll be much tougher offensive option for the Red Warriors, but
for UST players to get wide-open looks a look at his own team w ill show that he
now that there‘s no threat in the post for still has quite a few weapons at his
defenses to double team, but that just disposal, including big men Elmer Espiritu
means that several players, including and Pari Llagas, and sophomore Paul
Mirza, will have to adjust their style of play. Zamar. I f Lee can embrace more of a
With the Tigers looking to run, Mirza will facilitator or decoy role to get his
need to work on his athleticism and his teammates shots, then UE might be able
ability to finish at the rim. to scrape together a Final Four
appearance.

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 Rookies galore in 72nd UAAP
By Jasmine W. Payo
Philippine Daily Inquirer - 10 July 2009

Former Philippine Youth Team members and high school stars lead over 40 rookies set to
debut in the 72nd UAAP men‘s basketball tournament starting Saturday.

Preseason favorite Far Eastern U will field eight rookies headed by former national youth
ace Ryan Roose Garcia and Hippolyte Noundou, a 6-foot-4 forward from Cameroon.

Just like the Tamaraws, half of the University of Santo Tomas‘ 16-man roster will be
composed of freshmen, including prolific scorer Jeric Teng, the son of ex-pro Alvin Teng
who averaged over 30 points for Xav ier.

But La Salle boasts the strongest rookie class w ith six new recruits led by last year‘s
NCAA juniors Finals MVP Arvie Bringas and four national youth team members.

The 6-foot-5 Bringas will be joined by former San Sebastian teammate Yutien Andrada
and national players Joseph Tolentino, Jed Manguera, former UAAP juniors MVP Tata
Marata, the nephew of ex-pro Ric-ric Marata, and Gabriel Banal, son of former Ateneo
champion coach Joel Banal.

―We‘re a v ery young team right now, it reminds me of our 2003 team,‖ said Archers
coach Franz Pumaren.

―Some of our rookies played well in the preseason, but the UAAP is a different level, so
let‘s see how they‘ll do in a few games,‖ said Tamaraw s coach Glenn Capacio.

Barely tinkering with its lineup, defending champion Ateneo only has former Eaglets
Juami Tiongon and Frank Golla, also a national youth team member, and Benedictine‘s
Christian De Chavez as the new faces.

―Four of our five starters are back,‖ Ateneo coach Norman Black said.

Nearly half of National University‘s roster is new , including former San Beda player Ajeet
Singh and Joseph Terso, another national youth ace.

―We lost the whole core; this is a brand new team,‖ said Bulldogs mentor Manny
Dandan.

Last year‘s UAAP juniors MVP Mark Juruena of Adamson and La Salle Green Hills‘ Mikee
Reyes head University of the Philippines‘ five newcomers.

University of the East‘s three rookies includes Iloilo‘s Jhon Rey Sumido, w hile Adamson
recruited only the pair of Roider Ross Cabrera and Eric James Camson.

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 UAAP 'pushover' teams seek change in basketball fortunes in Season 2009
Krista Angela M. Montealegre
July 9, 2009
Lifted from: The Manila Times

Considered as pushovers in the pre-vious seasons, Adamson University, University of the

Philippines (UP) and National University are all set to change their mark in the upcoming
Season 72 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

For Adamson Coach Leo Austria, this season may be the breakout year for the Falcons
who are eager to improve on their 3-11 record last year.

Adamson boasts of a solid core w ith Jerick Cañada, Jan Colina and Michael Galinato
returning to the fold. After missing the entire 2008 season because of a shoulder injury,
Leo Canuday is also back for the Falcons and this will mean more trouble for other
teams.

The UP Fighting Maroons surely recovered from their w inless Season 70, posting three
wins last season including an impressive opening-day win against the Bulldogs under
new Coach Aboy Castro.

Without Jay Agbayani, the team's leading scorer, Martin Reyes, Magi Sison and Woody
Co are expected to lead the assault of the Fighting Maroons w ho have already missed
the Final Four for 11 consecutive years.

"We're still a young team and what we w ant to do is just compete every game," said
Castro, who has recruited last year's UAAP Most Valuable Player Mark Juruena.

With the exit of reliable veterans Edwin Asoro, Jay Jahnke, Raymond Aguilar and Jewel
Ponferrada, the National University Bulldogs have set modest goals for this season.

"We are still rebuilding and we just w ant to be there every game," said Coach Manny
Dandan, w ho wants to erase the memories of a forgettable 2-12 slate last year.

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PRE-SEASON PREVIEWS

ATENEO DE MANILA BLUE EAGLES

By: Christian Soler

July 6, 2009
Lifted from: inboundpass.com

2008 record: 13-1 (first place, won UAAP Season 71 championship)

Head coach: Norman Black (fifth season)

Key additions: Chris de Chavez, Frank Golla, Emman Monfort, Juami Tiongson

Key losses: Mike Baldos, Yuri Escueta, Jobe Nkemakolam, Chris Tiu

Holdovers: Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Bacon Austria, Nonoy Baclao, Ryan Buenafe, Vince Burke,
Justin Chua, Tonino Gonzaga, Kirk Long, Jai Reyes, Eric Salamat, Nico Salv a, Chris
Sumalinog

Background: Ateneo de Manila broke a six-year title drought in style, losing a solitary
game en route to its fourth UAAP men‘s title. Al-Hussaini capped off an MVP year by
more than tripling his scoring average, w hile Reyes developed into the solid backcourt
stopper that the Blue Eagles have sorely needed since LA Tenorio. And of course, the
ever-talked about, shooter-slash-leader-slash celebrity Tiu proved he w as 1) the squad‘s
anchor; and 2) the capable leader the Katipunan unit might sorely miss this season and
beyond. And let‘s not forget that Ateneo did not lose a single game to archriv al De La
Salle University.

Key changes: While Tiu w asn‘t and won‘t be regarded as the greatest player ever to
don an Ateneo jersey, his absence will surely reverberate around Loyola Heights. His
basketball IQ, poise under pressure and capacity to hold the team together are as
valuable as the points he scored, and well, autographs he signed. Baldos was a solid
defender and above-average rebounder. Don‘t expect any of the newbies to make a
huge splash this year, although de Chavez is versatile, and Golla quite experienced for
a rookie thanks to his stint w ith the National Youth Team.

Outlook: Al-Hussaini transformed himself from a so-so slotman into the league‘s best big
man in 2008. I n Season 72, Baclao should take on that mantle. Although he never w as
so-so, and won‘t be the scoring machine Al-Hussaini is, he‘s bulked up over the summer
and should be college hoops‘ premier rebounder and defensive player. Ateneo still has
the tourney‘s best frontcourt [although FEU might have something to say about that],
but it‘s the backcourt that needs to step up especially with Tiu gone. The San Sebastian
High combo of Buenafe and Salamat is as good as it gets. But is it as smart as it comes?
Tiu‘s absence also implies more ball-handling chores for Reyes. Balancing point guard
duties with scoring w ill be his greatest challenge since he‘s already developed into an

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 12

excellent defender. Off the bench, there is immense depth, w ith Austria, Long and
Salv a and Sumalinog holding fort.

Prognosis: The Blue Eagles are clearly on a high, and rightfully so. Championships aren‘t
as common along Katipunan/C-5 as they are in the Taft area. But the euphoria
shouldn‘t blind the Ateneo faithful. This season will be tougher than the last, and going
on an almost-perfect run will be as difficult to attain as a 4.0-semestral QPI . Nonetheless,
the Blue Eagles will be up there come late September, and Al-Hussaini, Baclao and
Reyes will have the opportunities they need and want to exit w ith a bang.

Blue Eagles in search of a new leader

By I zah Morales
7 July 2009
Lifted from: I NQUIRER.net

A few days before beginning their title defense, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are in search of
somebody to step and fill in the shoes of former team captain Chris Tiu.

―We‘re trying to find a leader since Chris left,‖ said point guard Eric Salamat.

Tiu, playing in his final season, helped steer Ateneo against fierce rival De La Salle in a 2-
0 sw eep of last year‘s finals.

Forward Luis Lorenzo Gonzaga agrees, saying no one is leading the team yet and that
this is something he and his teammates need to work on.

―We have to work hard on our communication. Sometimes w e‘re not on the same
page,‖ added shooting guard Kirk Long.

But the Blue Eagles still boast of having one of the most intact lineups with last year‘s
MVP Rabeh Al-Husaini, Finals MVP Nonoy Baclao and Rookie of the Year Ryan Buenafe.

Sweet-shooting point guard Jai Reyes will also be playing in his final season.

―We‘re one of the few teams that are intact. The core players are still here like Rabeh
and (Ryan) Buenafe,‖ said Reyes.

However, Reyes said that they need to overcome too much confidence w hen playing.
―We could be our own biggest enemy because we can be overconfident,‖ he said.

Al-Hussaini said they always keep in mind coach Norman Black‘s most important lesson.
―He always tells us defense means championship. So I have to do the same thing I did
last season,‖• he said.

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 Eagles focused on title repeat
By Jasmine W. Payo
11 July 2009
Lifted from: Philippine Daily Inquirer

A CHAMPIONSHIP HANGOVER IS THE least of Ateneo‘s worries.

With a lineup still loaded in all positions and a coach proud of his team‘s focus, the Blue
Eagles remain formidable in their bid for a second straight UAAP championship.

―We have the nucleus of the team last year,‖ said Ateneo coach Norman Black. ―The
main thing for us is just to maintain our focus and concentration and not to liv e in the
past.‖

The confidence stems from the return of reigning MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini, top defensive
player Nonoy Baclao and last season‘s Rookie of the Year Ryan Buenafe.

Wily guards Eric Salamat, Jai Reyes and American Kirk Long are also returning for the
Eagles, one of the few teams spared from the mass departure of veteran players this
season.

And by the looks of it, the Eagles just might replicate the dominance and chemistry that
helped them w in all but one elimination game before sweeping fierce riv al La Salle in
the best-of-three Finals last year.

There‘s hardly a leadership void even with the graduation of Chris Tiu as Black points to
the improved skills and maturity of his wards.

―Hopefully we can make up for the difference [Tiu and Yuri Escueta] made last year,‖
said Black, w ho can also count on former Eaglets Juami Tiongon and Frank Golla, a
national youth team member, and Benedictine International School‘s Christian De
Chav ez.

―I ‘ve always said that the team that can improve over the course of the league is the
team that w ill probably win the championship,‖ said Black, now on his fifth year w ith the
Eagles.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 14

 DE LA SALLE GREEN ARCHERS

A Conversation with Coach Franz Pumaren

By: Tony Atayde
July 6, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

For the last 4 years, I get to sit down w ith Coach Franz Pumaren for a 1 on 1 interv iew.
At the w ake of Br. Ceci Hojilla FSC, I asked Coach Franz if I could interview him the
succeeding week and he obliged my request right away.

I got to the La Salle Sports Complex w hile the team w as having a practice game
against the UP Fighting Maroons. One week before the start of the UAAP season and I
could see that the team w as not yet complete.

Simon Atkins w as not in uniform, Bringas did not play and Malabes kept his ankle on ice
every time he stepped off the court.

I really wanted to air the interview as a podcast but the area was just too noisy to do so.
Still, I always enjoy sitting down with Coach Franz. There are those who think he is aloof
but in reality, he is a very approachable guy. He is candid and will not hesitate to
speak his mind. Yet it is still collegiate basketball that flows through his veins and he is
undoubtedly the coach that all other teams eagerly watch for. Players come and go
but Coach Franz and his proven system just keeps coming back and the Lasallians are
glad he does.

On this year‘s team: ―We‘ll be alright. It will be a different team compared to teams of
the past but that‘s w hat college basketball is all about. Every year, you have to adapt
not just to the players you have but also to the league as a whole‖.

On this year‘s rookie class: ―This year is the 2nd highest number of rookies I have had. I n
2003 w e had 8 rookies but w e also had a very talented core of veterans then. This year
we have 6 rookies. Some have surprised me w ith their talent. Again, that‘s w hat makes
the UAAP so much fun. You hav e to work with the material that is given to you.‖

On injuries and other matters that depleted the line-up: ―We have not been able to
practice with a complete line-up all year. We have been hit by injuries and other
unforeseen events that have made it very difficult to practice with a set rotation. On
the bright side, it has also given other players the opportunity to show what they can
do. I njuries are a part of the game and we all have to play through it.‖

On the officiating this season: ―All a coach can ask for is consistency. I hope that if the
plan to bring in different referee associations to officiate materializes, they are able to
establish standards that we as coaches can adjust to. ―

On leadership: ―Someone w ill definitely step up. When the season starts, it is inevitable
that the leader emerges. Some leaders are born while others rise out of necessity. ―

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 15

On Arvie Bringas: ―He is fine. He is, like all the other rookies, excited for the start of the
season.‖

On the aborted trip to Sebia: (Just smiles.)

On Coach Dindo Pumaren: I t was logical move. When Tyrone (Bautista) w as asked to
coach the w omen‘s team, I could not think of a better replacement than Dindo. I t
would have been very hard for me to have 6 rookies and then have to train a new
assistant coach. He knows the system and most of all he is a Lasallian.‖

On the return of the Smart Gilas players: ―Of course their indiv idual teams w ill greatly
benefit from their exposure. It‘s good for the league.‖

On the competition: ―Well, there are teams that are coming back almost intact.
However the only predictable thing about the UAAP is its unpredictability.‖

On his personal preparation for the season: ―I have been doing this for quite some time
but I have to admit that w hen the adrenalin starts to build, one can‘t help but be
excited. You leave the past season at the door and you start a brand new one.‖

On wearing an ID: (Wide grin)

La Salle's Revilla sidelined due to illness

By: Jasmine W. Payo
July 6, 2009
Lifted from: ngetstudio.com

A lingering illness has sidelined a young La Salle cager even before the start of the
UAAP season.

LA Revilla, the Green Archers' flashy sophomore guard, is out of the men's basketball
competition following a recent diagnosis of diabetes and hyperthyroidism coupled with
a bout w ith dengue.

"My doctor didn't allow me to play and do any strenuous activities because any time I
might collapse," Revilla told the Inquirer.

The 19-year-old Revilla, w ho played quality minutes in his rookie season as a backup
point guard, lost almost 30 pounds in the last three months.

"I 'm now taking medication," he said. "I inject myself with insulin every day. Every pre-
meal, I check my blood. I'm taking medication for my thyroid. I also have a special
diet."

Rev illa, named in the All-Rookie Team last year, admits that a year off the hardcourt
may lead to a dip in his performance.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 16

"Of course I'm w orried," the 5-foot-7 cager said. "I can't join our practice. I can't do
weights. But I'm going to ask my doctors if I can go swimming, so at least I can have
some form of exercise."

Despite his illness, Revilla said he makes sure to keep the La Salle game in his system.

"I watch the team's practice, I still attend team functions and I still try to do my normal
activities," he said. "I've accepted it. I 'm a strong believer that God has a plan and a
purpose."

Rev illa said he intends to watch the Green Archers' games, including their opener
against the University of the East Warriors on July 11 at 4 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Green Archers will also miss the 6-foot-6 Marko Batricevic due to a leg injury. Last
season, the Serbian center played only five games due to a recurring injury on his
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

But the Warriors will also play minus the veteran James Martinez, the starting point guard
who also sustained an ACL injury during a preseason game last month.

Before the La Salle-UE showdown, Season 72 officially kicks off with a 1 p.m. opening
ceremony, followed by the 2 p.m. match betw een University of Santo Tomas and
Adamson.

Ateneo takes on Far Eastern University in the 4 p.m. main game the next day also at the
Big Dome, right after the 2 p.m. duel between the University of the Philippines and
National University.

Archers appoint Dindo as Franz’s assistant

By Jasmine W. Payo
17 March 2009
Lifted from: Philippine Daily Inquirer

From adv ersaries to allies.

De La Salle University reunited the Pumaren brothers by tapping former University of the
East mentor Dindo Pumaren to assist his older brother and Green Archers head coach
Franz in the next UAAP basketball season.

―He is replacing coach Tyrone (Bautista), w ho is now the head coach of the women‘s
team,‖ Br. Bernie Oca, FSC, La Salle‘s representative to the UAAP board, said Monday.

Dindo, who resigned from UE last December, will officially join the Green Archers‘ team
practice on Tuesday.

The brothers hold an even head-to-head record of 5-5 in the last five years.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 17

Tw o seasons ago, the sibling rivalry reached its height when Dindo steered the UE
Warriors to the UAAP Finals for the first time in two decades after a 14-0 sweep of the
elimination round.

But Franz and his seasoned Archers pulled off an upset in the Finals for the 2007 crown.

Franz guided the Archers to five championships in the past decade, while Dindo
consistently led the Warriors to the Final Four.

Dindo holds a personal 45-24 win-loss record in five seasons with the Warriors, who
recently hired Lawrence Chongson as their new mentor.

Franz and Dindo played together for La Salle in the mid-‗80s, before the younger
Pumaren took charge as King Archer in 1987 and 1988.

With several new recruits, the Archers will again enter the season as among the
favorites after settling for a runner-up finish against fierce rival Ateneo de Manila
University in last year‘s Finals.

Green Archers mentored by Jordan’s trainer

By I zah Morales
18 June 2009
Lifted from: I NQUIRER.net

Notw ithstanding the lack of big men this coming season, the De La Salle Green Archers
are hoping to apply indiv idual skills learned from someone who trained one of the
greatest NBA players.

The Archers trained under Tim Grover, a former personal trainer of NBA legend Michael
Jordan, for two weeks in Chicago.

―I t was really tiring. We practiced twice a day, a total of six hours, everyday,‖ said
rookie point guard Joe Tolentino, w ho w as recruited from Reedley International School.

Grover taught them individual skills including movements in the court, shooting form,
and decision-making in certain situations, added rookie forw ard Martin John Reyes, a
graduate of La Salle Greenhills.

In Grover, the Archers had a taste of collegiate mentoring in the US. ―I ba ung coaching
nila dun. Tutok na tutok (Coaching there is different and very focused on players),‖
noted power forward Jojo Mendoza.

Rookie forw ard Gabriel Banal, meanw hile, said their bonding as a team heightened
while training in the US.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 18

Team official Dendu Anareta said about six rookies and nine veterans w ould be playing
this coming season although the official line-up is yet to be released.

Forward James Mangahas expects this coming season to be a tough one for the
Archers, w ho lost to rival Ateneo in the finals last season.

―We‘re not as strong because we lost JV (Casio) and Rico (Maierhofer),‖ he said.
Maierhofer is joining the PBA draft this August. As one of the more veteran players,
Mangahas said he w ill need to guide his teammates.

Archers’ crack rookie class comes off wraps

By Jasmine W. Payo
11 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A COMBINED AVERAGE OF 30.1 points, 14.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3
blocks.

Those are the statistics the La Salle Green Archers are going to miss with the departure
of veteran guard JV Casio and athletic big man Rico Maierhofer from the UAAP men‘s
basketball competition this season.

―We‘re in the process of rebuilding,‖ admitted La Salle coach Franz Pumaren. ―If you
lose your best scorer and you lose your best defensive player and rebounder, it‘s going
to be hard.‖

With Casio using up his playing years and Maierhofer foregoing his final year of eligibility
to join the PBA draft, the Archers are in for a tougher road back to the Finals, a season
after securing a runner-up finish against fierce rival Ateneo.

―We still have talented veterans,‖ said Pumaren. ―But that‘s the beauty of college
basketball. Players come and go and coaches just have to maximize the talent that
they have.‖

Expected to take charge are seniors James Mangahas and Peejay Barua.

By assembling the best freshman class this season, however, the Archers remain a
favorite to reach the Final Four.

―Hopefully the younger guys and the rookies w ill be able to adjust right aw ay to the
college play,‖ said Pumaren.

Arvie Bringas, the 6-foot-5 center w ho helped San Sebastian clinch four straight NCAA
juniors titles, leads the rookie cast that includes four national youth team players.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 19

―He will bring in size, at least we have an option inside the paint,‖ said Pumaren of
Bringas, last year‘s NCAA juniors Finals MVP. ―Arvie is a power-forward type. I think he
can help us a lot.‖

FEU TAMARAWS

By: Christian Soler

July 6, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

2008 record: 10-4 (tied for second place, lost in the Final Four)

Head coach: Glenn Capacio (third season)

Key additions: Casey Caluag, Jaymo Eguilos, Chris Exciminiano, Ryan Roose Garcia,
Jolas Guerrero, Christian Manalo, Pipo Noundou, Marty Pearce, McJan Vinluan

Key losses: Marlon Adolfo, Jon Alisbo, Mac Baracael, Ron Cabagnot, Benedict
Fernandez, Robert Kave, Gian Macazo, Mark Romero

Holdovers: Andy Mark Barroca, JR Caw aling, Reil Cervantes, Jens Knuttel, Aldrech
Ramos, Paul Sanga, Edgar Tanuan

Background: 2008 w as a tumultuous year for FEU, both on and off the court.
Inconsistency plagued the Tamaraw s all year, as signified by a w in against Ateneo
(w hich w as its only loss in Season 71) and a defeat at the hands of the then-winless
National University. Off the floor, star forward Baracael w as shot by a still unidentified
assailant near the FEU Gym, an incident that opened the eyes of the hoops community
to the darker side of basketball. After being touted as favorites to take home the title,
FEU was beaten by De La Salle in its semifinal tilt.

Key changes: While Baracael didn‘t see a whole lot of playing time due to that horrific
episode, he, along w ith Barroca, was still the Tamaraw s‘ heart and soul. Fernandez,
meanw hile, w as big game at times, and that could prove to be quite a loss, too.
However, FEU‘s additions make the squad an even far more talented unit than last
year. Garcia is ROY-quality, while Noundou is a versatile forward who can score,
rebound and defend. Eguilos will be the Tamaraw s‘ next star center, and Caluag is an
athletic combo guard. Despite the lost talent, the Tams are retooled and reloaded.

Outlook: FEU 2K9 will be Barroca‘s team. That is, if you stop after reading his name on
the alphabetically arranged roster. What makes the boys from Morayta the best team
on paper is, aside from the aforementioned additions, the rise of Barroca‘s other
teammates. Caw aling and Ramos have gotten better thanks to Rajko Toroman and the
RP Developmental Team, w hile Cervantes has a more polished inside game to
complement his physicality. This ―Fantastic Four‖ is ―Four-midable‖ in itself. What sets the

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 20

Tams apart from the rest of the league even further is their depth. Garcia‘s skill at the
one can free up Barroca off the ball, while Sanga can draw other fours away from the
basket with his shooting ability. Noundou, a better Tanuan, Caluag, Eguilos, Exciminiano
and Knuttel round out a scary 12-man rotation.

Prognosis: Anything less than a finals appearance for Capacio‘s troops would be
disastrous. It‘s not often that you end up having a team as locked and talented as this.
An Ateneo-FEU finals showdow n isn‘t far-fetched at all. While DLSU may hav e something
to say about that, FEU should at least exact revenge over its conquerors from last
season and square itself for a title run.

Winning time for Tamaraws

By Cedelf P. Tupas
11 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

I T‘S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY FAR Eastern U coach Glenn Capacio moved ace Mark
Barroca from the point to shooting guard this season as the Tamaraw s vie for the
championship in the 72nd UAAP season.

Show ing remarkable improvement, Barroca has morphed into a scoring machine,
significantly extending his perimeter game w hile sharpening his skills in creating off the
dribble.

The other reason: The potential shown by rookie playmaker Ryan Roose Garcia.

Capacio has anointed Garcia as his starting point guard, forming an explosive
combination with Barroca, who is expected to score more rather than become a
feeder. This has been his primary role in his first two years with the Tamaraw s.

―He‘s good and he‘s v ery experienced for a rookie,‘ Capacio said of the fleet-footed
Garcia, who spent his first two years with the Tamaraw s‘ B squad.

The Zamboanga native, who had a stint w ith the RP Youth team and w as named Most
Valuable Player of the FilOil Flying V Pre-season MVP Cup ruled by the Tamaraw s, adds
depth to an already formidable FEU roster, w hich boasts of three members of the
national developmental pool‖ Barroca, JR Caw aling and Aldrech Ramos.

―We have a balanced team,‖ said Capacio. ―I‘m happy w ith the composition of the
team. We are more mature and more prepared for battle. We may be the favorites but
we have to show that on the court.‖
The Tamaraws have eight rookies, including Cameroonian Hippolyte Noundou, and
they will look to new ly installed skipper Cawaling and 6-foot-6 Ramos for leadership in
their bid to unseat defending champion Ateneo.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 21

―They showed big improvement,‖ said Capacio of the national pool players. ―I ‘m
hoping their experience with the national team w ill make them better team leaders in
FEU.‖

Noundou, Capacio said, is ―a steady and a good reliever for Ramos.‖

Capacio feels FEU is ripe to w in this season.

―I t‘s harvest time,‖ he said. ―This is already the third year of our rebuilding program.‖

Half-German Knuttle stays loyal to FEU

By Marjorie Gorospe
7 July 2009
INQUIRER.net

Jens Knuttle could've been playing in the NCAA instead or for Ateneo de Manila but
he chose to stay loyal and spend his collegiate basketball stint with the Far Eastern U
Tamaraws.

The half-German Knuttle starred for Ateneo de Zamboanga back in high school and
was being recruited by San Beda College. But he turned the offer down and instead
chose to transfer to FEU FERN then looking forward to play in the UAAP.

―After highschool, I opted to stay in FEU even if Ateneo de Manila wanted me to play
for them because I owe to FEU whatever improvements in my game right now ,‖ said
Knuttle, who plays point guard for the Tamaraw s.

FEU is touted as a title contender in the fortcoming UAAP season 72 after w inning the
FilOil Flying V pre-season tournament, beating defending champ University of the East.

Knuttle agrees on this forecast but believes the UAAP is yet another challenge for the
Tamaraws, w ho will be bannered by Smart-Gilas national team mainstays Marc
Barocca and JR Caw aling.

―We have affirmed our capability (in the FilOil Cup) but w e still have to win UAAP to
prove that we really are strong,‖ he said. Last season, he said, was an emotional
struggle for the Tamaraw s after Mac Baracael w as shot late in the tournament, an
incident rumored to be linked to game-fixing.

As a point guard, Knuttle considers himself not a scorer but more of a leader,
orchestrating plays inside the court.

Now on his third year as Sports Science student, Knuttle says he is preparing for another
season of basketball action by working out, eating right and taking enough rest.

The former FEU high school star says college basketball is definitely a lot different.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 22

―I n college, you w ill feel that there are lots of players better than you that‘s w hy the
challenge stays and it motiv ates me to strike harder in every game," said Knuttle.
"Whatever happens, we will never give until the final buzzer sounds in every game."

UE RED WARRIORS

By: Mike Abasolo

July 5, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

2008 Record: 9-5, Fourth Place; Final Four

Head Coach: Lawrence Chongson (First Year)

Holdovers: Toto Bandaying, Paul Zamar, Lucas Tagarda, Elmer Espiritu, Rudy Lingganay,
JM Noble, Erw in Duran, Raphy Reyes, Pari Llagas, John Ray Alabanza, Paul Lee, Val
Acuna

Key Losses: Marcy Arellano, Gino Etrone, Hans ThieleKey Additions: Garrick Ayala,
Kenneth Dale Acibar, Jai Flores, Jhon Sumido

Background: Coach Chongson has some big shoes to fill as he enters the collegiate
basketball limelight this Season 72. Under Coach Dindo Pumaren, the UE Red Warriors
has not missed a beat, whatever the available material, Coach Pumaren had
maximized w hat he had. With a veteran line up intact that has seen and fought many
wars, Coach Chongson has the instant pieces to go deep into the Season.

Key Changes: There are no tenderfoots in this team, ev en without Marcy Arellano and
Hans Thiele, the Red Warriors are still a capable bunch of w arhorses that can do a lot of
damage. Ev en w ith their lack of size, they can still manage to pull it off with their speed
and quickness on both ends especially with a lot of weapons at the backcourt despite
the season fatality of James Martinez w ho suffered an ACL injury during the FilOil
preseason finals against FEU.

Outlook: With an intact line up, Coach Chongson has no excuses not to perform well
this season. Coach Chongson has a hardened line up that has grown and fought
together as a team. This is still an athletic and quick squad that loves the open floor
game and willing to play defense.

Prognosis: At the minimum, the Red Warriors are a cinch to barge into the playoffs and
might pull off some upsets along the w ay. They have been together a long time and
they have the right stuff to win in crucial situations.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 23

 Dindo Pumaren leaves UE Warriors
By: Jasmine W. Payo
December 02, 2008
Lifted from: ngetstudio.com

He bowed out just as his squad made its exit.

The University of the East Warriors came out of their dugout in tears Sunday not because
of their narrow loss to the De La Salle University Green Archers in the Philippine
Collegiate Champions League's Filoil-Flying V "Sweet 16" Final Challenge.

The Warriors mourned the shock departure of coach Dindo Pumaren.

"I already resigned two days after our UAAP Final Four game, but [UE's representative to
the UAAP board Carmelita] Mateo requested that I continue coaching the team in the
PCCL," Pumaren told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

"I decided to stay on, but I now have (to pursue) other personal plans."

Pumaren's announcement came minutes after his older brother Franz's Gr een Archers
pulled off a 75-72 escape over the Warriors in the PCCL quarterfinals, Eliminating UE
from the tournament.

Under Dindo, the Warriors reached the UAAP finals for the first time in two decades
following a phenomenal 14-0 sweep of the elimination round last year.

But Franz and his multi-titled crew wound up stunning them for the 2007 men's
basketball title.

Pumaren, a former star Purefoods point guard in the PBA, debuted as collegiate coach
in 2004, taking ov er a UE squad reeling from the departure of standouts James Yap and
Paul Artadi.

The 43-year-old mentor still managed to steer the ragtag squad to a Final Four stint and
led the Warriors to the semifinals in the next four years.

The Warriors finished fourth this season. "We had good runs and of course heartaches,
but overall, it was a good learning experience," said Pumaren.

No less than a title for Lee, Warriors

By Cedelf P. Tupas
11 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

HARD AS I T I S TO IMAGINE NOW, Paul Lee was once a gun-shy rookie who opted to get
his teammates more involved rather than take the big shots.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 24

That‘s not going to be the case this season when the Warriors try to discard their tag as
underachievers.

A sensational rookie season in the PBL, where he displayed his deft outside shooting and
drives, makes Lee a player to watch.

Lee epitomizes the mental toughness that coach Lawrence Chongson said his team
needs to w in a record 19th cage crown.

―If we don‘t w in the championship, I‘ll be very disappointed,‖ said coach Lawrence
Chongson whose confident demeanor belied his status as the only greenhorn in the
group of coaches this year.

Lee will team up w ith Rudy Lingganay in the backcourt, while veterans Elmer Espiritu
and Pari Llagas form one of the league‘s most experienced frontcourt pairs.

For the first time, the Warriors joined the Joe Abunassar I mpact Basketball Camp in
California, w here the Ateneo Eagles have also trained the past few years.

The core of the UE squad saw action for the Cobra Energy Warriors in the PBL after their
campaign in the Ming Dao Cup tournament in Taipei, w here they placed second last
February.

But the Warriors‘ biggest achievement came in April w hen they ruled the Las Vegas
Easter Showcase, w here reed-thin forward Val Acuña w as named MVP.

UST GROWLING TIGERS

By: Mike Abasolo

July 5, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

2008 Record: 6-8, Fifth Place

Head Coach: Pido Jarencio (4th Year w ith UAAP Season 69 Championship on his rookie
year)

Key Additions: Eddie Aytona, Marco Cam, former multi-awarded Letran Squires Darrel
Green, Andrew Felix, Rushdy Hadi, Jerick Teng, Aljon Mariano, Aljohn Ungria.

Holdovers: Carmelo Afuang, Jeric Fortuna, Dylan Ababou, Clark Bautista, Chris Camus,
Allen Maliksi, Khasim Mirza

Key Losses: Francis Allera, Jervy Cruz, Japs Cuan, Mark Canlas, Mel Gile, Carlos
Fenequito, Jackson Wong, Chester Taylor.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 25

Background: I t will be a Renaissance year for Coach Pido Jarencio as he enters the
season minus Jervy Cruz, a vital piece in their title run in Season 69. More than half his
roster will be composed of rookies, a change, and welcome or not, he has not
experienced since he took over as coach of the Growling Tigers. He will have the
benefit of finally putting his stamp on a team that is already an ideal destination for
players demanding for a lot of playing mileage.

Key Changes: Coach Jarencio will be without a player that has dominated the slot in
the middle throughout his collegiate coaching career. He will also be surrounded with
sophomore court generals that have tasted his wrath during their freshman year.
Remember, he has posted a post game comment during the course of Season 71
painting Jeric Fortuna as the pont guard of the future for the Growling Tigers. The
chance to prove that declaration for both w ard and coach w ill be put to the test this
season.

Outlook: 6′3 Dylan Ababou, 6′4 Khasim Mirza and 6′3 Allen Maliksi form the most veteran
front court trio in the UAAP. They have the size and skill to create, single coverage and
rotate with anybody in the league. They are wingmen in a pow er forwards body that
can space the floor, run on the open court, penetrate and rebound on occasion to
counter their lack of bulk in the shaded lane. Wide bodied rookie Darrel Green,
talented fresh from the block, Jeric Teng and the rest of the colt pack will have to earn
their minutes w ith the v ast amounts of playing time that Coach Jarencio is w illing to spill
this Season 72 for these young hopefuls.

Prognosis: Coach Jarencio loves surprises. I t‘s been his calling card since Season 69. He
loves playing the low-key and would like to maintain that status quo and it might just
work this Season 72 to his advantage.

Ababou new Tigers main man

By Cedelf P. Tupas
11 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

FOR A CHANGE, UNIVERSI TY OF SANTO Tomas‘ offense w ill not revolve inside the paint
this season.

Such is life without banger Jervy Cruz, the MVP two years ago, who spearheaded the
Tigers‘ improbable title run in 2006.

But the Tigers remain a darkhorse, thanks in large part to versatile Dylan Ababou, tipped
as one of the finest amateur swingmen today.

―Dylan will be the cornerstone of the team,‖ Coach Pido Jarencio said of Ababou, w ho
played for the national developmental pool in the Fiba-Asia Champions Cup in the
summer.

―We will be more of a running team this year. We played a more deliberate style the
past tw o years because of Jervy.‖

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 26

Jarencio infused eight rookies into the lineup w ith former Xavier School star Jeric Teng
and former Letran Squire Darrel Green as the most notable prospects.

―He‘s really a big help for us,‖ Jarencio said of the 6-foot-1 Teng, whose father, Alvin,
was a PBA star in the 1990s. ―He‘s a physical player and I think that‘s what our team
needs.‖

Though the Tigers boast one of the tallest swingmen combinations in the league in 6--4
Khasim Mirza and the 6-3 Ababou, their lack of ceiling in the frontline seems to be a
concern for Jarencio, w ho is expected to make the burly 6-3 Green his starting center.

But Jarencio said his team‘s deficiencies have given the Tigers more reason to embrace
his tested ―3Ps‖ formula ―pride, puso, palaban (heart, fighting spirit).‖

Ababou gets his final shot at MVP glory

By Marjorie Gorospe
3 July 2009
INQUIRER.net

University Santo Tomas star cager Dylan Ababou admits he dreams of becoming MVP.
He gets one last shot at making that dream a reality in his final season with the Tigers.

―I have alw ays dreamed of being MVP and I am now at that stage where I don‘t know
what to do anymore,‖ the six-foot-three forward revealed in an interview.

Ababou acknowledged the fact that the Tigers are currently in a ―rebuilding‖ phase
and not as strong three seasons ago w hen he and teammate Jervy Cruz led UST to an
inspired championship versus Ateneo de Manila University.

Incidentally, he w as aw arded the Sixth Man award that season for his contributions to
the Tigers‘ cause off the bench.

He isn‘t counting much on nailing that coveted prize but he opens his final season
carrying with him a ton of experience, thanks to his stint with Smart Gilas national squad.

Ababou is part of the three-year Smart-Gilas developmental program along with other
collegiate standouts in a bid to reclaim basketball glory for the country in international
tournaments.

The senior Behavioral Science, though, said he likew ise depends on his teammates as
much as they depend on him

―My strength always comes from the team and I don‘t feel so much pressure since
people know that we‘re in the process of rebuilding our team,‖ said Ababou.

He added: ―Coach (Jarencio) alw ays tells us to just do what he thinks is right and take
our proper places inside the court.‖

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 27

 Ababou w as part of the RP Youth Team w hen he was still in high school studying at
Sienna College in Quezon City. Distance-wise, it wasn‘t that far from w here he would be
playing ball in college, encouraged by a former teammate to try out for UST.

On playing for Smart-Gilas, he considers himself privileged to be part of the program

earning him exposure in international play. He said he has learned to be flexible playing
different positions on-court

After UAAP, Ababou plans to finish his contract with Smart Gilas and then pursue a
professional basketball career in the PBA.

―But for now, I want to help my team. If other teams say ―one game at a time‖, we say
―one quarter at a time,‖ he said.

ADAMSON SOARING FALCONS

By: Christian Soler

July 6, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

2008 record: 3-11 (tied for sixth place)

Head coach: Leo Austria (second straight season, third overall)

Key additions: Arnold Basilio, Roider Cabrera, Eric Camson, Leo Canuday, Cris Sandoval

Key losses: Marc Agustin, Paul Gonzalgo, Rey Gorospe, Jeff Olalia, Junard Yambot

Holdovers: Lester Alv arez, Arnold Basilio, Jerick Cañada, Jan Colina, Michael Galinato,
Chesmar Lapitan, Janus Lozada, Aldrin Margallo, Alex Nuyles, Raymond Peñalosa, Ryan
Ruiz, Allan Santos

Background: After going 2-12 in 2007, the Falcons did ―better‖ a year after, winning one
more game. Adamson w as expected to be, at the very least, more competitive last
season, especially after defeating University of the East in the first round of the
eliminations. Things fell apart, though, as coach Leo Austria‘s w ards suffered setback
after setback, save of course from the infamous suspensions to Agustin and Gonzalgo in
the University of the Philippines game, one they lost by 31.

Key changes: All for the good, as they say. Young guns Cañada, Colina and Nuyles
return to the fold, w hile the old guard of Agustin, Gonzalgo and Yambot exit the fray.
The v eteran spunk will be missed, but given the fact that the struggling University of Sto.
Tomas Growling Tigers won more games last season than Adamson the past two years
combined, it‘s high-time changes be made. Canuday‘s return is a double-edged
sword, and may prove to be this year‘s x-factor. I f the stubborn and erratic Bacolod
nativ e comes out to play, Austria will have problems. However, if the poised and

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 28

versatile slasher returns, Adamson will be in good shape. Rookies Cabrera and Camson
are the most underrated in the league. Expect instant production from the duo.

Outlook: Austria is quite confident about his chances this year. ―The boys did well in the
summer leagues, and that‘s given them the extra boost they need coming into Season
72,‖ he says. At one point, the Falcons won eight straight games spread over two
summer leagues, taking apart De La Salle University, Far Eastern University and San Beda
College along the way. While summer isn‘t the UAAP, the likes of Galinato and Alvarez
upped their game further, and w ill complement Cañada and Colina. I f ever there‘s a
point of concern in San Marcelino, it‘s depth. Allen Etrone, King I mportante and
Yambot w ould‘ve addressed this department but were ruled out for various reasons.

Prognosis: Adamson w ill be Season 72‘s surprise package. Austria had a weaker team in
2006 w hen he took the school to its first-ever Final Four. The Falcons should be up there
with UE and UST in the battle for the number four spot. And most likely, they‘ll emerge
victorious.

Falcons ready for Final 4 again

By Cedelf P. Tupas
11 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE CONFI DENT ADAMSON swagger, missing for the better part of last season, is back.

And Coach Leo Austria said his Falcons will have difficulty finding excuses if they fail to
barge into the Final Four for the first time since 2006 this season.

―This is a good opportunity for us to make it to the Final Four simply because many
teams lost their top players,‖ said Austria.

The return of veteran point guard and former juniors‘ MVP Leo Canuday has Austria
excited.

Canuday, sidelined by an elbow injury last season, returns to the roster initially as
backup for point guard Jerick Cañada.

Austria said he expects improved performances from Jan Colina and Michael Galinato,
who both saw action in the PBL as the Falcons try to fill the gaps left by Paul Gonzalgo
and Marc Agustin.

―I t‘s basically the same lineup as last season,‖ said Austria, who noted that rookies Ross
Cabrera and James Canson are taller than Gonzalgo and Agustin.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 29

 UP FIGHTING MAROONS

By: Sid Ventura

July 5, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

2008 Record: 3-11 (6th)

Additions: Gingerich, Moriah; Gomez, Carlo; Juruena, Mark; Padilla, Alvin; Reyes, Mikee

Subtractions: Agbayani, Jayfelson; Dela Victoria, Czarlo; Fortu, Don Carlo; Pajela,
Ronald; Sorongon, Paul

Holdovers: Astorga, Kevin; Braganza, Arvin; Co, Woodward; De Asis, Miguel; Gamboa,
Michael; Hipolito, Dionisio; Lopez, Mark; Maniego, Francis Miguel; Marfori, Santos
Andrew; Reyes, Martin John; Sison, Magi King

Background: After a rousing opening-day victory over NU, the Maroons‘ first in the UAAP
since September 2006, everyone got all giddy and hopeful for a decent showing in UP‘s
centennial year. Then reality set in and the team w ent on to lose 11 of its last 13 games.

The areas for improvement are obvious. The Maroons were the league‘s worst defensive
team last season, giving up 77.5 points per game. Not surprisingly, they were also last in
tw o key defensive statistics: steals and blocked shots. They also gave up the most points
off turnovers per game (18.9).

On offense, the statistics weren‘t any better. UP shot the w orst from the field, hitting only
36.1% of field goal attempts, and had the fewest fastbreak points per game at 5.7
despite playing with three guards most of the time. The Maroons also didn‘t take care
of the ball, giving up 19.9 turnovers per contest. Only NU had a higher average.

But it wasn‘t all bad news. The Diliman dribblers were third overall in assists per game
(15.1), behind only UE (15.5) and ev entual champion Ateneo (15.4), w ith Braggy
Braganza registering the highest individual assist-per-game average (4.1) league-w ide.
And despite having a small line-up, UP was also third in rebounds per game (43.6). With
a team filled w ith shooters, it also w asn‘t a surprise that the Maroons averaged the most
perimeter points per game (29.6).

Jay Agbayani w as the team‘s leading scorer, averaging 11.7 ppg. While this was more
or less a result of his being the most veteran player, it also spoke to U P‘s lack of reliable
scorers, since Agbayani is clearly not a very skilled offensive player. The next two top
scorers were shooter Martin Reyes (11.4) and forward Woody Co (9.1), both of whom
were wildly inconsistent and shot only 52% and 57% respectively from the free throw line.

Key Changes: With only Agbayani graduating and a host of recruits coming in, Coach
Aboy Castro cleared up roster space by cutting Ron Pajela, Czarlo Dela Victoria, and

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 30

Paul Sorongon. Additionally, shooter Don Fortu suffered an ACL injury last year and has
yet to fully recover, so he‘s sitting out this season as well. But it‘s not like any of these
guys w ill be terribly missed. For one thing, none of them is ov er six-two, and on a height-
challenged team like UP, they were natural choices to get pink-slipped. For another,
well, they weren‘t exactly lighting it up. Pajela (2.4ppg) became expendable after
Mikee Reyes came onboard. Dela Victoria (1.1 ppg) could shoot threes all right, he just
couldn‘t do it often enough. Sorongon (6.5 ppg) hit a couple of big shots to seal a win
over Adamson, but other than that, he was plain inconsistent.

Taking their places are guard-forward Moriah Gingerich, power forward Carlo Gomez,
forward Mark Juruena, guard Alvin Padilla, and point guard Mikee Reyes. Gingerich
stands around six feet and hails from Faith Academy. He can play the two and three
spots and is a pretty good defender. Gomez w as elevated from Team B and should
provide help underneath, although he‘s not exactly the second coming of Nestor
Dav id. Padilla is a transferee from San Beda w ho can play both guard positions, w hile
Reyes is a blue chip recruit out of La Salle Greenhills who impressed during the summer
leagues. Personally, though, I think Juruena was the biggest catch. This kid stands
around six-three and w as the UAAP juniors MVP last year, and he can flat out play. I
expect him to be among the top five rookies in the entire league this coming season.

Outlook: Castro moved a step in the right direction by shoring up UP‘s frontline w ith the
addition of Gomez and Juruena. The three-guard lineup that w as just abused on
defense last year should be a thing of the past, with Juruena capable of playing the
three spot and Gomez joining a rotation that includes veterans Magi Sison, Andrew
Marfori and Kev in Astorga at the four and five spots. Additionally, Woody Co and Diony
Hipolito can play both forward spots depending on the match ups.

Martin Reyes, Alvin Padilla, Migs De Asis, Miggy Maniego and Mark Lopez form a
decent rotation at the w ings, while the point guard position will be manned by Mikee
Reyes, Braganza and Mike Gamboa.

The key here will be Sison. For so long now, he has tantalized his coaches with what he
coould become, but he just hasn‘t been able to put it all together. Hopefully, his stint
with the Smart Gilas developmental team will have boosted his confidence. If the big
guy can deliver equally big numbers, and the outside shooting of the guards stabilizes,
UP could pull a few surprises.

Overall, though, the Maroons aren‘t quite there yet. Too many of the rookies will be
relied upon to produce major minutes, and the talent just isn‘t deep enough to
compete with the elite teams. There‘s also the question of chemistry. UP gambled by
using Mike Silungan heavily in the summer leagues, even though his stint this year w as
still up in the air. As of this writing, the eligibility committee has already ruled against
Silungan, but university officials are preparing to launch a last-ditch appeal. Personally,
though, I think it‘s a lost cause, which means the Maroons will be entering the UAAP
wars w ithout their go-to guy and leading scorer of the past several months. It w ill be
interesting to see how the team w ill adjust.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 31

Forecast (Chances): Every year I get the same question from UP peeps: w ill we make it
to the Final Four? And every year I give them the same answer: if you honestly believe
that UP is better than at least four other teams, then yes.

This year? Not likely. I ‘d have to put Ateneo, FEU, and UE clearly ahead of UP. La Salle,
Adamson and UST won‘t be easy pickings either. The Maroons are good enough to
perhaps – and I really mean perhaps - win half their matches against the Archers,
Falcons and Tigers, and they‘re virtually a lock to sweep NU, but against the top three
teams it w ill be an uphill battle. I see UP finishing this season with a 6-8 record.

Maroons tougher this time

By Jasmine W. Payo
11 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

UNIVERSI TY OF THE Philippines coach Aboy Castro has remained realistic of his team‘s
goals.

After chalking up three victories last year following a w inless previous season, the
Maroons are out to put up a better fight with the acquisition of ace rookies Mark
Juruena and Mikee Reyes and the return of Martin Reyes, Woody Co, Mark Lopez and
Magi Sison.

―We want to be more competitive,‖ said Castro, who is mentoring the Maroons for the
second straight season. ―We mostly had double-digit losses last year, so we w ant to be
in closer games.‖

Juruena, the former Adamson Baby Falcons forward who bagged the juniors MVP last
year, shores up the Maroons frontline together with new recruit Carlo Gomez.

Also adding depth to the Maroons‘ backcourt are Mikee Reyes, a standout point guard
from La Salle Green Hills, Moriah Joel Gingerich from Faith Academy and San Beda‘s
Alv in Padilla.

―They giv e a bit more of height and quickness,‖ said Castro.

And w ith this season‘s fourth spot shaping up to be a wide open race, the Maroons vie
to pull off some upsets.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 32

 NU BULLDOGS

By: Sid Ventura

July 5, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

2008 Record: 2-12 (8th)

Additions: Cabaluna, Denmark; Donahue, Francis; Hermosisima, Kokoy; Malanday,

Larry; Roy, Ronald; Singh, Ajeet; Terso, Joseph

Subtractions: Aguilar, Raymond; Asoro, Edw in; Berry, Mark; Catamora, Chris; Dela Cruz,
Christopher; Galapon, Aaron; Garcia, Jessey; Jahnke, Jonathan

Holdovers: Jerome Tungcul; Kevin Batac; Michael Luy; Elmer Fabula; Mervin Baloran;
Jewel Ponferrada; Marion Magat; Mark Manito

Background: After a promising Season 70 campaign that saw the NU Bulldogs finish with
an impressive 6-8 record (including a key victory over Ateneo that helped pave the
way for La Salle‘s title run), Season 71 w as supposed to be another step towards
respectability for the Sampaloc-based cagers. Yet despite a virtually intact core that
featured Edwin Asoro, Jay Jahnke, Raymond Aguilar and Jewel Ponferrada, the
Bulldogs instead regressed badly and finished dead last with only two wins to show. But
as is the norm for NU, one of those wins was over a contender, in this case eventual
third placer FEU, a result that eventually impacted the Final Four match-ups.

Asoro capped his brilliant UAAP career by leading his team in scoring (13.5),
rebounding (9.2), steals (1.1) and blocks (2.0). He also achieved the rare distinction of
not missing a single game in his five UAAP seasons. The dow nside is he will go dow n as
one of the most talented players to never have played in the Final Four.

Overall, the Bulldogs were second-to-last in point production with 64.6ppg, ahead only
of Adamson‘s 64.6. On defense, they gave up 10 more points (74.6), sixth-best in the
league. The gap could have been narrower – and the losses fewer – if only they had
shot better from the free throw line. While they ranked third overall in free throw
attempts (322, or 23 attempts per game), the Bulldogs were the worst free throw -
shooting team, hitting only 58.7% of their freebies.

The problem for NU was confidence and consistency, epitomized by a bench that at
times appeared overwhelmed. A number of their losses were by double digits, and in
many of them, the players simply imploded. And for all his wondrous talents, Asoro w as
error-prone (he actually led the league in turnovers per game) and never really
developed into a go-to guy who could pull his team together at crunch time.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 33

Key Changes: Asoro will be missed, no doubt. Aguilar (9.7ppg), Jahnke (8.7), and Jessey
Garcia (6.8) rounded out NU‘s top four scorers, and since none of them w ill be back this
year, Coach Manny Dandan will be basically overhauling his starting five.

New faces include guards Ajeet Singh, a transferee from San Beda, and ex-Bullpup
Joseph Terso plus big men Denmark Cabaluna and Francis Donahue. Ronald Roy,
Kokoy Hermosisima and Larry Malanday round up the list of rookies. W ith the loss of
Jahnke and Chris Catamora in the backcourt, Singh and Terso w ill probably see the
most minutes.

But the biggest change for this team came off the court. The SM Group bought a
majority stake in NU and poured serious money into the school‘s sports program. And
almost overnight, NU suddenly became a major force in the recruiting wars. Last
October, over 300 hopefuls showed up for a series of tryouts. In previous years, the
coaching staff w as lucky if a fourth of that number tried out. The team now also tools
around in a brand-new air-conditioned bus, and their practice facility in the Mall of Asia
complex is a major, major upgrade over their old, well-worn gym. Clearly, better times
are just around the corner.

Outlook: All told, this is a very young and inexperienced team. With three playing years
under his belt, guard Michael Luy is already the most veteran player. Yes, they‘re that
young. The major prizes nabbed in those series of tryouts are still serving residency, so it
looks like another year of taking lumps, rolling with the punches and gaining
experience.

Dandan w ill be the first to admit he doesn‘t exactly have a powerhouse lineup. But he
actually likens this team to the one he had in 1998, w hen he had a bunch of young
players named Froilan Baguion, Jeff Napa and Gilbert Neo w ho w ould form the core of
the team that would go on to the Final Four three years later. And with funding no
longer a problem, the school hopes it won‘t take three years this time around to make it
back to the post-season. At least that‘s the plan.

Forecast (Chances): I see the Bulldogs occupying the cellar again this year, and truth
be told, a 0-14 season isn‘t too farfetched. But I think they‘re good for a couple of w ins,
and I ‘m betting one w ill once again come against a contender that will once again
shake up the Final Four seedings.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 34

 Bulldogs rebuilding underway
By Jasmine W. Payo
11 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

WI TH THE DEPARTURE OF I TS TOP FOUR Scorers, National University tries to count on the
eagerness and energy of new talents this season.

―We lost the w hole core, so this is a brand new team, a new breed,‖ said coach Manny
Dandan of the Bulldogs, who lost graduation main man Edwin Asoro and veterans
Raymond Aguilar, Jonathan Jahnke and Jessey Garcia.

Team captain Mervin Baloran, guard Michael Luy and big man Jew el Ponferrada hope
to fill in and lift the Bulldogs from their cellar position last year.

Also hoping to add spark to the Bulldogs‘ bid are seven rookies led by former national
youth team member Joseph Terso, Davao recruit Joseph Hermosisima and fomer San
Beda player Ajeet Singh.

―I ‘m sure everybody would like to step up,‖ said Dandan. ―The problem is how
consistent we‘ll be.‖

Dandan said the Bulldogs‘ rebuilding period is just starting after the family of mall
magnate Henry Sy bought the majority shares of NU.

Everything new for NU Bulldogs

June 24, 2009
Lifted from: ngetstudio.com

The National University Bulldogs always dwindled at the bottom of team standings in the
UAAP in recent years. This coming season, coach Manny Dandan isn't offering promises
from his rookie-laden squad.

Nonetheless, Dandan said it's alw ays hard to predict the outcome come October since
all eight schools train hard and have their eyes set on winning the championship, or at
least making it to the Final Four.

"I consider all the team as heav y rivals since everything is new for us," said the long-time
NU coach.

The Bulldogs last won a championship in 1954 during the tournament's first expansion
with addition of Adamson, University of the East, Manila Central University and University
of Manila.

It has been a long title drought since for the Bulldogs, which produced PBA standouts
Danny I ldefonso and Lordy Tugade w ho played for NU in the 1990s.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 35

According to Dandan, the Bulldogs have been training for eight months now, playing
tune up games and joining pre-season tournaments while undergoing extensive training
in Tagaytay Highlands the entire summer.

"We focused on rebuilding and conditioning the team, being the youngest team
perhaps (in the UAAP) as we are composed of rookies," Dandan said, adding NU will
primarily depend on their quickness in pushing the ball from the other end of the court.

He acknowledged, though, that a liability for the team is his players' lack of experience
playing against more veteran UAAP teams. But Dandan is optimistic of long-term
positive results from his current crew .

"There is no instant result but we hope that within four years we can be one of the
strongest teams in the UAAP," he said.

ON-SEASON ISSUES AND ARTICLES

Unity in diversity marks UAAP Season 72

By I zah Morales
12 July 2009
Lifted from: I NQUIRER.net

In yesterday‘s UAAP opening ceremonies, a mythical creature

became a unifying symbol for alumni and students w ho flocked to the Araneta
Coliseum adorned in their respective school colors.

The Big Dome w as teeming w ith different hues of gold and black, yellow and green,
green and w hite, maroon and green, blue and w hite, red and white, navy blue and
yellow â€― representing eight member UAAP schools

But unity in diversity marked the opening ceremonies of UAAP Season 72.

Host school Far Eastern U gave a dashing performance as students, dressed in w hite
fitting garments, sw ayed to rhythm of the UAAP hymn.

―FEU is honored to host the UAAP, the birth place of good athletes. UAAP is an effective
way to solidify school spirit,‖ said Dr. Lydia Echauz, president of FEU, during her opening
address.

A student dressed as a ―sarimanok‖, bearing the colors of the eight member universities,
got the audience cheering as it hovered above during the ongoing performance.

―A sarimanok is a Filipino mythical animal. I t is a good symbol because all the colors
come together, which represents our one color, one goal theme,‖ said UAAP president
Anton Montinola.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 36

Montinola and US ambassador Kristie Kenney did the ceremonial toss prior to the first
game betw een University of Santo Tomas and Adamson Falcons.

―I just enjoy sports. I t‘s always fun to w atch and even better, it represents great school
spirit and friendship,‖ said Kenney, w ho admitted to being a basketball fan. ―Collegiate
sports in the US are very similar with the Philippines.‖

UST w as also given recognition as last year‘s overall champion in both senior and junior
div isions.

Montinola, meanw hile, touched on the issue of game-fixing.

―I t‘s sad because w e are in a collegiate basketball. We have to educate our players.
We won‘t tolerate any misbehavior and we‘re providing them enough security as we
can,‖ said Montinola.

Part of the UAAP‘s efforts to curb game-fixing is acquiring the best referees from
professional and amateur leagues.

―For the first time in history of UAAP, we have chosen the best referees from the PBL and
the PBA. The w hole point here is that these referees officiate for a living. So if they
misbehav e, their mother leagues, the PBA and the PBL w ill sanction them, and they risk
losing their career,‖ said Montinola.

Moreover, Montinola is hoping the other sports get more exposure aside from basketball
being the centerpiece event.

―We have moved volleyball to the second semester. Cheering competition is a big
event in itself. We hope to be able to develop other sports in the same w ay,‖ said
Montinola.

―We will keep trying to improve the UAAP and cater to a wider set of sports,‖ he added.

Established in 1938, UAAP member schools are Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila
University, De la Salle University, University of the Philippines, National University, Far
Eastern University, University of the East, and University of Santo Tomas.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 37

 Tams ready to crash Eagles-Archers party
By Jasmine W. Payo
7 July 2009
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last year's finalists and fierce rivals Ateneo and La Salle see a tough challenger in Far
Eastern University this time, making Season 72 of the men‘s basketball tournament a
three-way fight.

―We‘re a balanced team this year,‖ said FEU coach Glenn Capacio, who has already
won two pre-season championships for the Tamaraw s after guiding Oracle Residences
to v ictory in the last PBL series.

While the defending champion Blue Eagles boasts a solid core, the Green Archers have
assembled this year‘s strongest rookie class.

―We have pretty much the same lineup coming back from last year, so there hasn‘t
been much problem as far as continuity is concerned,‖ said Ateneo coach Norman
Black, who can still count on reigning MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Ryan
Buenafe.

―We‘re in the process of rebuilding for this coming season,‖ said La Salle mentor Franz
Pumaren, w hose six freshmen include the highly touted Arvie Bringas.

―Hopefully the younger guys w ill be able to adjust right aw ay to the collegiate brand of
basketball.‖

But University of the East, Adamson, University of Santo Tomas, National University and
University of the Philippines also look primed to challenge the three favorites.

―I think this season is a good opportunity for us to make it to the Final Four simply
because many teams lost their marquee players,‖ said Adamson coach Leo Austria.

―Let‘s see where we‘ll go…ingat na lang kayo sa amin (just bew are),‖ said UST coach
Pido Jarencio.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 38

 Will blue -- or green -- be the dominant color for UAAP Season 72?
July 11, 2009
Lifted from: GMANews.TV

Though defending champion Ateneo the Blue Eagles can end Season 72 as
and perennial powerhouse La Salle are back-to-back champions.
prohibitive title favorites, host Far Eastern
University looms as one of the Only Tiu w ill be missing from Black's
tournament's darkhorse based on an starting unit last season with Season 71
already solid line-up boosted by RP Finals MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy
youth mainstay RR Garcia and foreign Baclao, Jai Reyes and Ryan Buenafe
player Hippolyte Noundou. back for another tour of duty for the
blue crew.
Talent-w ise, the Tams are a solid bunch
with its starting unit led by PBL veterans "The core of the team is still intact and
and Smart-Gilas Pilipinas members Mark I'm hoping that Eric (Salamat) w ill step
Barroca, Aldrech Ramos and JR up on his game this year to fill in the void
Caw aling, Reil Cervantes and Jens left by Chris (Tiu)," said Black.
Knuttel.
Black said that although Tiu may not
Add a supporting cast that includes necessarily be the best player he had
Garcia, Noundou and Paul Sanga to last year, the veteran guard's
the mix and you got a championship leadership, poise and basketball IQ
contender in the making. helped the team w in the crown.

Over at La Salle, Green Archers mentor Black's bench will also be tested this
Franz Pumaren went into recruitment season with holdovers Bacon Austria,
mode and snared one of the most Kirk Long, Tonino Gonzaga, Chris
sought-after high school standouts in Sumalinog and Nico Salv a expected to
Arvie Bringas, the former San Sebastian fill in the shoes v acated by Tiu and
Staglet and 2008 NCAA Finals MVP. company.

Focus should also be given to the five From scratch

other schools after most of them
overhauled their team personnel hoping La Salle w ould have to contend w ith the
to squeeze their way in for a Final Four absence of a legitimate big man to
spot. This season is expected to be one patrol the lanes especially after the
of the toughest semis races in recent sudden change of mind of veteran
years. forward Rico Maierhofer to join the PBA
draft next month.
Continuity
Ditto the scoring prowess of JV Casio.
Despite losing guards Chris Tiu and Yuri
Escueta, and big men Mike Baldos and "I t's still the big problem of the team: We
Jobe Nkemakolam to graduation, don't have a legitimate center. Then we
Ateneo coach Norman Black believes lose Rico and JV so we're not really that

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 39

strong compared to our previous team," "We have eight rookies and eight
said Pumaren, who veterans, balanse lang. Pero para
sabihin na ang lakas namin dahil
Six new faces w ill be seeing action for andiyan si Mark (Barroca) palagay ko
the Archers this year. Aside from Bringas, hindi naman talaga ganun kalakas,"
the greenhorns are last year's UAAP said Capacio, counting Ateneo and La
juniors MVP Sam Marata, former NCAA Salle as the teams to beat this year.
Mythical Team member Martin John
Reyes, youth standout Jovet Mendoza, "Siyempre hindi naman kaya ni Barroca
Gabriel Banal, son of former Ateneo na maipanalo ang laro mag-isa. Yes, no
mentor Joel Banal, and Joel Tolentino doubt about it, he can lead this team
from Reedley International School. but still he needs the help of his
teammates," added Capacio.
They w ill join hands w ith last year's
holdovers Simon Atkins, Peejay Barua, As if heralding their readiness to bring
Indonesian cager Ferdinand, Bader the championship back to their Morayta
Malabes, James Mangahas, Joshua campus, the Barroca-led Tams
Webb, Maui Villanueva and Kish Co. captured the seniors' plum of the 2009
Nike Summer League in the pre-season.
To prepare their rookie-laden crew for
the hostilities, Pumaren sent the Green Getting over the hump
Archers to a two-week training camp
under Tim Grover, former personal Will the University of the East Red
trainer to NBA legend Michael Jordan, Warriors finally get over the hump this
last April. year after their recent heartbreaks?

Pumaren, w ho w ill be assisted at the It certainly looks promising, basing on

bench by his younger brother and their successful campaign in the
former UE coach Dindo, said this training Abunnasar I mpact Basketball (AIB)-
helped his players improve on their arranged tournament featuring
indiv idual skills in shooting, decision American junior colleges in Las Vegas
making in certain situations and and the Ming Dao Cup International
movements inside the court. Tournament in Taipei.

Rising star Also take into consideration the

experience gained by Paui Lee, Parri
Mark Barroca's sudden rise as probably Llagas, Rudy Lingganay, Ralph
the country's top playmaker in the Reyes,Val Acuna, Elmer Espiritu and
amateur ranks has made the Tamaraw s Hans Thiele in the Cobra team w hich
of coach Glen Capacio one of the title reached the finals of the Philippine
favorites this season. Basketball League's season-ending
conference.
But Capacio was quick to dow nplay the
Tams' chances, stressing that the These have made new coach
presence of Barroca alone is no Lawrence Chongson upbeat despite
guarantee they will go all the w ay to the graduation of James Martinez.
Promised Land.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 40

"Malaking kawalan talaga si James, together with fellow holdovers Jeric
pero sa mga naging experience ng Fortuna, Chris Camus, Clark Bautista,
mga players ko sa off-season, kayang Khasim Mirza and Carlos Fenequito.
mapunan yung pagkaw ala n'ya," said
Chongson, citing Red Warriors "S'ya (Ababou) yung magiging bagong
playmakers Lingganay, Lee, Paul Zamar lider ng team. And hopefully, pagdating
and Reyes as the players he expects to ng UAAP hindi maw ala yung shooting
step up their games this year. n'ya at lalo pang mag-improve," said
Jarencio.
The Warriors' training stint at the AIB in
Reseda, California - the same camp But aside from their run-and-gun game,
that produced the likes of NBA stars Jarencio said his three P's - "Puso, Pride
Jermaine O'Neal, Vince Carter and and Palaban" - w ill still be at w ork for the
Kevin Garnett - also helps mold the team.
team into w inners, said Chongson.
Fighting chance
"Napakalaking tulong nun para sa team
dahil bukod sa na-boost ng husto ang Despite having seven new players in
morale ng mga bata dahil kami lang their roster, the University of the
ang Filipino team na nanalo sa Philippines Fighting Maroons promised to
tournament na yun, na-appply pa nila be competitive this season.
sa laro yung natutunan nila sa AI B," he
said. "We have seven new players but UP will
still compete and fight for our school
Big shoes to fill come UAAP," said second year coach
Aboy Castro.
The departure of their prized slotman
Jervy Cruz created a big hole in the For this year's hostilities, Castro is banking
roster of University of Santo Tomas, on v eterans Woodward Co, Martin
which aims to bounce back from their Reyes, and Magi King Sison, w ho just
dismal dip from champions in 2007 to came back from a stint w ith the
fifth place last year. national developmental team, to lead
the Fighting Maroons.
And after failing to find an able
replacement for their former MVP, the Reyes w as the team's second-leading
Tigers of Coach Pido Jarencio focused scorer last year w ith an average of 11.4
their training and preparation for the points per game next to Jayfle
coming UAAP wars on their running Agbayani, w ho already finished his
game. playing years with the Maroons. Co and
Sison had norms of 9.1 and 6.6 points,
"Malaki na ang inimprove ng team mula respectively.
nang mag-umpisa kaming mag-training
last January. Yung butas sa gitna, Backstopping the trio are point guard
sisikapin na lang naming punan sa Mike Gamboa, Arv in Braganza, Mark
pamamagitan ng bilis," said Jarencio. Lopez and former juniors MVP Andrew
Marfori, as well as news recruits Moriah
Smart Gilas Team member Dylan Gingerich, Mikee Reyes, John Lao, Alvin
Ababou is expected to lead the Tigers

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 41

Padilla, Mark Juruena, Carlo Gomez Michael Galinato, Allan Santos,
and Dodoy Equiplog. Alexander Nuyles and Chris Sandoval.

Can this be the year? Laying the foundation

After finishing at the tailend last season, With a loads of newcomers in its line-up,
Adamson University Coach Leo Austria is National U coach Manny Dandan
optimistic about his team's chances to admits his Bulldogs' fangs won't be sharp
make it back to the Final Four. enough to bring down the top dogs this
year.
"Apat na players lang ang nawala sa
amin from last year (Marc Agustin, Paul "We're not hoping nor aiming for an
Gonzalgo Rey Gorospe and Junard instant result but as I can see it, we can
Yambot), kaya sa tingin ko, this is a be one of the strongest team in the
great opportunity for Adamson to enter league in the next two to three years,"
the Final Four this year," said Austria. said Dandan.

Giv ing Austria the confidence is his For Dandan, lack of experience will be
wards' performance in the pre-season their biggest draw back this year.
leagues as well as the return of veteran
playmaker Leo Canuday, who missed To try to offset this, he sent the team to
the previous year due to a recurring an eight-month training session in
elbow injury. Tagaytay and had them play tune-up
matches and compete in the summer
"Sa nakita kong laro nila last year at leagues.
nitong nakaraang pre-season, talagang
naniniw ala ako na kaya namin "We just focused on conditioning the
makipag-agaw an dun sa no. 4 slot," team since we are perhaps the
said Austria, who installed defending youngest team in the league," said
champion Ateneo, runner-up De La Dandan.
Salle University and host Far Eastern
University as the teams that w ill possibly The Bulldogs will parade seven rookies,
occupy the first three slots in the led by Kokoy Hermosisima, a prized find
semifinals. from Dav ao w hom Dandan considers
the rookie to watch for his team.
"Yung pang-apat, may laban kami
dun." The greenhorns are expected to be
guided by returning players Michael Luy,
Austria w ill be relying on holdovers Jan Jerome Tungcul, Mervin Baloran, Joseph
Colina, Lester Advarez Jerick Canada, Terso and Jewel Ponferrada.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 42

 What Will Happen To Andy Barroca?
By Tony L. Atayde
Sep 18, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

For the last 3 years Far Eastern University has been plagued by doubtful events involving
key players. First it was Gerilla, who w as unceremoniously cut from the team after
suspicions of unscrupulous behavior were discovered.

Last year, it was the unfortunate and dastardly shooting of Mac Baracael that shocked
the entire league. Up to today, nothing and no one has been even slightly uncovered
anything regarding this criminal act.

Now the case of Andy Barroca, a player who was expected to tear up the league
especially after his tremendous showing during the Smart Gilas games, is the talk of the
the Final Four. As of today, Barroca is not even sure if he w ill suit up for the Tamaraws for
their Final Four game against UE.

Allegedly, there were very strong suspicions that Barroca was deliberately playing
below his usual level in the last FEU game against Ateneo. FEU needed to win by 5
points to secure the no. 1 slot in the standings. After 3 and 1/3 quarters, FEU was up by
18 but collapsed and saw Ateneo steal the game and the no. 1 spot from them.

Apparently, the play of Barroca elicited suspicion from the FEU Management and
Coaching Staff. He scored only 8 points and his lackluster performance; especially in
the 4th quarter w as not something that the coaching staff felt was something that w as
normal behavior for Barrroca.

Is the suspicion justified? Is Barroca getting the short end of the stick here? Did he really
tone down his game and allow Ateneo to catch up and eventually win the game?

In all this, I believe that Barroca is being treated unfairly. If there is no solid proof of the
allegations, then the suspicion is not enough. All players have bad games and this
could have just been the case with him. He has steered the Tamaraw s to the longest
winning streak of the season and I don‘t think one game can change that.

Besides, Barroca was not alone on the team. Caw aling, Ramos, Cervantes and Garcia
were also responsible for letting that 18 point lead slip away. Why put the blame solely
of Andy Barroca?

If the allegations are true, then it is the responsibility of the FEU management and
coaching staff to obtain undeniable proof and if that is obtained, then he should be
punished to the full extent of the law . I t is sad to note that FEU has not even had the
slightest progress in the Baracael incident, which almost cost him his life.

However, if these are all just suspicions, FEU will be destroying the future of this young
man. Barroca has a bright basketball future ahead of him. He showed his ability to play

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 43

international competition with Smart Gilas. Even foreign coaches and players were
extremely impressed with him. He has a definite lucrative PBA spot awaiting him.
However, all this could be lost if FEU decides to take him out of the team based on
suspicions alone.

In fairness to FEU, they still have not made a decision on the matter and there are
heav y deliberations on the actions to be taken. This situation is not easy for FEU and
they have to do this in a fair and sober manner. I am sure Mr. Anton Montinola will
decide in a fair manner regading Andy Barroca.

If these are all suspicions, his reputation will be forever tarnished and will always bring
doubts to any team that may w ant his services. His whole basketball career is now in
the balance. I t is common knowledge that players suit up for the UAAP and the NCAA
with the goal of making basketball their career. They don‘t go to school to be engineers
or accountants but rather go to school to show their w ares and eventually end up in
the PBA.

If the allegations against Barroca are true then it stands to logic that the gambling
syndicate would be behind it. If this is true, then Barroca is more a victim than a culprit.
After w hat happened to Baracael last year, w ho allegedly did not want any part of the
gambling syndicate, Barroca may have feared for his life too. I f the gambling
syndicates were behind it, then Barroca is not the problem but the entire league is to
blame for allowing this open secret to keep thriv ing.

I have always liked Barroca and I honestly do not believe that he would involve himself
in game fixing. I hope that the FEU Management and Coaching Staff handle this matter
fairly, after all, the future of a young man w ith so much potential is at stake.

Coach heads Barroca ‘rescue’

By Beth Celis
September 20, 2009
Lifted from: Philippine Daily Inquirer

LET‘S CALL him the inquisitor, this veteran colleague who has been asking me why
Cuban boxing coach Dagoberto Rojas was dropped by the Abap after the training of
the five Filipino boxers in Hav ana, Cuba, and just before the World Championship in
Milan, I taly.

He just couldn‘t see the logic. He strongly feels the presence of Rojas in Milan was vital.
It could have made the difference, he said, between a medal and an empty
campaign.

I finally got some answers for the Inquisitor regarding the Cuban coach. However, w hen
he called Saturday, the scribe was no longer interested in boxing. His attention had
turned to basketball – to be specific, the UAAP.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 44

This time he w anted to know where beleaguered FEU cager Mark Barroca might be
holed up, after disappearing from the living quarters inside the FEU campus w here he
was moved. Previous to this, Barroca was lodged with his other teammates at the
second floor quarters of the FEU gym.

Whether he was moved out of the campus for security reasons or to be isolated, no one
can tell for sure. But w itnesses are now talking of w hat they perceived to be a rescue
mission successfully implemented last Thursday night with only a few students left inside
the campus and only some late classes ongoing.

The leader of the mission w as a coach, described as tall and fair-skinned, based on the
inv estigation conducted by the I nquisitor, who said that the rescuers could have acted
with the blessings of Tamaraw s team manager Anton Montinola, although this seemed
unlikely.

―I t could be that he was just ―escorted‖ to a safer place. Maybe they don‘t w ant a
repeat of what happened to Tamaraw Macmac Baracael last year,‖ said the Inquisitor.
As every UAAP follower now knows, Barroca was suspected of being involved in game-
fixing after his numbers plummeted in a number of crucial games.

―But we‘re only talking of one game here, minsan lang sumama ang kanyang laro
against Ateneo. I sn‘t Mark entitled to an offnight?‖ asked the Tamaraw ‘s manager Ed
Ponceja.

―Mark has been severely distraught because of the allegations. He has been crying like
a child. He w anted to go home to Zamboanga, but I adv ised him against it. I offered
my home to him, but he said Las Piñas is too far.‖

Ed said Mark w as temporarily staying with a mutual friend somew here in Quezon City.
He did not reveal who had fetched the cager from the FEU campus last Thursday night.
By Friday, the cager had reported back to the regular workout of the Smart Gilas
developmental national pool.

―What happened to him is psychologically traumatic, and being in FEU surroundings

only aggrav ates his emotional condition, that‘s why we decided to move him out
temporarily,‖ Ed said. Hours before the game against UE, he knew that Mark was not
going to play. Or was not going to be asked to play.

The I nquisitor said Barroca leads FEU in scoring, assists and steals.

According to Ed, his w ard is working for a degree in sports education and needs only 30
more units to graduate.

HOOPVINE: Meanwhile, an Ateneo alumnus from a giant television network is

concerned about the one-game suspension slapped on Nico Salva w ho, he said, only
retaliated after being provoked by an FEU cager. ―Paano ba naman, nangungurot,
nairita si Nico,‖ he said… The UAAP board was supposed to meet on an appeal filed by
Ateneo three days ago.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 45

 Barroca breaks silence, denies charges
By Joey Villar
September 21, 2009
Lifted from: The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Mark Barroca, dropped from the FEU roster in the face of game-
fixing allegations, finally came out in the open to clear his name.

―Nais ko pong malaman ng lahat na malinis po ang konsensya ko, at w ala po akong
alam na maling ginaw a (I want everyone to know that my conscience is clean and I
did nothing wrong),‖ said Barroca in a text message from agent Ed Ponceja.

The 23-year-old Barroca, also a mainstay of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team seeking a
berth in the 2012 London Olympics, was recently removed from the Tams lineup for the
rest of the 72nd UAAP basketball season. The school said the move is a disciplinary
action for his alleged involvement in point-shaving or game-fixing activities.

Without him, FEU dropped a 74-84 setback to University of the East, enabling the
Warriors to force a do-or-die match for the second finals berth on Thursday.

Defending champion Ateneo made a return trip to the finals with an 81-64 rout of UST in
the other Final Four match yesterday.

Barroca, who averaged a team-high 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals
a game, also apologized to the team even as he thanked everyone who supported
him during his playing years with the Tamaraw s.

―Sa aking mahal na coach at minamahal na teammates, kung di ko na-abot ang

inaasahan nyo sa akin (To my beloved coach and teammates, for my failure to meet
what you expect me to do),‖ said Barroca.

―Wala pong Mark Barroca kung w alang pagkakataon na ibinigay sa akin ang FEU na
makapaglaro sa UAAP (There w ould be no Mark Barroca if FEU didn‘t give me the
chance to play in the UAAP).

―Good luck at prayers po sa FEU sa Final Four (Good luck and my prayers are for FEU in
the Final Four),‖ he added.

Barroca said he would concentrate on his stint in the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team, w hich is
coached by Serbian Rajko Toroman.

―Sa SBP, bigyan nyo po ako ng pagkakataon na maglaro sa Smart Gilas Pilipinas para
makapagsilbi sa bayan. Ito lang po ang aking ninanais ngayon at sana wag naman
ako pigilan nino man (To SBP, please give me an opportunity to play for Smart Gilas
Pilipinas so that I can serve the country, this is what I want and I hope no one would
stop me),‖ he said.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 46

Barroca also said he respects FEU‘s decision to sack him.

―Ako po ay lubos na nalulungkot sapagkat hindi na ako makakapaglaro sa FEU at sa

UAAP. Pero nirerespeto ko po ang desisiyon ng FEU para sa sabi po nilang kapakanan
ng team at ng unibersidad (I ‘m deeply saddened knowing I would no longer play for
FEU and in the UAAP. Nevertheless, I respect the decision of FEU for what it said was for
the sake of the team and the university),‖ he said.

Barroca also asked FEU to allow him to finish his studies using his athletic scholarship,
which was already granted the day before.

―Kay sir Anton (Montinola) at sa FEU, bigyan nyo po ako ng pagkakataon tapusin ang
aking pag-aaral sa FEU bilang skolar dahil ito po ang aking banal na pangako sa aking
ina nung ako po ay umalis sa Zamboanga para makipagsapalaran sa Maynila (To sir
Anton and FEU, please give me a chance to finish my studies as a scholar because this
was my promise to my mother when I left Zamboanga to go to Manila),‖ he said.

―Matatag naman ang aking kalooban ngayon, at naniniw ala ako sa pagsubok na ito
ay magiging mas mabuti akong player. Hindi po ako aayaw, hindo po ako titigil
magsumikap (I know I ‘m strong inside and I believe that this obstacle will make me a
better player. I will not back down, I will not stop working hard),‖ said Barroca.

Ex-Tam playmaker to graduate from FEU

September 20, 2009
Lifted from: ngetstudio.com

The w arning signs were there before the start of the season.

Now , the UAAP is confronted by the demons of game fixing as allegations swirled that
the illegal trade was all over the controversy surrounding guard Mark Barroca, w ho,
according to Far Eastern Saturday, had played his last game as a Tamaraw .

"He will still be a student scheduled to graduate [on] October 2010 [but] he has played
his last game for FEU," said athletic director Mark Molina.

FEU's postgame announcement came a day after the player's agent, Ed Ponceja, told
the Philippine Daily I nquirer that Barroca w as still very much willing to suit up for the
school because he was still "a Tamaraw by blood."

The statement also came on the heels of an 84-74 defeat to University of the East
Saturday that forced a sudden-death show down between the tw o traditional college
basketball powerhouses for a UAAP championship slot.

While no exact reason was given out, the school officials were hinting at game fixing
when they confirmed an Inquirer report that the Tamaraw s had decided they were
better off continuing their quest in Season '72 without the Smart Gilas RP developmental
pool standout.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 47

"Members of the team expressed dissatisfaction with his play [and] w e spoke to
everyone in the team indiv idually," Molina said. "The decision was made that the best
thing to do for FEU is to play without Mark."

When asked if that meant the team w as alleging that Barroca fixed games, Montinola
said: "What was discussed was the statistics [of Barroca], and statistics don't lie. We
hav e all the statistics and you're welcome to review it. We're not talking about one
game."

Last Friday, the I nquirer -- citing a source who w as immediately informed by a team
member of the result of an informal straw vote -- came out w ith a story that the Tams
had decided to play without Barroca, citing the dip in his performance in recent
games.

Barroca is currently staying at the home of his agent, w ho said they would release a
statement on Monday.

For the meantime, Barroca will focus on his studies, his agent said, and his stint with the
Smart Gilas five. Barroca has started practicing w ith the Smart Gilas team.

"We have been in close communication with Smart Gilas the whole week to make sure
that Mark is well taken care of," said Molina

The I nquirer came out with a four-part series before the start of the UAAP season about
game fixing and several officials, including a former player, explained that the illegal
trade had gone big in the college ranks and needed to be dealt with immediately.

But the lack of a firm UAAP response gave rise to speculations early in the season that
something big would explode during the tournament.

"We have to deal with that accordingly," said Montinola. "The UAAP is very popular.
There are a lot of temptations. We just have to keep advising our players. But there's no
guarantee that it won't happen again."

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 48

FINAL FOUR PLAY-OFFS

UAAP Final Four survival guide

By: Christian Soler
September 14, 2009
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

FOUR dow n, four to go. Collegiate hoops reaches fever pitch w hen the calendar strikes
September, thanks to the UAAP Final Four. Since its inception in 1994, the country‘s
abridged version of March Madness has arguably become the most exciting of sporting
spectacles.

This year promises to be just as compelling. Just w hat will it take for the remaining four
teams to take that extra step towards the summit of Season 72?

(1) Ateneo de Manila University [13-1] vs. (4) University of Santo Tomas [6-8]

The lowdown: Ateneo is the first team in league history to follow up a 13-1 slate with yet
another 13-1 record. The Blue Eagles are on a school-best 10-game w in run, and have
repulsed almost all challengers [see University of the Philippines] both with their inside
play and outside proficiency. While reigning Most Valuable Player Rabeh Al-Hussaini is
putting up slightly lower numbers from last season, it hasn‘t been a concern at all,
simply because he‘s gotten even more support from the likes of Eric Salamat, w ho‘s
stepped up big in the second round, Nico Salva and Emman Monfort off the bench.
UST, meanw hile, makes its w ay back to the semis after a yearlong hiatus. Its recent run
of form, though, is poor, at best. Losing three straight – two by double-figures – isn‘t how
anyone would want to perform heading into the playoffs. This isn‘t to take aw ay the
stellar play of that terrific Tiger troika of Dylan Ababou, Khasim Mirza and Jeric Teng,
who account for 55 percent of UST‘s total offense.

Ateneo will win if it shackles the Growling Tigers‘ fastbreak attack. Coach Norman Black
is known more for his defense, and it‘s been on display all year. The Katipunan quintet
holds opponents to a league-best 34.7 percent shooting from the field. The Tigers will
most likely run on Sunday as any shot put up w ith less than 12 seconds on the clock
comes off as a mortal sin. To add to that, UST has been uncomfortable on the half-court
set for much of the year. Stopping that fastbreak is an automatic ticket to the finals and
a bit of payback for 2006.

UST will win if Ababou, Mirza and Teng all click offensively. Since other offensive options
[most notably Clark Bautista] haven‘t seen that much action this year, the offense really
has revolved around these three weapons. If one of them has an off day [i.e. 30
percent shooting from the field], UST w ill be in for a long summer, w hich surely won‘t
include stints in preseason tournaments if Pido Jarencio sticks to his summer habit of
skipping them.

The x-factor: Rabeh Al-Hussaini. He lives for the big moments, and there‘s no bigger
stage than the postseason. Going to Al-Hussaini early in the game is of paramount

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 49

importance for two reasons: 1) UST lov es to employ a zone defense, so going inside will
force that D to cave in, w hich w ill most likely free up Salamat, Jai Reyes and all those
outside backbreakers, and 2) the Tigers‘ bigs aren‘t really big. I n that zone, the primary
guy w ho‘ll bang bodies w ith Al-Hussaini is Chris Camus, w ho gives up three inches and
tons of experience. The Growling Tigers have placed Mirza at the post several times, but
that w ould be suicidal.

Denying that entry pass to the post thus becomes crucial. Mirza leads a cast of ―plastic
men‖ who are long and lanky. They‘ll need to do the little things, like raise their arms
while sitting on that zone, to prevent the easy inside pass.
What will happen: It‘ll be shocking to see UST extend this series, and cardiac should
Ababou and friends dethrone the reigning champions. Ateneo in one.

(2) Far Eastern University [11-3] vs. (3) University of the East [10-4]

The lowdown: The Tamaraw s were a quarter away from getting the opportunity to
av oid facing the league‘s second-hottest team in the Final Four, but imploded in the
final 10 minutes against Ateneo on the last day of elimination round action. But we all
know FEU can do better. Andy Barroca and RR Garcia form an explosiv e backcourt
tandem, w hile Aldrech Ramos [11.5 points, 11.6 rebounds a game] is the only certified
double-double asset in the league. They‘re also one of a few teams w ho can play both
man and zone defense effectively, and are tops in the UAAP in clamping down on
perimeter points, giving up just 21.7 a game.

As mentioned, UE is peaking at the right time. Its six-game win run is the longest since
2007. Paul Lee, Elmer Espiritu, Pari Llagas and Val Acuña have given the Red Warriors
that scoring punch they lacked last season, when not a single player averaged in
double-figures. These four veterans are thriving in coach Lawrence Chongson‘s ―free-
flowing offense,‖ w hich some pundits have simply referred to as a ―no system offense.‖
Whatever it is, it‘s working, as Recto‘s pride commit the least number of turnovers a
contest at 16.6.

FEU will win if it shoots the ball more accurately. The contrast is staggering. In the
Tamaraws‘ three defeats, they‘ve shot an average of 36.4 percent from the field [75-
for-206, to be exact]. In 11 wins, they‘ve hit 44.5 percent of their attempts. UE‘s defense
is stingy, though, so this won‘t be an easy task for coach Glenn Capacio‘s troops. On
the free throw line, meanwhile, FEU shoots a bastardly 61.8 percent – horrific for a team
that w ants to go all the w ay [and for any team, for that matter].

UE will win if Llagas and the rest of the giants put up a fight on the boards. Most battles
that go the distance are separated by rebounding figures. UE gets outrebounded by
almost a full carom a game, and that doesn‘t bode well against an FEU five that allows
the least number of boards in the league [37.7]. The Red Warriors will prevail if they win
the ―war of the small stuff,‖ which means making second chance points, limiting
turnovers and rebounding well.

The x-factor: Depth. Let‘s pretend that Ramos gets to contain Llagas, Noundou shuts
dow n Espritu and Cawaling or Garcia shackles Lee. What happens to the UE offense? In

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 50

the same v ein, what if Barroca and Ramos disappear? I t‘s make or break time for the
shock troopers of both units. FEU‘s bench has figured more prominently than UE‘s this
season, with Cervantes, Garcia and Paul Sanga all starting fewer than six games but
contributing substantially.

What will happen: FEU isn‘t a lock to beat the Warriors, and may hav e to do so on the
second try. Look for the game(s) to be tight, with the Tamaraws emerging from the
ruins.

As for a championship preview , let‘s wait. One step at a time, as that adage goes.

Keys to the Final Four

By Patrick Leonard M. Mayo
September 18, 2009
Lifted from: Philippine Daily Inquirer

AND NOW it‘s down to four. The time to separate the men from the boys.

The UAAP Final Four weekend kicks off Saturday afternoon and the four remaining
teams, all rich in basketball history, w ill be fighting for a ticket to the biggest stage the
finals.

The semis may look a bit different, w ith the absence of the De La Salle Green Archers,
but the intensity and excitement will surely not wane. What each team must do to be in
the championship:

Far Eastern University Tamaraws (2nd) vs University of the East Red Warriors (3rd)

In w hat is tagged as ―The Battle of the East,‖ these two are capable of battling it out for
the UAAP crown. They have always been in the Final Four the past several years, and
both are aching for that moment of glory.

FEU Tamaraw s (Record: 11-3)

Keys to v ictory:

The ―Gilas‖ factor – boasting a line-up w ith three Smart-Gilas RP Team members – JR
Caw aling and Aldrech Ramos, the Tams need a solid game from these three to w ard
off the UE Warriors.

Board domination – FEU‘s edge in rebounding, led by Ramos, the league‘s top
rebounder, w ill provide more scoring opportunities for the Tams.
Bench mob – Paul Sanga‘s three-point bombs and RR Garcia‘s instant offense must be
there if the Tams w ant to end the series quickly.
What‘s at stake?

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The Tams hav e never been this realistically close to the championship since the Arwind
Santos era and anything less than a finals appearance would be a disaster.

UE Red Warriors (Record: 10-4)

Keys to v ictory:

Ride the momentum – The Red Warriors are among the hottest teams with their six-
game w inning streak. They are peaking at the right time.

Big men play big – their solid frontcourt in Pari Llagas and Elmer Espiritu must show solid
numbers, as they are both playing in their final year. These two are capable of
challenging the Tams‘ rebounding.

Lee-Acuna Explosion – Paul Lee and Val Acuna should be able to give the Warriors a
boost. Lee‘s penetrations and Acuna‘s outside sniping should provide the inside-outside
threat they need to force a rubber-match on Thursday.
What‘s at stake?

The Red Warriors are looking for redemption. They nearly bagged the crown two years
ago after sweeping the eliminations but fell to the Green Archers. They have also lost
their twice-to-beat edge in the Final Four in the past. I t‘s been 24 long years since they
last tasted the championship and that w as in the heyday of a young but already sharp-
shooting Allan Caidic.

Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles (1st) vs University of Santo Tomas Growling
Tigers (4th)

The finalists of Season 69 face off anew, this time in the Final Four. Ateneo-UST matches
hav e proven to be intense and exciting and memories of 2006 are still fresh in the minds
of many.

Ateneo Blue Eagles (Record: 13-1)

Keys to v ictory:
Height advantage – Ateneo should use this advantage to pummel the Tigers inside.
They have the tallest player in the UAAP in Rabeh Al-Hussaini and the league‘s top
defender in Nonoy Baclao.
Slow win the game – They must control the pace and avoid playing the run-and-gun
game of UST.

Rabeh-lation – Losing one of the closest MVP races in history to Tiger Dylan Ababou,
Rabeh needs to show consistency and keep his cool especially with the referees.
What‘s at stake?

Among all, Ateneo has most to lose. They are gunning for back-to-back titles at a most
special occasion – their school‘s sesquicentennial (150th) anniv ersary.

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UST Growling Tigers (Record 6-8)

Keys to v ictory:
―ATM‖ online: Dylan Ababou, Jeric Teng and Khasim Mirza should play a monster game
if they are to extend the series against the defending champs. Ababou may be the
MVP but one man can‘t do it alone.

Rain some 3‘s – The outside shooting of the Tigers must, and I mean must, click if they
want to have a chance. The backcourt tandem of Jeric Fortuna and Clark Bautista
should draw the defense outside with their three-point bombs.

Keep it close – The Tigers cannot afford to get blown out early in the game. They must
stay close to the Eagles as much as they can because in close, pressure-packed
games, anything can happen.

What‘s at stake?

Not only is it an MVP season for Ababou but also his last. There‘s no better way to end a
UAAP career than coming out as champion.

The Final Score: When 4th Means Everything

By: Mico Halili
09/08/2009
Lifted from: GMANews.TV

If in place of basketball, Pido Jarencio‘s team played tennis, he would‘ve smashed a

racquet into pieces by now . How UST w asted tw o opportunities to clinch the fourth and
final semifinals berth is baffling. Tw o match points down the drain. Tw o match points the
Tigers w ish they could have back. First, the Tigers lose to a La Salle team that hobbled
with a five-game losing skid. Then, the Tigers play as if blindfolded against Adamson
and lose by 19 points. So instead of nudging La Salle out of contention, UST commits
tw o unforced errors to give the Green Archers the lifeline they desperately need.

On Thursday, La Salle (5-8) meets NU (2-11) w hile UST (6-7) faces UE (9-4). The Archers
need to win over NU to remain in contention. All the Archers want is to reach the Final
Four. If DLSU makes it sliding face first and loses four front teeth in the process, so be it.
After a season characterized by lack of bankable experience and below -zero degree
shooting percentages, La Salle will feel blessed to make it that far. If reports are true
that this w ill be Franz Pumaren‘s last season as coach, since Pumaren is said to be
running for congress, then at least DLSU‘s string of Final Four appearances under him
remains intact.

The Tigers need to win over UE to evade the pressure of a knockout game. UST, after
losing to a skidding team and a team already out of the running, now faces the hottest
team in the UAAP not named Ateneo. If by chance NU beats La Salle, UST should offer
hospital services for free to all NU students and faculty. I ronically, I wouldn‘t be surprised
if neither Ateneo nor FEU are eager to face U ST in the Final Four. Compared to the

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Archers, the Tigers have dependable veterans (Ababou and Mirza), renegade
enforcers (Camus) and a consistent rookie (Teng).

If DLSU makes it sliding face first and loses four front teeth in the process, so be it.
After a season characterized by lack o f bankable experience and below -zero
degree shooting percentages, La Salle will feel blessed to make it that far.

Yet, in their last tw o games, the Tigers played as if they dread playing in the Final Four.
Come Thursday, assuming DLSU defeats NU, UST chooses its destiny: either they join the
Final Four by beating UE or they drag a possible 3-game losing skid into a playoff
against DLSU.

UST and La Salle are forever connected in UAAP lore. The Tigers and Archers made the
UAAP Finals their annual tryst from 1994-1996. And every year, UST head coach Aric Del
Rosario sobbed unabashedly on the shoulders of his triumphant players in the end.
Since then, every UST-La Salle game has been played with distinct sense of history and
a different kind of fury.

Debts in the UAAP are never erased. Bragging rights are never kept in cold storage. Yet
again, the Tigers and the Archers duel for basketball credibility. Oh they‘re not fighting
for the championship. Not even a twice-to-beat bonus is at stake. They‘re battling to
stay in the hunt. They‘re scrambling to take number four because for most teams in the
UAAP fourth place is just as sweet as first.

Road to the UAAP Final

By Joey Villar
Lifted from: The Philippine Star
September 19, 2009

Eagles’ claws are for offense, defense

MANILA, Philippines - They say offense wins games

but defense wins championships.

It should hold true for reigning UAAP champion

Ateneo, w hich topped the double-round elims
with a 13-1 (w in-loss) record behind its no-
nonsense defense.

Based on the Smart Bro-powered stats provided for

by league statistician I mperium, the Eagles ranked
way ahead of the pack in terms of defensive
efficiency as they held their rivals to a league best
63.9 points a game.

Adamson and Far Eastern U were the only teams that came closest w ith norms of 67
and 67.4 points, respectively.

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La Salle, last year‘s losing finalist but was booted out of the Final Four for the first time in
14 years, came in at fourth w ith 68.6 points.

So formidable w ere the Eagles‘ defensive fort that they often forced their opponents to
take poor shot selections.

In fact, Ateneo held its foes to norms of 34.7 percent from the field or just 327 shots of
the total 937. Three hundred fifty-two misses came from the tw o-point area with the rest
coming from behind the arc.

The Eagles‘ interior defense also proved intimidating, allow ing just a league best 25.9
points, thanks mainly to the towering presence of last year‘s MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini and
shot block artist Noy Baclao.

―Basically, in my years here, our strength has alw ays been our defense,‖ said Ateneo
coach Norman Black.

Although the Eagles swept the Tigers in their two-game elimination round meetings this
year, it was the España-based squad that gave the defending champions the biggest
headache this season, next to University of the Philippines w hich inflicted the Eagles‘
only setback in the elims. UST not only scored the most points against Ateneo (77), it also
av eraged the highest in terms of single game output (73.5).

But Ateneo found ways to outscore UST in both of their faceoffs though they‘re only No.
4 in scoring with a norm of 74.4 points, four below its rival‘s league best 78.8 av erage.

Despite its clear height and heft adv antage, Ateneo has had mediocre numbers in
rebounding and inside scoring.

The Eagles averaged a seventh best 42.37 boards, trailing the Tigers who norm a fourth
best 45.04 rebounds and ahead only of the small National U side, which had 38.48.

Ateneo is also seventh in points in the paint with a 30.3-point norm, leading only arch
riv al La Salle w ith 27.7 points and trailing No. 2 UST (33.4), No. 5 NU (31.1) and No. 6 State
U (30.7), all of which have smaller frontline compared to the defending champion.

The Eagles must also boost their bench scoring.

Ateneo is No. 4 in that department w ith an average of 27 points mainly because the
starters usually get the job done.

Ateneo also leads the league in assists with 15.8, second in perimeter points with 28.2
and free throw percentage w ith 69.9 percent behind UST‘s 28.7 points and 71.5
percent. The Eagles are also second in committing errors with only 16.9 next only to
University of the East‘s 16.6.

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The Eagles are also impressive on number of block shots. They ended tied w ith the
Adamson Falcons, the Warriors and the Bulldogs in that department w ith 4.6 blocks an
outing.

Credit that to the defense-minded Baclao, last year‘s Finals MVP who is No. 2 in shot
blocks with an average of 2.5, just behind the high-leaping Elmer Espiritu of UE, who had
2.8.

Ateneo also has the league‘s best individual wing defender in Eric Salamat, w ho is tied
with UP‘s Alvin Padilla in steals with 2.1 an outing even though Ateneo is only No. 7 in
that department with a norm of 5.6.

The Eagles just couldn‘t wait to reassert their mastery over the Tigers and defend their
crown against the Tams or the Warriors.

New UE mentor starts from scratch

Coach Lawrence Chongson first act as coach of the University

of the East w as to overhaul the system implemented by the
team‘s previous mentors that proved effective but wasn‘t
enough to bring the Warriors out of a 24-year UAAP limbo.

Chongson turned the Warriors from a defense-oriented squad

into a run-and-gun team w ith a free-flowing offense anchored
on the talented Paul Lee.

The system of former UE coach Dindo Pumaren nearly got the

job done as it led to six straight post-season appearances, including one highlighted by
a historic 14-game elimination round sweep two years ago.

But the hope of a breakthrough turned into despair and heartbreak as the Warriors
were swept by the La Salle Archers in the 2007 finals.

―I n 24 years, we probably used every style in the book,‖ said Chongson, who had
coaching stints in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association and in the Philippine
Basketball League before calling the shots at the Recto-based school.

―So w hen I took over, I set them out to see the world, brought them to Disneyland in the
United States to have fun and see magic and maybe learn about it and use it to w in a
championship in the UAAP,‖ he said.

The new -look Warriors made an impressive run and finished third overall after the
elimination round with a 10-4 mark they capped with an amazing six-game streak.

It included an emphatic rout of the Tamaraws in the second round last Aug. 23 when
Pari Llagas, Elmer Espiritu and Lee poured in 24, 20 and 18 points, respectively, to help
beat FEU, their Final Four foes.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 56

UE w ould need the same efforts or maybe double it for it to pull the rug from under FEU,
which it needs to beat twice to adv ance to the best-of-three championship.

The Warriors have one of the league‘s most explosive offensive games built around Lee,
Espiritu, Llagas and Val Acuna as they averaged a third best 74.5 points an outing next
only to the Tigers 78.8 and the Tams‘ 74.5.

Lee, w ho is being strongly considered by Smart Gilas Pilipinas for inclusion to its
developmental team, led the squad in scoring (14.6 points), paced the league in assists
(4.9) and third in the team in rebounds (5.8 boards).

Llagas, for his part, is UE‘s third leading scorer (13.4) and leading rebounder and second
overall in the league (8.9) w hile Espiritu is its second best scorer (13.6), third best
rebounder (8.1) and the league‘s No. 1 shot-blocker (2.8).

Acuna, who w as UE‘s best performer when it participated in a tough tournament in Las
Vegas early in the year, averaged 10.4 points and is the Warriors‘ leading three-point
shooter by making 26 conversions.

And true to his unique coaching style, Chongson brought the Warriors down south in
Mandaue City for team bonding and exhibition games during the weeklong break,
aw ay from the pressures, distractions and excitement of a league in the grip of Final
Four.

Tamaraws’ triumvirate, backup crew up to the task

Far Eastern University‘s title bid would hinge mainly on how its
defense would hold and how its top players – Aldrech Ramos
and JR Caw aling – and the rest of the squad would respond in
the absence of Mark Barroca.

The Tams‘ top playmaker has reportedly decided to leave the

team in the most crucial stretch of its campaign following
speculations that he allegedly held back his game tow ards
the end of the elims.

FEU finished second to Ateneo after the elimination round with

an 11-3 card on the strength of their fancied troika‘s (Barroca,
Ramos and Caw aling) tenacity and a defense that could riv al that of Ateneo‘s, the
league‘s best defensive team.

The only problem FEU could face in the Final Four and in the finals, if it goes on to beat
UE, is where to go to at crunch time especially w ith Barroca out of the team.

Take for instance FEU‘s final elims match w ith Ateneo.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 57

In that game, billed as a prev iew of this year‘s finale, the Tams built leads of as many as
17 points in the third quarter only to blow it after self-destructing in the last period for a
heartbreaking 73-74 defeat.

The setback also blew FEU‘s bid to snatch the top seeding in the post season although it
enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against UE in the Final Four.

The reliable Barroca and the prolific Cawaling failed to dish out their usual best in that
crucial encounter with only the vastly improved Ramos showing up and coming
through with a double-double effort of 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Sources even said those solid numbers by Ramos were enough to net him the MVP
trophy had the Tams took that one.

Despite that loss, FEU coach Glenn Capacio remains confident that his veterans will
step up as they go up against the Warriors today.

―What can I say, they‘re my veterans and I will alw ays have a faith in them,‖ said
Capacio, looking for his third Final Four appearance in as many seasons as coach,
referring to Ramos, Barroca and Cawaling.

Overall, the Tams remained formidable.

FEU‘s offense is one of the finest in the league with a norm of 74.9 points, second to
UST‘s 78.8.

It complemented the Tams‘ pressure defense, which is third best in the league w hen
they held down their foes to just 67.4 points a game, next to Ateneo‘s 63.9 and
Adamson‘s 67.

The Tams are at their best when they defend the wing, allowing only a second best 25.5
percent of their opponents‘ shots from the rainbow area, next to the Eagles (24.6
percent). The Morayta-based squad w as also tops in limiting perimeter points with only
21.7 points.

―Of course, our defense is still our source of strength,‖ said Capacio, who has steered
FEU to a couple of pre-season titles but never on a stage as big as the UAAP.

However, the Tams would need to match or better these figures against the Warriors,
whom the former beat, 76-72, in their first round showdow n last Aug. 9. But the Recto-
based team evened things up with an 87-72 rout in the second round last Aug. 23.

In that humiliating second round setback, FEU had no answer to the high-scoring trio of
Pari Llagas, Elmer Espiritu and Paul Lee, who erupted for 24, 20 and 18 points,
respectively.

But the Tams are expected to clamp dow n on UE‘s top gunners, clinch the w in and
av oid going into a sudden death affair.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 58

―We have to stop them, they‘re the ones w ho took charge w hen we lost to them,‖ said
Capacio referring to Llagas, Espiritu and Lee.

But if only Cawaling and Ramos could dish off the games expected of them and the
rest could step up at crunchtime, FEU will be hard to beat.

Tigers underdogs but can be ruthless

The Ateneo-UST Final Four match -up will be a clash of teams

with contrasting styles with the Eagles tipped to use their
dreaded defense against the Tigers‘ v aunted offense.

While Ateneo baffles its opponents with its league-best

defense, UST pounds its riv als with its free-wheeling offense that
is the best in this season.

In the Smart Bro-backed stats, the Tigers were clearly ahead in

points scored for by averaging 78.8 points, nearly full five points
ahead of the second running FEU Tams with 74.9 points.

Dylan Ababou, this year‘s MVP, proved to be the Tigers‘ chief gunner.

A mainstay of Smart Gilas Pilipinas, Ababou piled up stellar scoring norms of 18.9 points,
way ahead of last year‘s MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini, w ho had 16.5.

The 6-4 Ababou is also the only player who churned out double-digit outputs in all 14
elimination round games.

His highest production was a 30-point explosion in a104-89 rout of National U in the first
round last July 16 w hile his lowest w as a 10-point effort against FEU, 63-90, also in the first
round last Aug. 6.

Ababou also blossomed into all-around player, finishing joint eighth in rebounds with Al-
Hussaini with averages of 7.1 and has a 2.5-assist norm.

Khasim Mirza, who like Ababou is also playing his last season as a Tiger, is the other
reason UST‘s offense remains as fluid as ever with the 6-6 guard finishing sixth in the
league in scoring with an average of 13.5 points.

UST is also a force to reckon with in three-point shooting, draining the most triples by any
team this year w ith 102 conversions. Only Ateneo has a better percentage from long
range territory as it made 87 of 273 shots for 31.9 percent compared to UST‘s 102-of-344
clip for 29.7 percent.

The bulk of those triples came from UST‘s diminutive but sweet-shooting pair of Clark
Bautista and Jeric Fortuna, who buried 26 and 21, respectively.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 59

Ababou, Mirza and rookie sensation Jeric Teng each hit 14 treys while injured Allein
Maliksi accounted for 10 triples.

But w hile UST frolics in offense, the same could not be said of its defense.

The Tigers allowed their riv als to score a season high 82.1 points a game and w ere even
beaten by weaker teams like the NU Bulldogs (75.3) and the UP Maroons (79.1).

While deadly from behind the arc, UST had a hard time neutralizing the opposing
teams‘ shooters, who had feasted on the team‘s defense with 108 triples and 31.6
perimeter points.

The Tigers also miserably failed in defending the lane, allowing an av erage of 33.3
points in a tie with the Warriors at No. 5.

But UST coach Pido Jarencio remains hopeful of the Tigers‘ chances against the Eagles,
citing their unforgettable title run in 2006 w hen they bucked overwhelming odds to
snatch the championship.

―We remained confident of our chances,‖ said Jarencio, whose team w as swept by
Ateneo this year, 93-77 and 80-70.

―Remember 2006. We started with a 2-5 (w in-loss) record but made it to the Final Four.
Needing two wins to adv ance to the Finals, we beat UE twice then we came back from
a Game One loss in the finals by winning Game Two and then Game Three in overtime.

―Now we‘re the No. 4 seed in the Final Four and back as underdogs. We‘re excited of
our chances again,‖ Jarencio said.

So are the Eagles.

ATENEO BLUE EAGLES – UST GROWLING TIGERS

SERIES
September 30, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
Ateneo Blue Eagles 81–64 UST Grow ling Tigers

Tigers eye survival against Salva-less Eagles

By Alder T. Almo
20 September 2009
Lifted from: I nquirer.net

Manila – Overshadowed by the drama that surrounded the other Final Four pair, the
defending champion Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles and the University of Sto. Tomas
take the spotlight on sold out Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 60

The second Final Four match pitting the title protagonists in 2006 is scheduled at 3:30
p.m.

Ateneo, w hich topped the eliminations w ith 13-1 record for the second straight year is
heav ily favored despite the suspension on forward Nico Salv a.

Salv a w as slapped w ith a one-game suspension after being caught punching Jens
Knuttel in their last game in the eliminations.

―Even without Nico (Salv a), it doesn‘t really matter. We are still ready for them (UST). I t‘s
easier for me to motiv ate my players because they know the next game after this is
already the Finals,‖ Ateneo coach Norman Black told uaapsports.com in a phone
interview .

Salv a averages a fourth-best 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds on 17.2 minutes off the bench.
He was instrumental in slowing down this season‘s MVP Dylan Ababou in their first two
meetings.

The Tigers lost their first two meetings by an average of 11 points and barely made it to
the semis. These are the reasons why the odds are stacked against them.

Carrying the underdog tag, however, is no longer new for the Growling Tigers, w ho
once pulled the rug from under the Eagles back in the 2006 season Finals.

The w ards of Coach Pido Jarencio have their heads shaven anew in a show of solidarity
heading to the Final Four. They have been living together in a room inside the UST Gym
since after the second round.

The Tigers would need a collective effort from the league‘s best individually gifted
players. Ababou, Khasim Mirza and Rookie of the Year Jeric Teng must click all at the
same time to stand a chance at forcing a rubber match.

―Final year ko na ‗to kaya ibubuhos ko na lahat. Gusto kong umalis sa UST na may
magandang alaala,‖ Ababou said.

The key for the Tigers is to slow down Rabeh Al-Hussaini. They did this w ith a relative
success in their first two meetings but forgot about the Eagles‘ shooters.

Ateneo‘s second stringers Emman Monfort and Kirk Long torched them w ith career
games on both occasions, respectively.

In the event UST can pull an upset, the rubber match will also be played on Thursday in
the same venue together with the UE-FEU match.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 61

 Blue Eagles not haunted by 'Ghost of 2006' vs Tigers
September 20, 2009
Lifted from: GMANews.TV

The Final Four matchup between top seed and defending champion Ateneo and
lower-ranked University of Sto. Tomas somehow brings back memories of their playoffs
show down in 2006.

Back then, the Blue Eagles finished first at the end of eliminations and the Grow ling
Tigers third. They eventually met in the finals and the underdog squad from España Blvd.
stunned the favored Eagles, 2-1, after dropping the series opener.

To some, history could repeat itself, the "Ghost of 2006" could haunt the Katipunan-
based team yet again.

For the multi-titled mentor, it's all in the past, the circumstances and cast having
changed since.

"We could not really live in the past anymore," Black said. "It is irrelevant. They are
completely different teams (from 2006). Players present at that time are no longer in the
team and have moved on (with their careers)."

Since then, Ateneo has got the numbers of UST. They outclassed the Tigers in their one -
game playoff for a spot in the semis against eventual champion La Salle in 2007 (w hen
UE swept the elims for an outright finals berth). And over the past two years, the Eagles
swept their elimination encounters with the Tigers.

On Sunday at the Big Dome, Black intends to continue the trend.

"(Our) preparation (against the Tigers) is the same (as our last games)," said Black,
whose wards enjoy the win-once advantage in this semis pairing. "We are just going to
make sure we are prepared (for whatever defense they employ) and how we are
going to attack it."

He noted that the Tigers have been playing zone the last few games.

On their end, he said they intend to clamp dow n on the Tigers' aces, especially UST's
MVP Dylan Ababou, who has been, to borrow the words of coach Pido Jarencio,
"super" this year.

"He is definitely our concern," Black said. "We hope to limit him to his average and
prevent him from hav ing a big game."

The champion mentor also took note of UST's other weapons such as Khasim Mirza, Jeric
Fortuna, and rookie of the year candidate Jeric Teng.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 62

"They are not a one-man offensive team," Black pointed out. "But Dylan w ill be our
concern."

Despite being the best defensive team this season, the Eagles are also proficient on the
offensive end, having the best three-point percentage.

They could also match up with the España-based squad's running game, averaging
11.8 fastbreak points per game, just a shade shy of UST's 11.9.

"We will run with anybody," Black said. "We will run on every opportunity possible."

As the No. 1 team, the Eagles enjoy the twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four,
meaning they can afford to drop the first game this Sunday at 3:30 pm. and still make it
to the best-of-three finals by winning the second game on Thursday.

But knowing Black and Co., the Eagles w ill definitely prefer to take the short route to the
finals. Unless the upset-conscious Tigers, coming off a three-game slump in the elims,
spoil their plans the w ay they did in 2006.

Eagles rout Tigers on way to final

By Joey Villar
Lifted from: The Philippine Star
September 21, 2009

MANILA, Philippines - Top seed defending champion

Ateneo put on a strong start and a stronger finish as it
outclassed University of Santo Tomas, 81-64, yesterday to
make a return trip to the finals of the 72nd UAAP seniors
basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Cheered on by the predominantly blue-clad supporters,

the Eagles jumped the gun on the fourth seeded Tigers
early and then unleashed a series of runs in the second
half to finish off their hapless riv als and roll to the best-of-
three finals starting on Sunday.

―Of course you never expect to win by a big margin but

you go into the game with the attitude to be the one to
jump at them,‖ said Ateneo coach Norman Black.

―We wanted to start it off with a good run because we didn‘t want to happen in this
game w hat happened the last time out against FEU,‖ he said, referring to their come-
from-behind win over the Tams that gav e them the No. 1 spot in the Final Four.

This marked the seventh time Ateneo earned a trip to the championship round, w inning
four titles along the way, including a sweep of arch rival La Salle last year.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 63

Second seed FEU and No. 3 University of the East dispute the other final berth on
Thursday. The Warriors forced a sudden death for the other final berth by beating the
Mark Barroca-less Tams, 84-74, in their ow n side of the Final Four last Saturday.

Jai Reyes fired 17 points he spiked with three triples while Ryan Buenafe stepped up big
in the absence of Nico Salv a, suspended for one-game suspension for punching FEU‘s
Jens Knuttel in their last game of the elimination round.

―Ryan (Buenafe) stepped up big time and w e told him that he w ould have to do that
because Nico Salv a is out,‖ said Black. ―Both he and Nico are normally the offensive
weapons and options for the second team so with Nico out, he became the No. 1
option. He really stepped up offensively, I think he also played pretty good defense for
the most part.

―I challenged Jai (Reyes) about four games ago and I told him that I hoped to see his
best at the end of the tournament. If you remember last year, he w as really one of the
main reasons why we won the championship,‖ he said.

―I t‘s painful,‖ said UST mentor Pido Jarencio, who steered the España-based school to
the 2006 title on his rookie year as a coach. ―Probably the guys were pressured.‖

Smart Gilas Pilipinas standout Dylan Ababou carried the load for the Tigers again but
the Eagles‘ firepower proved too much for the Tigers.

The reigning MVP played his last UAAP game by pouring in 19 points and hauling down
eight rebounds with one assist.

UAAP Notes: Unlike the first Final Four match w here there were empty seats, the
attendance for the Ateneo-UST duel drew a bigger crowd of 11,577 paying patrons...US
Ambassador Kristie Kenney w atched the game and brought along former Ateneo
captain Chris Tiu and fellow Smart Gilas Pilipinas player Japeth Aguilar...Alvin Teng,
called the Robocop during his PBA days, was in blazing yellow shirt to cheer for son
Jeric Teng, the talented rookie Tiger...Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny
V. Pangilinan was also in the crowd to support Ateneo.

The scores:
ATENEO 81—Reyes 17, Buenafe 15, Al-Hussaini 14, Baclao 13, Salamat 6, Long 6, Chua 6,
Sumalinog 2, Austria 2, Monfort 0, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0.

UST 64—Ababou 19, Mirza 14, Teng 10, Bautista 9, Fortuna 7, Afuang 4, Camus 1, Maliksi
0, Aytona 0.

Quarters: 22-16, 40-31, 63-44, 81-64

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 64

 FEU TAMARAWS – UE RED WARRIORS
SERIES
September 30, 2009
Araneta Coliseum
FEU Tamaraw s 74–84 UE Red Warriors
FEU Tamaraw s 72–78 UE Red Warriors

Warriors ready for Tamaraws, with or without Barroca

Lifted from: GMANews.TV
September 19, 2009

Whether or not controversial pointguard Andy Mark Barroca suits up for Far Eastern U in
the UAAP Final Four is the least of University of the East coach Lawrence Chongson's
concerns.

For Chongson, it would be the Red Warriors themselves who would make their destiny,
not Barroca and his reported falling out with the twice-to-beat Tamaraws.

"Irrelevant naman para sa amin kung maglalaro sa kanila si Barroca o hindi. Basta kami
we are fighting for our lives para makarating sa championship," said Chongson.

The Warriors would enter Saturday's Final Four hostility hot from a six-game w inning
streak and their bond made stronger by a team-building session in Cebu over the
weekend.

For the host Tamaraw s, the mission would still be the same w ith or without Barroca - nail
the first berth in the best-of-three championship series of Season 72 with one win over
the Warriors.

The Morayta-based squad posted an 11-3 mark in the two-round eliminations, yielding
the No. 1 position to Ateneo after their 73-74 heart-breaker to the Eagles. I n that loss,
the Tams squandered an 18-point lead and Barroca struggled with a meager eight
points, all in the first canto, w hile committing four turnovers.

The 5-10 guard has since skipped the Tams' practices and on Thursday, his manager Ed
Ponceja announced that Barroca w as leaving the squad. Ponceja said the
Zamboanga pride w as disgruntled w ith what he felt were baseless accusations of
game-fixing from team officials.

FEU officials had kept mum about the matter and said they would issue their official
statement right before the 3:30 p.m. setto.

The tw o protagonists and U-Belt neighbors split their two meetings this season with the
Tamaraws prevailing in the first round, 76-72, and the Warriors hacking out vengeful 87-
72 rout last Aug. 23.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 65

The w inner of the FEU-UE Final Four pairing would meet the victor of the Ateneo-UST
semis match up. The Eagles, at No. 1, enjoy a w in-once incentive against No. 4 UST
when they hit the court on Sunday.

Warriors force rubber match with Barroca-less Tamaraws

September 20, 2009
Lifted from Ngetstudio.com
(GMANews.Tv )

University of the East rode on the hot shooting of guard Paul Lee to beat an Andy Mark
Barroca-less Far Eastern U side, 84-74, and force a rubber match in their Final Four
matchup Saturday in the UAAP Season 72 men's basketball tournament at the Araneta
Coliseum.

Lee fired four long triples in a telling 16-5 bomb that allowed the Red Warriors to
overturn a one-point deficit and erect an 84-74 cushion entering the final 1:21.

The veteran Lee, taking advantage of the absence

of the controversial Barroca and the inexperience of
FEU rookie guard Ryan Garcia, finished with a
career-high 26 points (six triples) along with eight
rebounds and seven assists.

"I 've been with him (Lee) for almost a year na. I've
seen those shots time and again from him. Siguro
ngayon it came at a v ery special time kasi our backs
are against the wall," said Chongson, w hose No. 3
seeded Warriors w ould take on the No. 2 ranked
Tamaraws again on Thursday in a sudden death duel
to determine the qualifier to the best-of-three finals.

It w as the seventh straight w in dating back to the

eliminations for the Warriors, who also drew solid
games from v eteran big man Narciso Llagas (19
points, 12 rebounds and one block) and Val Acuña
(17).

Aside from keeping their finals hopes alive, the Recto-based dribblers also made a
breakthrough in their otherw ise fruitless Final Four stints the last 11 years.

"Coming in here, ngayon ko lang nalaman na first win pala ito ng UE sa Final Four since
1998," Chongson noted.

Barroca out of Tams' lineup

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 66

The Tams did not field in erstwhile team leader Barroca, who had a falling out with the
team over allegations of game-fixing, in their important showdown with their U-Belt
neighbors.

"With the objective of improv ing team chemistry, the FEU Tamaraw s have decided to
play our Final Four game today without Mark Barroca," the team said in a press
statement issued before the game.

After the game, though, FEU athletic director Mark Molina said the Tamaraw s had
altogether delisted Barroca from their roster for the remainder of the season and even
beyond.

"He won't play for the rest of the season, he probably won't play for the FEU Tamaraws
anymore," Molina said.

He stressed though that FEU is not kicking Barroca out of the school.

"The last time we talked w ith Mark, we told him that he'll still be a student. He's
scheduled to graduate October 2010 and his scholarship will remain until he finishes his
studies at FEU," said Molina.

Barroca had himself expressed his desire to leave the Tamaraw s and instead
concentrate on his playing career with the Smart Gilas national team, according to his
manager Ed Ponceja.

But against the Warriors, it was apparent Barroca's leadership at the point was missed
by the Tams.

The player supposed to fill in for him, Garcia, w as totally outplayed by Lee and his
crucial error on an inbounds play and a missed a layup in the middle of the Warriors'
rampage proved costly for the Morayta-based crew .

The scores

UE (84) -- Lee 26, Llagas 19, Acuña 17, Espiritu 8, Reyes 6, Lingganay 4, Ayala 3, Tagarda
1, Zamar 0, Acibar 0.

FEU (74) -- Sanga 22, Garcia 16, Ramos 12, Cerv antes 8, Cawaling 5, Noundou 5,
Manalo 4, Knuttel 2, Caluag 0, Eguilos 0.

Quarterscores: 25-18; 37-38; 62-55; 84-74.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 67

 UNBE-LEE-VABLE
September 20, 2009
By: Joey Villar
Lifted from: The Philippine Star

University of the East leaned on a strong second-half effort by Paul Lee as it shocked a
Mark Barroca-less Far Eastern U, 84-74, yesterday and forced a w inner-take-all match in
their Final Four duel in the 72nd UAAP season at the Araneta Coliseum.

The w inner between FEU, which carried a twice-to-beat advantage, and UE will
adv ance to the finals against either Ateneo, the No. 1 team in the elims, and UST. The
Eagles will go straight to the finals if they beat the Tigers today at the Big Dome.

Lee exploded with 22 of his career-high 26 points in the second half, unloading a
barrage of triples in the fourth quarter as the Warriors lived to face the Tamaraw s anew
on Thursday and shoot for a slot in the best-of-three finals.

"Actually we've been doing these things since I took over, but people just alw ays find
ways to frown on what we're doing w hen we were losing," said Chongson, whose
charges are now on a seven-game streak.

Chongson was all praises for his talented guard whom he assigned as the center of his
unconventional system.

"I 've been with him for almost a year and I 've seen those shots time and time again from
him. Maybe it came at a special time because our backs are against the wall, it's really
perfect timing," he added.

It also helped that Barroca was not allowed to play.

"Actually, I 've prepared for FEU. Remember we beat them by 15 points in the second
round with Barroca. I salute Barroca but then again I will not allow one player to beat
us," said Chongson.

It also didn't help that veteran guard Jens Knuttel pulled a hamstring during the game
and that Cameroonian rookie Pipo Noundou played with a hurting ankle.

"The team played well, our defense against Paul Lee in the first half was okay but we
couldn't stop him after that, he really hit many triples," said FEU mentor Glenn Capacio
in Filipino. "I'm satisfied w ith how we played. Defensively, we have to adjust.

"He (Barroca) is a big loss of course since he's really in our rotation plus the fact that we
lost Jens (Knuttel) -- that punched a bigger hole in our guard rotation and Pipo
(Noundou) played only 60-70 percent," he added.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 68

At first, the game was a virtual shooting match between FEU's Paul Sanga and UE's Val
Acuña, w ho buried six and five triples, respectively.

That's w hen Lee, on his third season, decided to join the fun by torching the Warriors
with six triples in the second half including five in the pivotal fourth quarter.

The Tams seized a four-point lead twice early in the third period, the last at 50-46 w hen
Sanga buried a triple but Lee ignited a 16-5 blast with an eight-point splurge to go into
the final canto with a 62-55 adv antage.

Sanga, who finished with his league best 22 points, wasn't finished as he lit another
blistering run that gave FEU a 72-71 upper hand w ith a little over five minutes remaining.

And then Lee found his rhythm again and unloaded eight of his team's last 10 points to
power the Warriors to the win.

"We practiced last night (Friday) and I really concentrated on my shooting, I 'm glad I
made the big shots in this game," said Lee, a former San Sebastian high school
standout.

Sanga finished w ith a team high 22 points w hile RR Garcia and Aldrech Ramos, a Smart
Gilas Pilipinas veteran like Barroca, had 16 and 12 points, respectively.

But with Barroca-who averaged a team-high 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and
1.6 steals--out, Knuttel sidelined and Noundou ailing, Capacio had to dig deep but just
came short.

Tams, Warriors clash for 2nd seat

Lifted from: The Philippine Star
September 24, 2009

MANILA, Philippines - University of the East and Far Eastern University clash today in
sudden death for the right to face Ateneo in this year‘s UAAP men‘s basketball finals
with the Warriors enjoying the momentum over the Tams still reeling from the ouster of
their top player.

Drawing a superb, all around game from Paul Lee and pouncing on the absence of
Mark Barroca, the third seeded Warriors tamed the No. 2 Tams, 84-74, in their Final Four
duel last Saturday to force a knockout for the second finals berth.

Gametime is at 3:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.

The defending champion Eagles sealed the first championship berth by blasting the
University of Santo Tomas Tigers, 81-64, in the other Final Four pairing last Sunday.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 69

With Lee churning out a career-best 26-point performance, the Warriors dominated the
Tams minus Barroca, who was dropped from the roster for good on game-fixing
allegations following a drop in his performance towards the end of the elims.

But UE coach Lawrence Chongson said the win would be meaningless if they couldn‘t
finish their riv als off with another victory today.

―Our w in last Saturday would mean nothing if we can‘t pull it off again today,‖ said
Chongson, who moved the team closer to what could be the school‘s only second
finals stint in 23 seasons.

―FEU just struggled that day because it was their first game without Barroca,‖ said
Chongson.

FEU coach Glenn Capacio is expected to come up with key adjustments although the
Tams w ill be one less player more as veteran guard Jens Knuttel sustained a torn
meniscus and is out of the season.

―I ‘m sure they have made the necessary adjustments. They simply have too many
options in their game,‖ Chongson said.

Barroca, currently with Smart Gilas Pilipinas playing the Singapore Slingers in Singapore,
was the Tams‘ top scorer with norm of 12.7 points he spiked w ith 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists
and 1.6 steals. Knuttel averaged only 1.3 points, 0.7 rebound and 0.6 assist but had
been one of the team‘s top playmakers the whole season.

But Chongson said the loss of the controversial Barroca and the sturdy Knuttel are only
tw o of the Warriors problems in their match against the Tamaraw s.

―Knuttel is the least of my worries. It‘s (Paul) Sanga, (Aldrech) Ramos, (Reil) Cervantes,
(RR) Garcia, (JR) Caw aling and Noundou,‖ he said.

Focus will also be on Lee, who pumped 22 of his total output in the second half,
including 14 in the fourth quarter when he single-handedly buried the demoralized
Tams.

―We need to improve on our defense, that‘s the most important thing we need to do,‖
said Capacio.

FEU is gunning for a seventh finals appearance while UE its second since the Final Four
format w as introduced 15 years ago.

Interestingly, FEU is the league‘s winningest team w ith 19 w hile UE and UST hav e 18
apiece. La Salle comes next with seven crowns w hile Ateneo has won four titles so far.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 70

 Warriors 'will' their way to Finals
By: Alder T. Almo
24 September 2009
Lifted from: uaapsports.com

MANILA –The University of the East (UE) Red Warriors

willed their w ay to the Finals after hacking out a 78-72
win over second seed Far Eastern University (FEU)
Tamaraws on Thursday in the 72nd UAAP Final Four at
the Araneta Coliseum.

Trailing the Tamaraw s for three-fourths of the game,

the Warriors tightened its defense in the final canto to
sweep the Tamaraw s in their Final Four series.

The w in also gave UE the right to challenge

defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Finals.

FEU was enjoying a 68-63 lead in the final 8:10 of the

fourth period w hen UE‘s back-up guard Rudy
Lingganay suddenly sprang to action, scoring five
straight points. He also fed Pari Llagas for the go-
ahead lay-up to grab the lead, 70-68, for the first time
since the opening quarter.

Lingganay‘s charge led to a 15-4 finishing salvo that extended UE‘s winning run to eight
since the eliminations.

―I challenged my veterans especially the senior players at halftime and asked them, do
you w ant this to be your last game,‖ UE rookie coach Lawrence Chongson said. ―We
just showed the Warrior will‖

This is UE‘s fifth Finals appearance since winning the UAAP title in 1985 w hen the Warriors
were still bannered by Allan Caidic and Jerry Codiñera.

The Warriors‘ last fought in the Finals in 2007 when they posted a 14-0 record in the
eliminations to earn an automatic berth in the Finals. The De La Salle Green Archers,
however, swept them in the Finals.

The remnants of that fateful 2007 team scored all but two of UE‘s total points in this
game.

Lee and Val Acuna paced the Warriors with 17 points each while Llagas, Lingganay
and Espiritu combined for 37 points. Even seldom-used Toto Bandaying chipped in five
markers in a surprising starting role.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 71

―Basta gusto naming makabawi sa mga masasakit na talo namin noon. Gusto naming
ibahin ang tingin nila sa UE at i-break ‗yong jinx,‖ an emotional Lee said afterw ards.

Playing for the second straight time without Andy Mark Barroca, FEU apparently
headed to secure the game as it was ahead of UE during the first three quarters.

FEU, behind Ric Cawaling and Cameroonian rookie Pippo Noundou, opened the game
with a 12-point lead, 27-15, late in the first period. The Tamaraw s were also leading at
the break, 51-45.

However, the Tamaraw s collapsed in the second half, apparently missing a ―go-to-guy‖
dow n the stretch. FEU shot a woeful 29 percent from the field in the second half.

―Malaking bagay rin na wala si (Andy Mark) Barroca. Di mo matataw aran ang talent
'nung bata,‖ assessed Chongson.

The Tamaraws w ill now miss the Finals for the fourth straight season. The last time FEU
appeared in a Finals match was in 2005 when Arw ind Santos led the Tams to w in the
UAAP title.

―Masakit, kasi ang ganda naman ng ipinakita namin. We just fell short,‖ said FEU coach
Glenn Capacio, w ho took the reins in 2007.

Caw aling and Noundou led FEU with 19 and 16 points, respectively. They, however,
were held to just a basket each in the second half.

The Scores:

UE 78 –Lee 17, Acuna 17, Llagas 16, Lingganay 15, Espiritu 6, Bandaying 5, Acibar 2,
Zamar 0, Tagarda 0, Reyes 0, Ayala 0.

FEU 72 –Cawaling 19, Noundou 16, Garcia 13, Cervantes 12, Ramos 10, Sanga 2,
Tanuan 0, Manalo 0, Eguilos 0, Caluag 0.

Quarters: 19-27, 45-51, 61-64, 78-72.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 72

THE FINALS: BLUE EAGLES VS RED WARRIORS

UAAP Finals: The Bucket List

by Christian Soler
Lifted from: I nboundpass.com

WHILE both Ateneo de Manila and University of

the East aren‘t going to literally die just yet, the
tw o protagonists for the UAAP Season 72
championship have to consider a few fine points
to escape a finals loss – and subsequently, fulfill the hunger and desire to get to the top.

The Blue Eagles are making a return trip to the finals after crushing University of Sto.
Tomas. The Red Warriors, meanw hile, have proven all the critics (myself, included)
wrong by pulling the double over Far Eastern University. It‘s only right, then, that the two
hottest teams in the league slug it out for one of the most sought-after plums in
Philippine sports.

In no particular order, and not on the big screen, here is your bucket list:

1. Do not be like FEU: For one, let‘s hope that both teams are intact heading into the
finals. To argue that axing Andy Barroca was done in the name of ―team chemistry‖ is
either of two things: a lie or the opposite of the truth. Go figure.

Now , on to the details [of FEU‘s play, not the Barroca incident]. FEU might have led early
but there were telltale signs in Game 2 that a parade wouldn‘t go through Morayta.
The Tams led by as many as 12 in that game because they shot the lights out early. So,
what‘s wrong with that? Most often than not, the hot hand will desert you, thus the
need to develop a second weapon. Ideally, that w as to attack the UE defense, and
FEU, with the exception of Reil Cervantes and Pipo Noundou [for three quarters], did not
do that. I n fact, even Noundou himself began to fall in love with the three-point shot –
clearly a match made in hell. Coach Glenn Capacio‘s unit settled for those long
jumpers down the stretch and failed to take adv antage of a UE defense that had
EDSA-like potholes for gaps.

So both Ateneo and UE have to be more multi-dimensional. While you can ―drop it like
it‘s hot,‖ according to the great Snoop Dogg, you have to have more than one
deskarte, just like the typical Filipino politician.

And speaking of hot, I would not want to share a seat w ith Capacio right now, lest the
risk of burning my behind.

2. Defense still wins championships: In basketball, the team that scores more w ins.
However, there is such a thing as an off night, when shots rim out or kill the proverbial
butiki. On the other side of the floor, however, there is no such thing. Defense
exemplifies the will to win and the lust to neutralize your opponent.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 73

Since coach Norman Black took over the helm in 2005, the Blue and White has played
splendid defense that‘s gotten better every year. 2K9 is no exception as the Katipunan
quintet is tops in points allowed per game [63.9], opponents‘ field goal shooting [34.7
percent] and opponents‘ turnover points [13.6]. Against UST in the semis, the Blue Crew
held the trigger-happy Tigers to just 27.5 percent from the field. That‘s just one of the
reasons why a Rabeh Al-Hussaini or Ryan Buenafe can get away w ith a bad offensive
showing and still come out of the Big Dome a winner.

3. …but shooting still matters: Of course. And in the Finals, both squads will make sure
that horrific shooting is out of the equation. At the end of the elimination round, Ateneo
topped the league in field goal percentage at 42.7 percent, with UE a close third at
exactly 40 percent. In their Final Four game with UST, the Blue Eagles hit more than half
their attempts, w hile the Red Warriors outshot FEU in their back-to-back stabs at the
Tamaraws.

4. History and old scores to settle: Ateneo is 5-0 against UE after the red half of Recto
pulled off that elimination round sweep in 2007. Black has alw ays had an answer to UE‘s
attack, from former coach Dindo Pumaren‘s pressure ―D‖ to Lawrence Chongson‘s
aggressive, ―take the ball strong to the hole‖ offensive scheme.

Sev en of UE‘s 16 players in Season 72 were part of that 2007 team. Before the FEU series,
that w as frowned upon. Today, it‘s become a rallying point as the Red Warriors showed
the world they were simply tired of being the team everyone beats en route to the
championship. This veteran-laden UE team has issues – issues with losing. And it‘s shown
the capacity to keep w inning this year because of its cohesiveness.

5. Want that ball: Paul Lee, a more-than-deserv ing Mythical Five team member, and
Val Acuña looked like they wanted the leather in crunch time more than their
girlfriends. When game commentators and even coaches say that ―the team w ho
wants ‗it‘ more will w in,‖ they link ―it‖ most often than to the player(s) w ho‘ll demand
the ball w hen the game is on the line.

This is not to say that ball hogging wins games [i.e. Leo Canuday]. Wanting the ball
goes hand-in-hand w ith knowing exactly what to do w ith it. That‘s w here Ateneo will
miss Chris Tiu, and here‘s w here Al-Hussaini needs to come in. His counterpart, Pari
Llagas, told me at the start of the season that it would be tougher to defeat the
defending champions than FEU because of Al-Hussaini‘s presence. If he commands
that offense with gusto and not his temper, the Blue Eagles will be hard to stop.

Ateneo has Ryan Buenafe and Eric Salamat, tw o clutch players, while Acuña, Lee and
even Llagas have become big-game players. That‘ll be an interesting talking point
throughout the course of the series.

6. Rebounding: UE put itself in a position to win over FEU because it went toe-to-toe on
the boards. In Game 1, Chongson‘s squad outrebounded the Tams by a staggering 12
caroms.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 74

While Ateneo won over UST despite losing the battle of the boards, 45-40 last Sunday, it
still has the tools to outhustle the opposition. Nico Salva w ill be back in the finals, w hile
Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao are already equivalent to five guys blocking out for a
loose ball combined. Ateneo has the size advantage, but will it be able to use that
edge come Sunday?

There are, indeed, a lot more other departments that can be looked at, but listing all of
them dow n will make my bucket list look like a grocery checklist made by a panic
buyer who thinks the end of the w orld is upon us because UE managed to win its first-
ever Final Four [and for that matter, post-season] matchup. Truth be told, these are the
primary storylines that will determine w ho gets to stage what, w here. Will there be a
bonfire in Loyola Heights, or a party deep in Manila‘s guts? I ‘m leaning towards the
former, but that‘s not to say that UE is a bad team. The Red Warriors are for real, and
Chongson is not as bad a coach as people think. But, this is Ateneo‘s to lose.

History lesson
By Alder T. Almo
29 September 2009

More than just the championship, a lot with far greater significance are at stake in the
coming Finals series between the University of the East Red Warriors and the defending
champion Ateneo Blue Eagles.

The Warriors will be trying to hit not only two but three birds in one stone beginning on
Thursday.

First, the Warriors are just two games aw ay from ending an almost 24-year title drought.
Second, a 19th title w ill tie them with their Final Four victim Far Eastern University
Tamaraws for the most number of men‘s basketball championships. Third, it‘s their
chance to erase the bitter memories of past Ateneo victories against them.

Who could forget the famous buzzer beater shot of Gec Chia in the 2002 Final Four?

It w as the shot that immortalized Chia in Ateneo‘s basketball lore and added luster to
the 2002 Blue Eagles‘ victorious championship run.

It w as also the same shot that shattered the hearts of UE fans, who saw the bitter defeat
of one of the most talented casts ever assembled by the Recto-based school.

That 2002 team boasted present PBA superstars James Yap, Ronald Tubid, Paul Artadi
and a supporting cast led by KG Canaleta, Paolo Hubalde and Ollan Omiping.

Former league MVP Yap, Tubid, Artadi and Coach Boysie Zamar of that ill-fated 2002
celebrated UE‘s sweet victory from the gallery last Thursday. They w ere there to witness
what they could have accomplished if not for Chia's dagger shot seven seasons ago.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 75

But the connection between the Warriors and the Eagles runs deeper beyond that
memorable 2002 Final Four face-off.

In 1987, w hen the league was still played in the smaller Rizal Memorial Coliseum and
games can only be seen on TV after a week, the Eagles dealt the Warriors their most
bitter Finals‘ defeat.

As v ividly recalled by former UAAP TV anchor Mico Halili, Ateneo went on to stage the
―10-minute miracle‖ that launched the school‘s back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988.

Halili w asn't even covering the games yet at that time. He w as just a first year high
school w hen the historic game happened. However, he has a vhs tape of that game
well kept in his video collection and a framed article on that magical comeback by the
Eagles in the 1987 finals.

―UE had star players like Jerry Codinera, Wilmer Banares, Vernie Villarias, Boysie Zamar
and George Ella. Allan Caidic played until 1986 only,‖ shared Halili to uaapsports.com

Villarias went on to play for the now-defunct Pepsi team in the PBA w hile Codinera
went on to join Caidic in the pro league‘s 25 greatest players of all time.

On the other hand, Halili recounted that Ateneo had Nonoy Chuatico playing his last
year in the Blue Eagles jersey. The other members of that team, w ho went on to
complete the back-to-back title romp the following season were team captain Joseph
Canlas, Jet Nieto, Albert Mendoza, Jay Morales, Rico Santiago, Danny Francisco and
future PBA players Olsen Racela, Jun Reyes, Jayvee Gayoso, Eric Reyes and Alex
Araneta.

Back then, the league w as still using two 20-minute halv es. With 10:03 left in that title-
clinching game, the Warriors were well ahead, 83-63. They were 10 minutes away from
reclaiming the title they have lost to Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc-led University
of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in 1986.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Sev en minutes later, the Warriors‘ dream ride back to the pantheon of greatness turned
to a nightmare that sent them into years of oblivion.

At the 3:25 mark of the payoff period, Nieto gave Ateneo the lead, 87-86, and the ‗87
Eagles have authored what could be the greatest comeback in the UAAP Finals history
just as the ‗87 Warriors became a footnote of history. The game ended at 94-92 to the
jubilation of Ateneo fans and to the consternation of UE fans.

Tw enty two more years of disappointment followed. And in the coming Finals, the
Warriors finally get the golden chance for a sweet vengeance.

For the Eagles, it‘s a rare chance to revisit a glorious past. Will history finally be kinder to
UE this time? Or will history repeat itself?

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 76

 GAME 1
October 1, 2009
Araneta Coliseum

Eagles, Warriors collide

October 01, 2009
Lifted From: Manila Bulletin

University of the East owns the second most number of titles won in the UAAP men's
basketball title history with 18, tied with University of Santo Tomas and just one behind
the record 19 of Far Eastern University.

But ranged against an Ateneo Blue Eagles team that has gone 29-2 overall from last
year until this point as it seeks a second straight title, the Warriors appear not worthy
opponents, those remarkable championships in the past notwithstanding.

As Game 1 of Season 72 Finals finally unfolds this afternoon before an expected sellout
crowd at the Araneta Coliseum, the third seeded Warriors are definitely a major
underdog against the proud and mighty Eagles.

"They also have championship experience, has a rich tradition, a good basketball
program and a strong alumni support."

Indeed, everything appears to be going Ateneo's way entering a best-of-three title

series that was supposed to start last Sunday, but had to be reset because of the very
bad w eather brought by typhoon Ondoy.

The Eagles, winner of four championships, including a sweep of arch nemesis La Salle
Green Archers in last year's Finals, had lost only once in 14 games in the eliminations -- a
68-58 upset of the UP Fighting Maroons -- and made it to the championship round by
making short work of no. 4 UST Tigers, 81-64.

The Eagles, fresh from a 10-day layoff, also boasts of a solid frontline in former league
MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao and a deadly backcourt in Jai Reyes, Eric
Salamat and Ryan Buenafe.

Black, in his third Finals w ith the Katipunan-based school, downplayed the effects of the
four-day postponement had on the Eagles as w hat happened in 2006 w hen Ateneo
won Game 1 of the title series against UST, but lost the next two – and the title –
following a week-long rest due to the havoc brought by super-typhoon Milenyo.

"We can't worry about what happened in the past. We have to deal with the present,
which is to play and win for the school the title," he said.

"Besides, we're too concerned of the Finals right now and I don't believe in such things."

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 77

Daunting the task staring them, the Warriors, however, believe in themselves.

"We plan to beat Ateneo with our defense," Chongson stressed. "Our defense has been
ridiculed. Sinasabi na walang sistema or they said it's a system w ithout a system, pero
we keep on winning dahil ang habol namin ay championship pa rin."

The Warriors are going to the Finals on a hot streak,

They've won their last eight outings, including back-to-back against second seed FEU
Tamaraws in the Final Four, allowing them to earn a second trip to the championship
round in the last three seasons.

The title show down is the first for the Warriors and Eagles in the last 22 years since an
Ateneo team backstopped by Alex Araneta and Jun Reyes, beat Jerry Codinera and
the rest of the UE squad for its breakthrough title in the country's premiere collegiate
league.

This season, the Eagles also hold a 2-0 lead over the Warriors in their head-to-head
encounter.

Serving as sidelight in the title series is the expected matchup between UE hotshot Paul
Lee and Salamat, his former teammate with the four-time NCAA junior champions San
Sebastian Staglets.

"Close kong kaibigan si Eric dahil sa pinag-samahan namin sa Baste," said Lee. "Pero
siyempre sa court, magkalaban kami dahil gusto kong tulungan ang team ko na
manalo ng championship."

Eagles break rallying Warriors in Game 1

October 02, 2009
By: Joey Villar
Lifted from: The Philippine Star

Big man Rabeh Al-Hussaini played like an MVP while

diminutive Jai Reyes, airlifted from the rooftop of his
flooded house for the game, dished out a gem of a
game as Ateneo thwarted University of the East, 78-71,
in Game 1 of the UAAP best-of-three title series
yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The 6-6 Al-Hussaini tow ered over everyone else as he

buried 28 points, including eight in the fourth quarter to
break the Warriors spirited charge while Reyes tossed
in all five of his triples in the second half to help power
the Eagles to the victory.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 78

Ateneo, which also beat UE the last time they met in the finals 22 years ago, goes for a
sweep and a back-to-back title romp in Game Tw o on Sunday.

But they just couldn't find an antidote to Al-Hussaini, w hose tantalizing performance w as
reminiscent of his Game One effort last year when he scored 31 points against the La
Salle Archers on their way to their first crown in six years.

Reyes, who had to be airlifted from Riverside, Cainta, provided the spunk at the
backcourt, using the picks efficiently to sink five straight treys that broke the backs of
the Warriors.

For a w hile, the Eagles appeared headed for an easy victory when they zoomed to a
33-16 lead early in the second quarter on Al-Hussaini's inside shots.

But the Warriors, shifting from man-to-man to the zone, charged back with a fiery run
that gav e them a 35-34 edge at the break.

Rudy Lingganay took charge for UE in the second period, pouring in all his nine points,
including six coming off three steals.

But Reyes, slowed down by fouls in the early going, came to the Eagles' rescue in the
third period, single-handedly destroying UE's zone and giving Eagles the momentum.

Al-Hussaini, last year's MVP, took over in the fourth to ensure the victory.

"We played very well in the first quarter especially their man-to-man defense. When
they went to a zone against our second team we struggled a lot and we couldn't make
our outside shot," said Ateneo coach Norman Black.

"I t also hurt us that Jai was in foul trouble in the first half. But if they play us man-to-man
it's going to be easy for us to get the ball to Rabeh. If they play the zone it's going to be
more difficult so we have to be more creative on how to get Rabeh the ball. That's
what we did in the second half," Black said.

Black, however, said Reyes was the key to everything.

"Reyes made clutch three pointers. Basically, he really broke their zone open by making
the outside shots. Sometimes it takes one guy to get it done and Jai was able to knock
dow n his shots tonight he really broke their zone and really gave us a chance to w in the
game," said Black.

UE mentor Lawrence Chongson agreed.

"We know Al-Hussaini will get his numbers so we tried to limit the rest but Jai Reyes came
out big tonight -- he made three points after three points to keep them afloat w hen we
were making a rally," said Chongson.

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Paul Lee, who torched the Far Eastern U Tams w ith 43 points in their pair of shock 84-74
and 78-72 Final Four w ins, came off the bench to fire 15 points.

For a w hile, it looked like he'd bail the Warriors again as he unloaded a nine-point
barrage in the first seven minutes of the final period.

From eight points down, UE closed to within, 66-69, from a Lee triple and a pair of foul
shots, three minutes left.

But Al-Hussaini scored on a break from a UE turnover and knocked down four more to
secure the Eagles' win.

"He's (Lee) going to be the headache on Sunday also -- it's not going to end. He's going
to be a headache for us. Their backs are against the w all now so even more so he's
going to come out firing so we just have to continue to defend him -- w e're not going to
stop Paul Lee, we'll just try to control him the best we can," said Black.

UAAP NOTES: The Eagles also found ways to take away the players' distraction from
tropical storm 'Ondoy.' 'I'm not going to say it's easy because some of our players were
really affected by the floods. Our campus w as heavily hit and then a lot of our players
are living in Marikina, some in Antipolo so they're affected by the flood,' said Black. 'A
lot of their homes were flooded. UE probably had the same concerns but it was very
difficult getting them focused. I n case of Jai, he was stuck in his roof for 24 hours where
the flood w as all the way up to the second floor so you can imagine how hard it is for
him so we try to support him as much as we could so he could get over the incident as
much as possible,' he added.

The scores:

Ateneo 78 -- Al-Hussaini 28, Reyes 17, Salv a 8, Buenafe 7, Austria 6, Salamat 4,Long 3,
Baclao 3, Chua 2, Sumalinog 0, Monfort 0

UE 71 -- Lee 15, Llagas 13, Acuna 13, Reyes 11, Lingganay 9, Espiritu 8, Acibar 2, Zamar 0,
Bandaying 0

Quarterscores: 24-11; 35-34; 57-53; 78-71

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 80

 GAME 2
October 3, 2009
Araneta Coliseum

Warriors forge rubber match;

Blow Eagles off the court by 20 in Game 2
October 04, 2009
By Jasmine W. Payo
Lifted by: Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines - Dominant in all departments,

the University of the East Warriors mocked the odds to
forge a winner-take-all UAAP championship
show down.

The Warriors reduced Ateneo into a fumbling bunch

and roared to a surprising 88-68 blowout victory,
spoiling the Blue Eagles‘ bid to sweep the title series
in Game 2 of the men‘s basketball Finals at the
jampacked Araneta Coliseum.

Elmer Espiritu highlighted the rout w ith a spectacular

alley-oop dunk off a Paul Lee assist that silenced the
predominantly Ateneo crow d and gave the Warriors
a 19-point adv antage, 79-66, w ith four minutes left.

―I t has been said that it‘s the discipline of Ateneo

versus the emotions of UE,‖ said UE coach Lawrence
Chongson after his Warriors tied the best-of-three
series at 1-1.

―But discipline has its limits. We knew they weren‘t just going to take shots, we knew they
were going to execute. We had patience in our defense.‖

The climactic rubber match of the best-of-three championship duel is set at 3:30 p.m.
on Thursday also at the Big Dome with the Eagles aiming to clinch the school‘s first
back-to-back title romp since 1987-88 and the Warriors vying to end a 24-year title
drought.

Espiritu paced a show by UE‘s big men with 22 points built on an impressive 8-of-12 field
goal clip. Pari Llagas came off the bench with 19 markers on top of six rebounds and
five assists.

―We were playing loose, there was no pressure,‖ Espiritu, the newly minted Defensive
Player of the Year, said in Filipino. ―After Game 1 we wanted to avenge our loss right
aw ay.‖

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 81

The Eagles w ere a mere shadow of their form in their 78-71 Game 1 v ictory as the
Warriors came out firing in the second half to finish with a remarkable 52.2 shooting
percentage.

―We have been criticized a lot for our system,‖ said Chongson, whose Warriors snapped
the season-best 12 game w inning streak of the Eagles, w ho won their first three meeting
with their title rivals.

―We‘re really an offensive team, but the defense is still there.‖

It was the most lopsided championship match since 2003, when Far Eastern University
rolled past Ateneo, 83-65.

―Obviously, they shot the ball extremely well from the perimeter, which is something
they haven‘t done against us, especially their big guys,‖ said Ateneo coach Norman
Black.

―We have to do a better job defending the three-point line against their big guys. We
also gave up a lot of back-door plays in the second half.‖

It w as Black‘s worst UAAP beating since July 10, 2005, w hen the Eagles absorbed a 78-
60 setback against the La Salle Green Archers on his league debut.

UE also held down Rabeh Al-Hussaini to 18 points after the 2008 Most Valuable Player
av eraged 28.3 points in Ateneo‘s first three wins over the Warriors.

―What went right was our defense,‖ said Chongson. ―We went zone (defense), we
gambled on it, we clogged the middle and finally reduced Rabeh‘s output against us
because he always plays his best game against UE.‖

The Warriors shot 47.4 percent from three-point range, spiked by Espiritu‘s 4-of-5
shooting, while the Eagles struggled with 20.6 percent.

Paul Lee added 13 points, including six in the third quarter when the Warriors took their
first double-digit adv antage at 63-53.

―I told the boys we‘re playing the game of our lives, that we were fighting for our liv es,‖
said Chongson.

Val Acuña also delivered in key stretches for UE to finish with 12 points and eight
rebounds, w hile guard Rudy Lingganay added seven markers, eight boards and three
assists.

Back-to-back triples by Espiritu and Llagas at the start of the last period pushed the
Warriors ahead, 69-53.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 82

And the Eagles‘ frustration showed late in the game when Ateneo guard Emman
Monfort was slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul for elbowing Espiritu, with the Warriors
up, 79-60.

―Our defense broke dow n in the second half,‖ said Black as the Warriors outscored the
Eagles, 50-28, in the second half.

The scores:
UE 88—Espiritu 22, Llagas 19, Lee 13, Acuña 12, Lingganay 7, Reyes 6, Zamar 5, Duran 4,
Tagarda 0, Bandaying 0.

ATENEO 68—Al-Hussaini 18, Monfort 12, Reyes 11, Baclao 10, Austria 6, Salamat 4, Long
3, Chua 2, Buenafe 2, Sumalinog 0, Salv a 0.
Quarters: 18-15, 38-40, 63-53, 88-68

GAME 3
October 8, 2009
Araneta Coliseum

Five (Ateneo 71 vs. UE 58)

October 9, 2009
Lifted From: Ateneo.edu.ph
By Rick Olivares

The meek have inherited the earth.

Now , they are the strong. The barren w asteland of the 90s is but a memory. The three
titles of the new millennium have confirmed that the Ateneo Blue Eagles have
reclaimed their place in the basketball firmament w ith their 71-58 demolition of another
storied team – the University of the East Red Warriors -- in the third match of a best-of-

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 83

three finals series. I t is the biggest haul in a decade since the four crowns of the 1950s. I t
is the sixth time the Blue Eagles have accomplished back-to-back title wins (1931-33,
1953-54, 1957-58, 1975-76, and 1987-88).

The fifth UAAP title gives Ateneo a total of 19, including the 14 won in the NCAA.
Collectively, our trophy count ties us with Far Eastern University and the University of
Santo Tomas for the highest ever in college basketball.

At the center of it all is that dominant big man, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, w hose stratospheric
rise to basketball stardom no one had charted. And he joins a pantheon of great
Ateneo centers that include Rico Villanueva, Danny Francisco, Steve Watson, Marte
Samson, and Moro Lorenzo, to name a few. Mastery

But Norman Black, the man w ho guided the blue and white back to the throne is the
longest tenured Ateneo coach since the Maestro, Baby Dalupan, w aved his magic in
the NCAA. Dalupan w on back-to-back titles w ith players like Steve Watson, Joy Carpio,
Fritz Gaston, Chito Narvasa, Padim Israel, and Pons Valdez to name a few.
Like Dalupan, Black is a Philippine Basketball Association Grand Slam w inner. But the
Maestro achieved the feat when he concentrated on the Crispa Redmanizers
(although he did guide the UE Red Warriors to an all-time best seven straight UAAP titles
in the 60s). Black, on the other hand, achieved that trifecta of crow ns during the 1989
season as a player-coach for San Miguel Beer.

In Black‘s five years in the Ateneo, he‘s compiled a sterling record of 65 wins and 18
losses. That right there is a 78.31% w inning percentage. He‘s won two UAAP titles in three
Finals appearances and doesn‘t look to stop there.

Did anyone think that the team w ould go 13-1 in the eliminations again?

If there wasn‘t a doubt that the Blue Eagles would repeat, there were questions, and
quite some disappointment, that they couldn‘t get the job done in Game 2 against the
Red Warriors. Even worse, some painted comparisons between the crushing Finals
defeat of 2006 and Game 2 this year.

If there was any unw avering belief that they could get the job done, it was the Ateneo
coaching staff and the team. After the team w alked off the floor victims of an 88-58
mauling, Black drew up the game plan for the next match.

―Did we execute what I wanted?‖ w as the terse question.

To a man, the team mumbled, ―No.‖ There was a feeling of massive overconfidence
heading into that match. The pre-game talk of celebration filtered about which left
team officials concerned. ―We have been trying to temper those feelings,‖ revealed
team manager Paolo Trillo. ―After all, there‘s still a game to play.‖

The w ords were prophetic as the blue and w hites ran smack into a hungry UE team that
wanted to prove it belonged on the big stage. And they were dealt the worst loss in the
Norman Black era – a 20-point thumping that revitalized their foes.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 84

 Coupled with a Game 2 loss by the Ateneo Blue
Eaglets, quite a few in the media wondered about
―the choking Eagles.‖ It w as UE‘s first Finals win since
1985 w hen Allan Caidic led them to their last pair of
titles.

―We didn‘t take care of business,‖ summed up Jai

Reyes, who suffered from a miserable shooting day.
―But we‘re ready.‖

Ev en as Ateneo attacked UE‘s zone from the

opening tip, it seemed that the Red Warriors‘ outside
artillery was still on target as Paul Zamar and Rudy
Lingganay zeroed in on the basket to keep pace
with the defending champs.

But after Rabeh Al-Hussaini scored on a lay-up from a

pass from Jai Reyes, to shift the score in favor of
Ateneo, 10-8, the Blue Eagles never looked back.
Fourteen of their 21 firstquarter points came from inside. The challenger‘s interior
defense was so porous that it looked like a lay-up line for a w hile.

Lawrence Chongson, who has surprisingly turned into a good coach, knew that Ateneo
would watch his perimeter shooters and promised to add a new wrinkle to their game.
―We will fight fire with fire,‖ said the rookie mentor who referred to taking the game
inside.

The Warriors made their run and came close at 28-25 following a Paul Lee lay-up. But
they needed more than just Lee and Espiritu scoring. Pari Llagas, who played superb in
Game 2, w as hardly a factor as he finished with a measly 3 points, all of them coming
from the free throw line.

In the clutch for all the marbles, Ateneo‘s players – including guard Eric Salamat w ho
was a non-factor in the first two games – stepped up big time.

With UE triple-teaming Al-Hussaini as Jai Reyes and Emman Monfort were misfiring from
the outside (0-6 from 3-point land beyond the arc), Ryan Buenafe, already a bigtime
player but still with boatloads of potential and promise, drove inside and played stifling
defense on Lee. He finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks.
His energy helped the blues to a 40-25 halftime lead. While the double-digit lead gave
Ateneo a huge cushion to work with in the second half, they braced themselves for the
inevitable UE run.

The Recto squad opened the third quarter with Espiritu and Val Acuña hitting a triple
each.

Ateneo stuck to its game plan and went inside. As UE doubled down low on the Blue
Eagles‘ center, Jai Reyes answered with consecutive treys to make it 48-31.

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 85

Now the challengers w ere really in trouble for Ateneo w as clicking inside and outside.
When Al-Hussaini hit another jump hook to give Ateneo a 20-point lead at 67-47 with
4:10 left in the game, the final minutes were just a formality.

Tw enty-two years ago, it was UE that spotted Ateneo with a 20-point bulge with the 3rd
quarter almost done. This season, they came back from huge deficits against FEU and
Ateneo. I n the latter, they fell short as time ran out on them. As for Game 3, the Blue
Eagles made sure that the final score in the final game of the season was never in
doubt.

As Paul Lee dribbled out the remaining seconds of the game, the scored pegged at 71-
58 for all eternity as an Ateneo v ictory, the jubilant Blue Eagles and their supporters
raced onto the court in tears and rapturous joy as confetti rained down on them.

The crown w as defended. The fifth UAAP title – the 19t h overall – w as in the bag. The
sixth back-to-back title had been secured. Another improbable and exciting season
that started in blue ended w ith the league and the basketball landscape awash in
blue. It was a fitting gift an Atenean could have on the school‘s sesquicentennial -- a
men‘s basketball championship to go with the Small Basketeers title and Juniors‘
second straight championship banner.

As is the custom, the team and its officials, and supporters retreated to the Church of
the Gesu for a Thanksgiving Mass, and words of joy, hope, and reflection.

Reyes, who had matched his Uncle Jun‘s feat, spoke revealingly about his ordeal as a
victim of Typhoon Ondoy. He w asn‘t alone in that respect, several team members from
Nico De Chavez, Frank Golla, Nico Salv a, and the Juniors‘ Paolo Romero suffered from
the tragedy.

If anything, he spoke of being grateful for what he‘s been given as much has been lost
including homes and belongings. I t w as something University President Fr. Benviendo
Nebres, S.J. reiterated, that just as the relief efforts have brought everyone together, so
too, has the wondrous championship.

The once meek have now inherited the college basketball landscape. Now let‘s be
humble about it.

Ateneo 71 – Al-Hussaini 21, Reyes 16, Buenafe 10, Baclao 8, Salamat 7, Long 7, Salv a 2,
Monfort 0, Austria 0

UE 58 – Lee 21, Espiritu 16, Acuña 8, Lingganay 5, Zamar 3, Llagas 3, Flores 2, Reyes 0,
Duran 0, Ayala 0

DATE COMPILED: June 2009 – December 2009 | the articles are lifted from the following sites:
www.philstar.com www.abs-cbnnews.com
www.inquirer.net www.ngetstudio.com
www.inboundpass.com www.uaapsports.com
www.gmanews.tv www.ateneo.edu.ph

College Basketball Archives - UAAP 2009| 86