FEU vs NU: A Rivalry In The Brew?

After two ballgames, a couple of appeals, and three weeks of waiting, FEU and NU finally settled the controversy of their earlier meeting. Since the REPLAY of the supposed RR Garcia game-winner was too close to call, they had to RE-PLAY the entire game – right from tip-off.

With the game having implications on the Final Four scenario of UAAP75, many had their eyes set on it. Many also had their own opinions on the game.

I myself had a few observations, which I found out to be shared by others as proven by their tweets.

1.  Romeo needs, NEEDS to get his teammates involved

Terrence Romeo is one of the most talented college hoopers in the country right now. No doubt. But he shouldn't play hero ball. Not when he's in a team with so much talent (read: RR Garcia former MVP). Not in a game as big as this.

Romeo needs to embrace his role as point guard and become a facilitator on-court. Even Coach Bert Flores knows it. As reported by their CSR during the game, Coach Bert told Romeo, “wag ka mang-gigil at mag-tiwala ka sa teammates mo.”

2.  This game refuses to end

At the end of their September 2 meeting (aka the game that doesn’t exist), RR Garcia won the game with a buzzer-beating layup. Then NU protested. Commissioner Ato Badolato denied it. NU lifted it up to the board. The board overturned the previous decision and ordered a re-play of the entire game.

When they finally met again, the new game was just as crazy as the match that led to the it. And of course, it went to overtime. Seriously, it felt like it could go on forever.

3.  Ray Ray Parks is TOO DAMN GOOD

Bobby Ray Parks has simply taken over the UAAP. For a good stretch from midway the 4^th quarter to early overtime, FEU seemed to have the reigning MVP on check. NU couldn’t even get the ball to him.

But damn, when Ray Ray decides to put matters into his own hands, there's no stopping that man. Sabi nga nila sa DotA, GG na.

The moment he drained that clutch three, something in me knew he wasn't gonna let FEU get the last laugh.

Cold-blooded. Cold-freakin’-blooded. 

‘Nuff said.

Calvin Abueva's NCAA days are numbered. That's a good thing.

photo credit: University Basketball League

(via http://micohaliliblogs.blogspot.com)

August 21, 2012

“He’s outgrown this league.”

Those are strong, brave and candid words. Or was it just Coach Topex Robinson trying to hype up his best player who will soon play in the PBA? Or is it simply the best way to explain Calvin Abueva’s performance in the NCAA?

There isn’t much that Calvin has not accomplished in the NCAA. In his rookie year, San Sebastian bagged the championship. Last year, he brought home the MVP trophy. Now in his fourth and last year in the league, Abueva has not slowed down a bit.

Calvin has been nothing less than dominating. He has posted a double-double in nine of the ten games that they have played in season 88 so far. That includes two triple-doubles. That includes two 23-rebound games. Seriously, who the hell does that?

The only time those numbers happen is when, in your inter-barangay league, a 20-year-old kid is playing in the mosquito division. It’s not like that’s the case, right? Right?

With the way he plays and the stats he posts, Calvin makes the NCAA look like a videogame on ‘rookie’ difficulty and quarter minutes set to 12. In his worst game of the season, he managed to get 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. That was his worst game. Those numbers are others NCAA players’ career-highs already. Then again, that’s the point. Calvin isn’t just any other player.

It’s understandable why people love to hate on Abueva. He’s just too damn good. One bit of a problem, though – he wants you to hate him. He wants you to despise him. The more you jeer and heckle him, the more pumped up he gets. 

What haters don’t understand about Calvin is that his game is not about the numbers. It’s about the work he puts into it. The one time that I got to visit a San Sebastian practice, I became a witness to persistence. They were prepping for their JRU game. Calvin was down with the flu. It was a bad case. But it had no chance of keeping him away from the court. When he was not part of the group practicing the plays, he was either working with the medicine ball, doing push-ups or sit-ups. He worked his ass off. Right after the session, he rushed out of the gym telling Ronald Pascual, “’Maya na lang bro. May check-up pa ko eh.” Now that’s dedication right there.

When Calvin fails to register a double-double in a game, it makes me smile a little. Not because I’m against Baste or anything, but it reminds me that he can have ‘bad games’. It reminds me that basketball can still be a fair game after all. Ang daya kasi pag may Calvin Abueva ka. You have the league’s leading scorer, rebounder, and assists man. Then the basketball gods decided to give him Pascual and Ian Sangalang as his support crew. Un-freakin-fair.

It’s understandable, however, if people look back at that 2009 San Sebastian Championship team and say that it was Jimbo Aquino who led that team. Furthermore, I probably won’t argue with someone who says that until Calvin leads Baste to a championship this year, we can’t call him dominant.

Coach Topex’s statement might just be pure hokum. But the truth is, basketball at the college level just seems so easy for Abueva. From what we’ve all seen so far, it’s probably safe to say that there are three kinds of players in the NCAA right now – the good, the better, and The Beast.

Stop the discussion. Caguioa is my MVP. by Jutt Sulit

THEN and NOW of Ginebra.

(via http://micohaliliblogs.blogspot.com)

July 29, 2012

The Most Valuable Player. It has to be the most debated award in the history of basketball. There are just too many angles to consider. That’s why people get into insane arguments. Yet it’s not that complicated. Take it from the name. The award should go to that one player whose team won’t win if he doesn’t play. Kaya nga siya MVP eh. Kasi pag nawala siya, sa kangkungan pupulutin ‘yung team niya. And yes, winning is a requisite. If a team keeps on losing, it shouldn’t matter if one of their players scores all their points every single game. He’s not valuable. Last time I checked, the goal in basketball is to win. And that’s just what the MVP has to do.

I don’t understand the discussion. Seriously, how can you ask “David or Caguioa?” For me, it’s pretty clear. It has to go Caguioa.

Allan Caidic said it himself, “Caguioa is the heart and soul of this team.”  He said it. Even though he didn’t have to.

Ginebra is no pushover. It’s actually quite solid. Up until the twelfth man, walang tapon. Offensively and defensively, the team should stand on its own. On paper, even if you erase Mark Caguioa from the list, you would still say it’s a pretty strong team. It’s true. But no one would dare do so.

As talented as their lineup is, when nothing goes the Gin Kings’ way, Caguioa remains to be their best bet for a sure two points. In late game situations, the faith of the Barangay rests on him. They want the ball in his hands. Because when it doesn’t end up with him, what they get is a desperation Kerby three that hits nothing.

Mark is the glue that keeps the Barangay together. As cliché as it is, it’s the truth. We saw this when he went out with his eye injury. After a decent run towards the semis, a Caguioa-less Ginebra fell in the hands of B-Meg. That tells the whole story.

Hindi naman sa walang kwenta ang Ginebra ‘pag wala si Mark. Pero, hmm, kulang ng kwenta ang Ginebra ‘pag wala siya eh.

At this point of his career, Mark understands that he’s not exactly the talk of the town anymore. Soon enough, it will be time to give way to the likes of Paul Lee and JV Casio. But he also recognizes the fact that he still is Ginebra’s superhero.

The retirement ceremonies of Jawo’s jersey featured one of the most goosebumps-inducing moments in Philippine basketball – a fist-bump between the Living Legend and the legend-in-the-making. In this generation’s Ginebra, ‘Never say die’ exists because Caguioa exists.

Mark Caguioa isn’t just The Spark. He’s the whole ignition of Ginebra. No one deserves the MVP trophy more than Caguioa. That’s why the debates have to stop.

The Heart of Winning.

THE SAN BEDA SUPER SIX

Winning is everything. We hear players throw this around all the time. But whether they mean it or not, winning does feel good. Really, really good.

This leads us to a common question: what does it take to win in basketball? It’s a fair query. All players (at least, I’d like to assume) have pondered upon what they have to do to win games. That’s the first step – knowing what it takes. However, I think the better question is: what does it take to not lose?

I believe winning basketball starts from a disgust for losing. This feeling creates a drive to overcome defeat. It generates an urgency to win. And that’s what we saw from San Beda against Arellano.

After the infamous brawl between the San Sebastian Volleyball Team and the San Beda Basketball Team, more than half of the Red Lions were given suspensions. They ended up having only six players for their season 88 debut against the Chiefs. Thus, this group was labeled the “Super Six”.

It was a crazy game. Arellano came off a hot start. But in basketball, the start alone does not define the outcome. As hard as it is to say, the best example would probably be the Lakers. In fact, they deserve recognition. Perhaps the NBA record for ‘most games led by halftime then lost’.

Neither talent nor skill won San Beda the game. Heart did. That’s the only thing that could’ve.

When you play with six players, you’re not supposed to win. You’re expected to be crushed, demolished. But the Super Six found a way. They just would not accept defeat.

Three of the Super Six are fresh from high school. Two are tranferees. The other just got called up again from Team B. None of the veterans were on this squad of six. None of the Red Lions' usual go-to guys were there.

During the game, one of the six Red Lions even fouled out.

The Chiefs did play hard. It was obvious that they wanted to win. However, those six Red Lions simply refused to lose. And that made all the difference.

Coach Ronnie Magsanoc said it himself, “It was all heart.”

It all starts in the gym. That’s what they usually say about winning – that it starts in practice. But heart isn’t something you can practice. It’s innate.

It’s usually hard to differentiate ‘wanting to win’ from ‘refusing to lose’. It’s can also be difficult to determine which team is playing with more heart. But when a team of six players overcomes the odds and comes out victorious, it becomes a little easier to tell.

Asi Taulava - The Rock stays strong. by Jutt Sulit.

(via http://micohaliliblogs.blogspot.com)

May 28, 2012

Nino Canaleta was ready for his final dunk of the 2012 PBA Slam Dunk Contest. He lined up three persons under the basket. As if jumping over three average-sized people wasn’t enough, at the end of that line was the 6-foot-9 Asi Taulava. After a short gather, Cañaleta leaped off his left foot, extended his right leg, hit his crotch on Asi’s head, and made the dunk. As expected, it was a perfect 50.

As Canaleta received his 5th Slam Dunk King Trophy, he was asked how he came up with the idea of the dunk. He replied, “Yung plano naming aalis si Asi, hindi umalis!”

That’s Asi Taulava. There’s no getting rid of him. There’s no bringing him down.

You need proof?

In the early months of the year 2000, Asi was deported due to insufficient proof of his Filipino blood. Now, I’m not entirely confident about this but I vaguely remember him making a McArthur-esque statement that he will be back. True enough, he was back the following year and continued his PBA career.

More than that, he became part of Team Pilipinas from 2002 up until 2011. 9 years. Someone who got deported because he wasn’t Filipino played for our national team for 9 years.

You just can’t bring a stubborn man down.

In the game between Gilas and the Malaysians in August 2011, a certain Kwaang Yoong Jing, according to Asi, “grabbed, squeezed and punched” his balls. And no, he was not talking about the basketball. He fell to his knees for a second then quickly jumped back to his feet and unleashed a 1-2 punch combo right on the Malaysian’s face. Now I know punches belong to the boxing ring, but if someone GSP-ed (Grabbed- Squeezed-Punched) your balls, medyo hindi nga naman nakakatuwa ‘yon. Props to Asi. Not even a GSP could keep him down for three seconds.

When Team Pilipinas faced Yao Ming and the Chinese squad, Taulava went for a jumper right at the top of the key. Yao blocked it face-to-face and sent it back past half-court. What did Asi do? He hustled to get the ball back and went straight to attacking Yao’s defense again. Fine, he eventually passed the ball two dribbles into his drive. But you get the point, right?

The fighting spirit in Asi Taulava is remarkable. After 14 seasons in the league, he can still be a force on the basketball court. Yes, his numbers have gone down dramatically from his prime years. But give the guy a break; he’s freaking 39 years old.

At this point, Asi’s resiliency impresses me the most. It’s not only that he bounces back from whatever keeps him away.

The fact that he deviated from the original plan and decided to stay under the basket for Cañaleta’s final dunk seemed metaphorical.

Hindi umalis eh.

Ayaw umalis.

I don’t think we’re about to see the end of Asi Taulava.

I don’t think Asi’s ready to leave the game any time soon.

Seriously, I think the only way to get rid of Asi right now is to deport him again.

But in these fun times, when resilient Asi remains relevant at 39 years old, who would want to?