On the Cusp?- Ateneo Takes Game 1

by Migs

So I was fortunate enough to have eventually gotten General Admission tickets to today's game. The money shelled out was worth the it. Period.

Game 1 of the UAAP finals featured all of the drama and grit expected from a finals tiff, and furthermore, a battle between Ateneo and De La Salle.

Here are some of my initial postgame thoughts on the much hullaballoo-ed opening salvo of the Season 71 finals.

*Rabeh Al Hussaini pretty much stamped his name of the MVP trophy via his 31 point performance in this contest. Save for a few fumbles, his calm (almost stoic) demeanor and solid footwork and soft touch reminded me of another former MVP- the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan. If he plays this way in Game 2, Ateneo should be able to wrestle away the title from their nemeses from Taft.

*La Salle took way too many errant jump shots today. As much as Ateneo's perimeter defense ought to be credited for shadowing the Archers' jump shooters, there were also a handful of tosses that could have been avoided had the Archers swung the ball around a little more. Again, credit is due the Eagles defense for clogging up the inside, ergo, making La Salle settle for more jumpers than trysts into the paint.

*Rabeh may have scored 31 markers today, but Nonoy Baclao provided a number of emphatic moments on defense. Any doubt about how intimidating the West Negros native can be on the inside? Just ask Rico Maierhoffer who, by my count, was denied- twice. He even had a "Wesley Gonzales" moment after his final, Earth-shattering block against Maierhoffer. What "Wesley Gonzales" moment am I talking about? Dig up your old 2002 UAAP finals VCDs and check out the final moments of regulation of Game 1. Look for Wesley Gonzales, who then, wore number 15 for the Eagles, and consequently, look for Mark "Captain Hook" Cardona, who then, wore number 17 for the Green and White. From there, note the similarities. Boom.

*Chris Tiu scored 26 points in Ateneo's first game against DLSU. Today, he only scored 2 points in spotty minutes on the hardwood. I think that Coach Black balanced out Chris' minutes on purpose, giving more floor time to guys like Yuri Escueta and ex-pat guard Kirk Long. Coach Norman's a master tactician, and while last year's "magic hugot" in the Final Four was forward Mike Baldos, in this game, it was giving more minutes to Escueta and Long (and even Bacon Austria) who, conveniently enough, played solid basketball, especially on the defensive end.

*Give props to Rico Maierhoffer for being aggressive and not making questionable decisions on the floor. He may have been overwhelmed by the Eagles' imposing front line, but then he did the right thing in trying to combat the Blue's twin towers. He kept attacking the basket. He was judicious, for the most part, about throwing up jumpers. He kept his emotions in check (the usually stoic Nonoy Baclao turned out to be the most animated cager of the day). Rico played well, but if DLSU wants to win, he'll need more consistent help. JVee Casio scored in the twenties, but not without a lot of ugly bricks having been volleyed. James Mangahas, Maui Villanueva, Simon Atkins, Bader Malabes and PJ Barua were pretty much non-existent in this afternoon's contest. Someone's got to step up not be erratic for the Green side on the offensive end, lest they get crushed by Ateneo's ground n' pound attack.

Speaking of ground n' pound...

*Apart of Rabeh's usual exploits, Ryan Buenafe had his way with La Salle's forwards today. He didn't cruise through scoring lanes per se, however, he did manage to slither past DLSU's supposedly quicker wingmen using strength and savvy positioning. With Rabeh, Ryan, and Nonoy barrelling through the Archers' paint patrollers, speedsters like Jai Reyes and Eric Salamat gained just enough confidence to chuck up (and nail) 3's, or go in closer for pop shots or layups/And 1's.

*The Ateneans wore "Norman Black" tribute warmers today. Norman Black wore number 24 during his PBA days. The shirts the boys wore were black. You can't get any cooler than that.

*Coach Norman Black can be mad about one thing- his team's love for turnovers. The Archers' press is suffocating, yes, however, it could be better. Fix this problem, and close the door on DLSU for the title.

*Perhaps Coach Franz should consider playing PJ Walsham more to try and counteract Ateneo's size inside. If PJ avoids doing things outside his scope of influence- like taking 3's- he should be able to help.

*Jai Reyes seems to be a man on a mission. Heady play from the 4th year point guard in Game 1 helped further bury DLSU on the offensive side of things. Okay, so Jai made a bad pass or two, but then on the whole, I think he played "spark plug" well enough to offset his bungling. Kudos to Eric Salamat for his usual "microwave"-ish play as well.

*The Archers have to realize that they aren't the offensive juggernaut they used to be. Ergo, if they want any shot at winning Game 2, they need to play gang defense on Ateneo's bigs. They need to pressure the ball in the backcourt, but then, get back on defense in time to cover the paint. On offense, they need to play an impeccable perimeter game, along with staying aggressive enough to attack the hoop to try to fish for fouls from the Eagles' bigs.

*Ateneo's target stats for Game 2- 75 or more points, 5 or more threes, 10 turnovers or less, 4 or fewer misses from the line.

*DLSU's target stats for Game 2- 75 or more points, 8-10 threes, 4 or fewer misses from the line, 25 or more fastbreak points, a 45 or more percent from the floor.

Initial Prediction- DLSU victory in Game 2 by 8-10 points.

Revised Prediction After Game 1?- Ateneo by 7-9. Ateneo wins championship.

(But hey, 2006 could happen to Ateneo- again, despite their defensive prowess.)

Good luck with your search for tickets for Thursday. :)

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