OUT NOW: Manila Bulletin Sports Digest October 2014 issue

KIA Sorento playing coach and eight division boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao makes an appearance in this month's cover.

But a true head coach is featured inside the magazine! Coach Tim Cone gets his own close up after winning his second Grand Slam last season!

Also inside this issue: Gilas Pilipinas by the numbers, Dindin and Jaja Santiago, Brandon Vera and ONE FC, and many more!

Grab your copies now!

Why the Gilas' Asiad exit hurts

Photo by Reuben Terrado/ SPIN.ph

Where do we start?

San nga ba tayo magsisimula?

Malamang sa Incheon. Kasi Asian Games.

Should we start sa Iran? Sa Korea? Sa Kazakhstan? Dun tayo natapos eh.

O sa India? Nanalo tayo dun eh. Talo tayo sa Kazakhstan. Period.

Alam ko na. It all started sa... puso.

"Ang puso ialay sa laban, kapalit ay tagumpay."

Naalala mo yung sa Sevilla? Yung World Cup, kung saan we're playing for the first time in 36 years? Kung saan nanggulat tayo. Where we reached all-time highs in the spotlight of international basketball. Kung saan minahal ng mundo ang mga nagliliitang Pilipino, nakikipagbangaan, tinatakbuhan, at tinitirahan ang mas malalaking kalaban.

Talo man, panalo pa rin. Di man naka-abante, champion pa rin. Kung saan naniwala ang lahat, kung saan minahal ng lahat, at kung saan pinalakpakan ng lahat ang Gilas.

Tapos, anong nangyari?

Honestly, di ko alam. Katulad yun ng patutunguhan ng opinyon ko, opinyon natin. Kung saan sandamakmak ang may salita, sandamakmak ang may alam ng problema, at sandamakmak ang may solusyon. Kung saan ang lahat ay may kanya-kanyang tama, pero di naman lahat makakapag-desisyon. Call ni Boss MVP yun.

Sabi ng iba, "Yan ang napapala ng puro puso. Umaasa parati, pagdating sa dulo, nabibigo. Di kasi pwedeng puro puso, dapat may utak din." Ang lalim ng hugot, akala mo, di na Gilas ang pinaguusapan.

Pero ganun naman talaga di ba? Pag mahal mo ang isang bagay, ibubuhos mo lahat, kahit na walang kasiguraduhan. Open ka masaktan, pero syempre, di mo iniisip yun. Ang nasa utak mo, yung happy ending sa dulo.

At para sa Pilipino, ilang beses nang naisulat, nai-TV, at nairadyo kung gano kamahal ng Pilipino ang basketball.

Bumabagyo na, basketball pa rin.

Credits to the owner.

Dinelubyo na, basketball pa rin.

Credits to the owner.

Kaya masakit.

After nung World Cup stint, ganto yung nangayari sa Gilas sa Asian Games. Laglag.

Tapos, nagkasisihan na. At malamang, di pa matatapos sa Korea yun.

Pero para saan pa? May magagawa pa bang mabuti? Makaka-medal pa ba tayo pag nagkasisihan? So kasalanan nya, ano gagawin mo?

Para ka namang di nanonood ng basketball. Team game nga, nagkasisihan pa. Bakit nagkaganun?

And worse, sa huling laro, we tried to force overtime by scoring in Kazakhstan's basket just to get the needed 11-point spread, something which we're not even sure of. Of course, Marcus Douthit's "own goal" was nullified due to the FIBA International Basketball Rules. This came after we erected an 18-point lead, na nawala na lang parang bula.

For some, it was a desperate attempt to advance to the semifinals. Gagawin ang lahat para manalo, which is tama naman.

But for others, it was a slap in the face of the sport we all love, a mockery of the sport of basketball.

In short, nakakahiya.

It was a sour end to Jimmy Alapag's international career, and a sorry dent on the Philippines' proud basketball heritage.

But maybe, its a chance for Gilas to reassess its state, to refocus on what should be done and should be improved.

Yes, this might be a start of a better tomorrow for the Philippines. We proved we can match up with the world's bests. Now its time to rethink our assets and come back stronger, silence our Asian rivals and rack up medals once more.

The Kazakhstan game, as much as we try to forget the weird ending it brought, will stay with us for the long time, just as Lee Sang-min's trey in the 2002 Asiad. 

But remember, sometimes we win, sometimes we learn.

Gilas' season ends with this "win" over the Kazakhs, but it doesn't end here. Lets come back stronger, make use of all the assets that we have, and prove that the Philippines is really a force to be reckoned with. Its time to put all those lessons and moral victories to the test and make it a reality. Napatunayan nating kaya natin. Oras na para ipakita ring kaya nating manalo.

Also, for the men and women who made the Gilas' dream run possible, maraming salamat.

Kapitan Jimmy's international career ends here.

Eerily, it feels like a graduation, too.

"For together we stand, divided we fall. Together we climb to the top of the world."

#LabanPilipinas #PUSO

In Defense of the NCAA

Photo by Angelo Falcon/ Rivals PH

By now, I guess you already read and watched the bench clearing brawl that has happened in the NCAA last Monday.

NCAA commissioner Bai Cristobal has already laid down the law, suspending 17 players and indefinitely relieving the three referees officiating the game.

I think we can all agree that the free-for-all was such an unfortunate incident, more that it has happened to a league like the NCAA.

But what prompted me to write about this are the uncalled for comments hurled in social media.

One comment which irked me reads: "Buhay pa pala yung NCAA. SMH."

Go ahead, shake you head. Ginusto mo yan eh.

Yes, the NCAA has really suffered a dip when it comes to media mileage. Even before when they were still with Studio 23, NCAA games were shown on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to give way to the playdates of the UAAP. That didn't help the connotation that the NCAA is a second-tier league compared to the UAAP.

There's a reason why MVP supports Ateneo more vocally than he does San Beda. There's a reason why La Salle is in the UAAP and St. Benilde is in the NCAA. And there's a reason why scalpers enjoy an Ateneo-La Salle rivalry game than a San Beda-Letran rivalry game.

We can never shape the public's minds enough when it comes to which league is better. It has already been judged.

But remember, the NCAA is where we got Calvin Abueva, Ian Sangalang, RJ Jazul, Raymond Almazan, and, in a stretch, Jayson Castro. It is where rookies Kevin Alas, Ronald Pascual, Harold Arboleda, and Juneric Baloria came from. And in the near future, this is where Baser Amer and Earl Scottie Thompson will look back at.

Yes, people might say that the NCAA is an inferior league compared to the UAAP, but there is no doubt that the current crop of guys can match pound-for-pound with their UAAP counterparts. It just so happens that you watch more UAAP games on TV.

We, the sports media, also agree that the level of physicality in the NCAA has better equipped the players when they take their talents to the D-League (That's right, the league your Daniel Padilla was supposed to join), and even in the PBA, while the UAAP has been more of a glamour league as of late.

I'm not a kissing a**es when I said that. This is coming from a writer who has covered both leagues this season. I cannot compare how it was in the past years, but I can talk about what I see when I cover the games.

All I know is that when an NCAA game is already on a halftime break, the UAAP game is just wrapping up its first quarter. You wonder why? Whistles.

The NCAA games have also been more competitive this year, and when you have Mapua, a cellar-dwelling team this season, beating Perpetual, a Final Four contender, you really know that every team, how weak they might seem to be, are really fighting for every game.

Did that make it to the nightly newscast? I doubt.

We can make an argument that the eliminated teams in the UAAP also fought tooth-and-nail in their games, and we're not discounting that. It is just that in the NCAA, "weaker" teams grab those wins and have obviously created crazy situations in the standings.

Did the Adamson win over UP, the Falcons' first victory of the season, make it to the news? I don't think so.

But UP's first round win did. But the Ateneo-La Salle encounters did.

See how the mainstream media primes the viewers' minds?

Which brings us to our next point. Another comment said, "Minsan na lang mababalita, ganto pa yung nangyayari. Way to build up your name, NCAA."

When was the last time the nightly news talked about FEU winning over UE? Or when Arellano won over JRU?

But when Renaldo Balkman choked Arwind Santos, that made the headlines, right?

As much as we try to groom sports as good news, they just won't pick it up. Of course, we can't force the networks to show clips about games, games which not much people care about.

More if that is the NCAA, a league which has been perceived as a lower class compared to that of the UAAP.

There's a reason why the former is holding the games at the San Juan Arena and the latter is juggling venues from Araneta to MOA. Because not much people pay attention to the NCAA, save if you're a student from one school or you're just a diehard basketball aficionado.

Going back, we're not saying that we tolerate John Tayongtong and the proponents of the EAC-Mapua scuffle. But you have to consider what these players had to endure.

The Generals are currently dealing with an internal issue which has gravely affected their season, which saw Igee King and their Cameroonian reinforcement Cedric Happi Noube leave the squad. The players have also been the collateral damage in this struggle, as reports say that the management has not provided them with enough help throughout the course of their campaign.

You don't see that problems arising with the heavily sponsored schools. But its a sad reality for these guys, and probably for other colleges, too, which doesn't have much support for their basketball programs.

The Cardinals, also, are not that fortunate, as even before the season started, their leader Josan Nimes went down with an injury. Thus, the continuous defeats. But they have gotten to a roll as of late, which allowed coach Atoy Co to eclipse their three-win total from last year.

We're not defending the Generals and the Cardinals for their actions, we're just putting perspective to what both of these teams had to endure before this fateful encounter.

Shifting back to the game, I was there to witness it first hand.

Considering it was a non-bearing game, things seemed to be heated in the last minute, where the Generals are comfortably ahead. And when Tayongtong bumped CJ Isit, and Leo Gabo saw his teammate fell to the floor, it was a recipe for disaster. Gabo shoved Tayongtong and then, as they say, the gloves are off.

The turn of events happened so fast that you cannot blame the referees for not controlling the situation. Even the bouncers were caught off-guard in what should have been the last 28.5 seconds of an already won game for EAC.

I agree that the referees should have called a foul in that Tayongtong shove which floored Isit. Even with the game out of reach and the players just running down the clock, frustration will always be there, and with one trigger, the riot ensued.

It is no different to those of barangay leagues, where tempers are sure to flare whenever an arrogant dayo (outsider) taunts the crowd and ensues a melee. We can't blame those on the bench for both squads if they want to stand up, defend, and retaliate on their teammate's behalf.

But we're not saying that is tolerable, nonetheless, acceptable. And the commissioner has dropped the axe.

It is what it is, and any league will not tolerate such hooliganism.

It was an unfortunate turn of events for the oldest collegiate league in the country, and as much bad rep it will bring to the league, NCAA will always have physical players banging bodies and laying it all for the win.

We just hope that next time, emotional players should be kept in check and the referees should handle the situation more carefully. Lessons learned.

As for those guys wondering if the NCAA still exists, don't you worry.

#HindiPaTaposAngNCAA

Dilis Pilipinas

All photos are courtesy of FIBA.com

Twenty-four hours later, the loss still hurts.

It took me almost a day to finally accept what has happened.

But I asked myself, should it hurt the way it did?

We had a 1,000-to-1 chance of winning it all in the betting lines. We're ranked 34th in the world, and critics pegged us to finish 20th in the tournament. We're supposed to be routed by stronger, taller, and more experienced opponents. We are minnows, guppies, dilis stuck in an ocean lorded by whales and sharks.

But we proved them wrong.

We made Croatia, fourth-placer of last year's Eurobasket and ranked 16th in the world, sweat their pants and grind out a tough overtime victory. Their performance was so bad that standouts Bojan Bogdanovic and Damjan Rudez had to say they were "too nervous" with the game against Gilas.

What team is on its first world championship appearance since 1978 again? Last time I checked, Croatia almost got to the quarterfinals of the 2010 world championships if not for Serbia.

We made Greece, fifth-best in the world and one of the tallest squads in the tourney at 6-8 (compared to the Philippines' 6-3 average thanks to Blatche's 6-11 ceiling), lose its cool early behind our physicality. Nick Calathes was frustrated all game long that he had to pad the Greeks' lead in the end game.

So bad was their performance that 7-1 center Ioannis Bourousis shoved 5-7 LA Tenorio when the game ended. So much for sportsmanship from the squad which the Olympics originated.

And yesterday, we made Argentina, the 2004 Olympic gold medalists and third-best squad in the world, fight for their lives and play the toughest game they had to go through.

Yes, they didn't have Manu Ginobili and Carlos Delfino, but they are still the bronze medalists of last year's FIBA Americas. They are still Argentina – the home of Walter Hermann, Andres Nocioni, Pablo Prigioni, and (the late) Luis Scola.

Speaking of Scola, "Smile for the poster, Luis! You're on worldwide!"

But coach Julio Lamas stood there at the sidelines for two hours, nervous if he'll still have a job after the final buzzer with the way they were outplayed by the smaller Gilas squad. At the end of the night, it was status quo, as Argentina escaped with the W.

You know you made it when your opponents make excuses on how they played on a game they won.

You know you made it when one of the world's best squads make one of their NBA players shoot a three in the end game to make a nine-point lead a double-digit one, further improving their chances if everything ends up decided in quotients.

You know you made it when the winners feel like they just lost as much as the losers in the end game, prompting their coach to note that you are "the weirdest, craziest teams" he has coached against.

The minnows, guppies, and dilis of the blue ocean are really piranhas. Overlooked, underestimated, but unbowed.

At 0-3 and two games left, the Philippines' chances of advancing from the group stage is as slim as ever. But we'll take it.

Dray might be too hurt, Jimmy might be too old, LA might be too small, Jeff might miss too much threes, Jayson might be too tentative, Gary might be too cold, Ranidel might be too slow, Gabe might be too overexcited, June Mar might be too undersized, Japeth might shoot too much jumpers, and coach Chot might be too proud, but we'll still cheer on.

Coach Yeng Guiao said, "No top team in the world is going to take us for granted from now on." Its not tsamba that we stayed in step with the world's bests in our first three games. It's heart – puso.

So to answer my question, yes, it should hurt. Losses should always hurt, no matter how outmatched you are. Throw away all the rankings and past achievements. We are back in the world stage. We deserve it because we are one of the best teams in the world. Its time to prove all the doubters wrong.

There's a part of the song "Coming Home" which goes like this: "Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday."

Coincidentally, rain poured down moments after Gilas fell to Argentina on the sleepy Tuesday dusk. But the rain has stopped now, and there's nothing else to do but to bounce back.

Moral victories are over. Time to rack up those real wins, Gilas.

#LabanPilipinas #PUSO!

#TBT: 'When you play Gilas, you play against a country'

Just before Gilas Pilipinas takes on the world at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup this Saturday, here's a throwback piece I wrote when I was working as a liaison officer at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships.

*****

FOR many years now, it has been said that Philippines is a basketball-crazy country. It’s hard to see what that means until you see it with your eyes.

The decision to hold the 27th FIBA Asia Championship here on our home turf was such a monumental step for the basketball followers of this nation. All 90-plus million buzzed and dreamed big for our national team, the Gilas Pilipinas.

It’s not just going to be a home court advantage for our boys, the games will be played in the Filipino home court, an environment like no other.

We shout whenever our team is up and are making baskets. We boo almost everything in the court even though the opposing teams haven’t done anything yet. We react to bad calls, missed calls, and calls that make us scratch our heads. It is that kind of an unforgiving atmosphere that can really send chills down the spine for the guys on the other side of the floor.

Achieving the dream of winning a ticket to the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup to be played in Spain from Aug 30 to Sept 14 next year was just the icing on the cake for all the thousands who made it to the Mall of Asia Arena, and many more thousands who missed it.

Whether it may be filing in long queues just to buy the hottest ticket in town – an incomparable chance to see our national team tussle it out with the giants in Asia here on our land, or may it be doing the Mexican wave electrifying the crowd and being the most imposing sixth man on the floor, the Filipinos have done it, willing the team to remember their battle cry going into this tourney which is “para sa bayan (for the country)”.

We smiled whenever coach Chot Reyes strut down the court with his colorful polos. We shouted every single time LA Tenorio and Jayson Castro William outsmarted bigger guys and made baskets on their fearless drives. We gasped when Marcus Douthit limped down the floor. We went loud in every Japeth Aguilar dunk. We soaked Gary David with cheers of his name, willing him to deliver – and he did. We were left in awe when Gabe Norwood shut down the team’s best offensive threat. We watched all those long bombs from Jeff Chan, Larry Fonacier, and Jimmy Alapag from their hands through the air and through the net, then we went bananas.

Most importantly, we cried when they won.

That’s why almost 20,000 strong Filipinos rocked the Mall of Asia Arena every time the Philippines took the court. It was such a rare moment that Filipinos of all shapes and sizes – a hodgepodge of diverse cultures based on different influences all in the past, have come together and united as one.

We always were a basketball-crazy country. We cheered “Gi-ne-bra!” for one of the most popular ballclub in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

But this? Singing your hearts out for your country right in front of our very eyes with the chance to be tagged as an Asian royalty after long years of wait?

This is just priceless. It’s incomparable!

As they say, to see is to believe, and you haven’t seen how big basketball is to the Filipinos until you become a part of it.

Coach Chot Reyes said it best. “When you play Gilas Pilipinas, you don’t just play against a team. You play against a country.”

Scouting Report - #UAAP77 Week 1

(c) Sherwin Vardeleon

UAAP Season 77 is finally upon us! The opening weekend saw three blowouts and an intense clash between contenders FEU and La Salle. At this stage, all of those preseason predictions and rankings [I am guilty of doing one. Or two. Come on! Its part of my job!] are proven futile and should be thrown out of the window.

And with two playdates already done, lets take a quick look on the early achievers of this young collegiate basketball season and give credit to the boys who deserve it. Here we go!

WHAT YOU MISSED

July 12, 2014 - Saturday - Araneta

UE def. UP, 87-59.

FEU def. La Salle, 82-77.

July 13, 2014 - Sunday - Araneta

Ateneo def. Adamson, 79-57.

NU def. UST, 59-40.

POWER RANKINGS

1. FEU (1-0)

Terrence who? RR who? The Tamaraws showed no signs of missing last year's star guards as Mike Tolomia, Mac Belo, and the returning Russel Escoto towed FEU to a hard-fought opening day upset win against the favored La Salle team.

2. NU (1-0)

It wasn't pretty, but the Bulldogs ushered in its post-Bobby Ray Parks era with a statement win versus their tormentors last season UST, blasting their rivals with ease in a total team effort.

3. UE (1-0)

"Thunder" Dan Alberto zapped UP with five treys to set the wheels in motion for the Red Warriors' trek to the Final Four. The bench production for UE allowed coach Derrick Pumaren to go easy on Roi Sumang's exposure in opening day.

4. ADMU (1-0)

Sign of things to come? Kiefer Ravena might just have opened Chapter 1 of his "Eff-You" season this year, torching the lowly Falcons and posterizing defenders not once, but twice. "Eff-You" indeed.

5. DLSU (0-1)

The Green Archers might be stunned with an opening day loss against FEU, but it just wasn't their game to win. Expect the defending champs to bounce back in their next game – against rivals Ateneo.

6. UST (0-1)

Its just not the same without coach Pido. That's not a dig towards new coach Bong dela Cruz, but in the Tigers' first outing, the runner-ups seemed to be discombobulated [Did I spell it right?] against a more ready NU squad. The good thing is its just their first game; the bad thing is that they have to get it fast.

7. ADU (0-1)

With 11 rookies, even coach Kenneth Duremdes didn't expect the mugging they would get from Ateneo in their opener. He hoped that they would at least compete, but the team's immaturity surfaced, forcing "Captain Marbel" to reassess his plans, even if it needs him to exit the dugout in the fourth quarter of the succeeding game.

8. UP (0-1)

I'll just let this meme do the talking.

(c) UAAP-NCAA Memes

MVP WATCH

(c) Sherwin Vardeleon

(weekly production/ averages in parentheses)

1. Mike Tolomia (23 points, 4/6 3PT FGs, 3 rebounds, 5 assists in W vs DLSU): The fourth-year guard made the most of his extended responsibility, bucking a slow first half and torching La Salle with 20 second half points, as the defending champs struggled to find an answer against the Tams in the endgame.

2. Kiefer Ravena (22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals in W vs ADU): It was a statement game for the elder Ravena sibling as Kiefer really showed the way for Ateneo. It also won't hurt that he had two slam dunks which sent Mika Reyes wildly cheering from her seat.

(c) Sherwin Vardeleon

3. Mac Belo (20 points, 4 rebounds in W vs DLSU): Belo has shown tremendous improvements from his days in the Sinag Pilipinas squad, and the forward has been a workhorse in the paint against taller counterparts.

(c) Sherwin Vardeleon

4. Dan Alberto (15 points, 5/6 3PT FGs, 2 assists in W vs UP): Whoever said that Dan Alberto will be an early season MVP candidate, please raise your hands. Nobody? Exactly.

(c) Sherwin Vardeleon

5. Gelo Alolino (13 points, 6/10 FGs, 3 rebounds, 3 steals in W vs UST): It all starts with Alolino, as the NU playmaker anchored the all-around assault for the Bulldogs in exorcising the demons of their bitter UST losses last season.

BEST FIVE

G - Mike Tolomia (FEU)

G - Kiefer Ravena (ADMU)

F - Mac Belo (FEU)

F - Russel Escoto (FEU)

C - Troy Rosario (NU)

ROOKIE WATCH

(c) spin.ph/ UAAP-NCAA memes

(weekly production/ averages in parentheses)

1. Ivan Villanueva (15 points, 6/9 FGs, 9 rebounds in L vs ADMU): Extra Rice Jr.? The former Letran Squire showed his soft shooting touch even as the Falcons struggled in its first game of the season.

2. Arvin Tolentino (12 points, 2/6 3PT FGs, 5/12 FGs in W vs ADU): The ex-San Beda Red Cub lived up to his hype as he joined forces with Kiefer Ravena in the early Ateneo pullaway, draining threes amd setting the tone for the W.

3. Rev Diputado (8 points, 2/2 3PT FGs in W vs UST): Diputado, a former Bullpup, showed that his spot in coach Eric Altamirano's rotation is safe as he was solid in his time on the floor while Alolino is resting on the bench, drilling occasional threes while setting his teammates up in offense.

WHAT THEY SAID

"We're playing undersized. Si Carl Bryan Cruz nasa kili-kili na ni AVO. Sacrifice." - Nash Racela on FEU's bigs matching up with La Salle's big men.

"Maganda ba or di maganda? Kung maganda, itutuloy namin. Kung ayaw nyo eh di palitan namin. Baka mas maging topic nyo pa yung outfit namin than the result." - Juno Sauler on the coaching staff's coat-and-tie uniforms

"I didn't do anything. I'm a good boy." - Kiefer Ravena on the unsportsmanlike foul whistled on him in their Adamson game.

WEEKLY NOTABLE

The La Salle coaching staff donned these uniforms which set the Twitter world ablaze last Saturday. What do you think?

UNI-WATCH

Just a quick word on the opening day uniforms.

The Nike jerseys (Ateneo, La Salle, FEU) are still the usual, but I observed one thing which bugs me until now. The school's names, regularly emblazoned on the shirt's chest, is now placed on a lower position, particularly the "tummy area." We believe that this space is alloted for the advertising patches, but isn't it too spacious for a certain patch to be placed in the center of the uniform?

Unless... they are pushing for a sponsor's logo to be placed above the school's name in the jerseys (which just further hammers a discreet belief on the league's commercialization, if its not yet that commercialized).

NU and UST, for me, had the best opening day uniforms.

Without any biases, I liked the loudness of the UST golden yellow uniform bearing a tiger print lining in both sides.

I also liked the simplicity of NU's white uniforms, going away from the usual "big U" NU logo and the one bearing a bulldog, and rather opting with the simple "National University" text upfront. Plus points for the style of the numbers at the back, which is the same font face of those of San Mig Coffee's. [Quick tangent: NU assistant coach Mon Jose also served as a video coordinator and later, an assistant coach for the Coffee Mixers during the 2014 PBA Governors' Cup.]

Still not digging UP's threads. Its nice that you have the word "Pilipinas" written on your jersey's front (with a little "Unibersidad ng" text written above it), but the white "bibs" that hug the maroon jersey just doesn't make the cut. And I'm using that term lightly. It really resembles an infant's bib, right?

The author covers the UAAP for Balls Channel, Solar Sports Desk, and occasionally, for Inquirer Libre.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the author's employers.

A new lesson for the UE Red Warriors

Originally posted on the Solar Sports Desk on July 9, 2014

It's once again the start of the school year and as expected, eager freshmen are up to claim their fresh set of athletics shirt and jogging pants.

Up on the fifth floor of the P.E. Building, students slowly filled up the bleachers as new head coach Derrick Pumaren mapped out plays for the Red Warriors. Curiously, 6-foot-8 big man Charles Mammie is seen sitting on the sidelines, not participating in practice.

I asked him what was he doing as he sat and watched his teammates make the whiteboard plays into reality. I also wondered if he was late again, if his tardiness was what made the coach decide to sit him out just like in the past. After all, Mammie had the reputation of being a hard-head, which forced coaches to discipline the Sierra Leone-born center by keeping him on the bench.

But Charles said, “I just went from therapy and coach is reserving me for the season,” pointing to his knees.

Two elementary students soon approached Mammie and exchanged pleasantries with the big man. “They're my friends,” Mammie said, while telling stories about the kids cheering for him loudly whenever they watch the UE games.

“One of them is Ken, and the other one, I don't really know his name,” said Charles, trying to contain his laughter. He soon found out the other kid's name was Joriel. The children sat at the bleachers near Charles until an assistant coach waved them off to the other side of the court.

Later on, Pumaren asked his first and second group to proceed with their press, as the energy level in the gym got a notch higher.

Mammie stood up near Pumaren and looked on as the play transpired on the other end of the court. The 22-year-old, with a white towel draped on his hulking shoulders, barked instructions like a coach to help his teammates go to their spots.

Moments later, Pumaren blew his whistle and called his players to center court and prayed.

For some, this might signal that the practice is over. But Pumaren is no ordinary coach. The team went to one corner of the court where a whiteboard was waiting for them.

With brother and assistant coach Dindo standing, the players sat and listened as coach Derrick slowly drew arrows and circles with a marker.

Coach Derrick is now Professor Derrick.

One by one, he picked a few Red Warriors to go up and take a shot at the whiteboard. One of them was Charles. He took the marker from coach Dindo, mapped out the play, and explained what happens where. He looked at his coach waiting for a response, and the eye-glassed mentor said, “Correct.” Mammie did a little bit of showboating, looking to his teammates and pointed his index finger to his head, saying, “I know this! I'm listening,” which triggered laughs among the squad.

“Coach is a perfectionist and we have to prove that we fully understand what he is teaching to us,” Mammie said. “He's more focused on me, because when you get it wrong, you have to keep on doing your assignments.”

For coach Derrick, basketball is more than just being physically prepared for the games. That's why he has subjected the team to these post-game classes.

“I just want the players to get involved,” he said.

“I am trying to find out if they really know the plays. Its more of getting their minds ready,” the seasoned mentor said, admitting that this is the first time he has done this exercise with any squad he has coached in his almost three decades of experience.

Taking the head role in the UE fray has been quite a ride for the 51-year-old, baring that when he first took the job, he didn't even know the players' names, including the spitfire Roi Sumang.

Now? “Roi will be our number one point guard. He's one of the best point guards out there in the UAAP,” said Pumaren.

Looking at it, Pumaren's coaching career has really been a wild ride ever since he first took hold of this capacity, serving as an apprentice of Ron Jacobs with the national team in the '80s.

Through the course of his illustrious coaching career, he has seen days in La Salle, Magnolia in the PABL, and had stints in the PBA with Pepsi, Sunkist, Sta. Lucia, Purefoods, Tanduay, FedEx, and Talk 'N Text.

Before taking the UE appointment, Pumaren has been more involved in coaching consultancy duties, namely with JRU and La Salle, before lending his inputs to the Hong Kong national team for the past three years. “Sa Hong Kong, it’s like half-baked coaching. I've been in touch with basketball, but I really want coaching talaga – full-time coaching.”

And now, he's back in the collegiate circles, reinstating the patented Pumaren press in the amateurs - something the UAAP had not seen since his brothers Franz and Dindo left La Salle.

“So far, I'm very happy with how the team accepted it,” he said. “We know that we will be a pressing team. We know that our defense will be our number one offense.”

“The team is very, very into it. They're embracing the system and they are probably 60-to-70-percent there. They are not familiar with it, but they're getting there.”

Also, Pumaren said he has brought a little more than his signature press in this tour of duty with the Red Warriors.

“Discipline,” he said, as he explained how he used this technique in handling UE. “I really instilled discipline because we're going to play disciplined basketball for 40 minutes.”

“It's not just on the floor, but in and out of the court. We need to have that discipline because we have to carry that. I'm not saying that they didn't have discipline then, but I am very hard on that so we can carry that to the games.”

“For example, coming in on time. When I say nine o'clock, we start at nine. If they don't come here at nine, there will be repercussions. When its nine o'clock, its nine o'clock,” the stern coach channeling in his inner five-star general. “I don't allow players walking around on slippers, not wearing jerseys, talking, things like that. Syempre, it’s still hard. They still have their habits before, but it will take some time and we'll get there naman.”

He added, “We will be under control. We're not just going to be run-and-gun like the other teams, but we're going to play a disciplined brand of basketball.”

Though it seems like Pumaren is a hard shell to crack, you might be surprised. He is also a character. He put on a wacky smile when he gamely posed with Mammie and Moustapha Arafat for a photo. He even joked around with his players.

And maybe that’s how the UE Red Warriors will be this season: a bunch of characters.

From coach Derrick, to Roi Sumang and Chris Javier mimicking Gregg Popovich’s quotes, Bong Galanza saying he’s not Bong Galanza, Arafat striding around the court like a bird out of its cage, to Charles Mammie vowing to be mature while fooling around with his little buddies.

“I practice every day, trying to be the best I can so I can improve myself for the team,” he said. “I’ll still play with a lot of emotions, but I’m still gonna be me – Charles Mammie.  I’m more matured now and more responsible. I’ll be good.”

The only certain thing is uncertainty, like if coach Derrick really lives up to his call for his players to be matured, or if Charles can really contain his emotions this season.

But for now, the only truth is that the players will have another play to study for tomorrow’s practice-slash-lesson.

'Barometer' La Salle will be this season's favorites

Originally posted on the Balls Channel website on July 7, 2014

With an almost intact lineup and an impressive set of rookies, all will agree that De La Salle University is still the heavy favorite to reclaim the crown.

And even the other UAAP coaches are in unison in saying that the Green Archers will be this season's team-to-beat, as evidenced in the UAAP Season 77 press conference Monday at Gloria Maris in Gateway, Cubao.

Even though Ateneo and UP, which are both out of the country for their preseason buildup, are absent in the gathering, the Green Archers' impressive resume is still the talk of the town one week before the UAAP season. And every ine's eyes are solely focused on the squad in green and white.

"La Salle will still be the favorites. I think they have a better line-up this season compared to last season," said FEU coach Nash Racela.

UE coach Derrick Pumaren added, "They still have the team that won the championship last year."

"Maganda yung lineup nila because they have Fil-foreigners and locals who blend well with each other's style," said UST coach Bong dela Cruz.

NU coach Eric Altamirano butted in, saying, "It's obvious that they are a team to beat because they have a good team and they have a good coach."

"Definitely, La Salle is going to be the barometer for this UAAP season," said Ateneo assistant coach Yuri Escueta.

And who could argue that claim? The squad only lost LA Revilla last year due to graduation and will be parading "class A" rookies in Julian Sargent, Abu Tratter, Terence Mustre, and Prince Rivero, to join the complete Green Archers core bannered by Jeron Teng, Almond Vosotros, and Arnold Van Opstal.

But for coach Juno Sauler, he said that all of these preseason fanfare means nothing if his team can't focus on its set goals this coming season.

"In my humble opinion, I don’t really focus too much on expectations and what the future is according to the opinions of others," he said. "Day-by-day, game-by-game, we need to get better. We need to do that in every practice and perform every game, that’s what's most important rather than expectations."
But for this season's commissioner Andy Jao, he sees an even playing field.

"I know the teams are very competitive. I looked at their line-ups and I've seen their games in the preseason. We've seen a lot of things in basketball wherein teams have improved as the season goes along. But pre-season is very much different than the real games," he said.

"To be perfectly honest, I really see very difficult competition. As matter of fact, I expect the game of La Salle and FEU, and NU and UST to be very tough," Jao said, talking about the main games in the opening weekend.

"You know the other teams, they're very tough teams," he said. "We have some of the better coaches in the country. We are appreciative of the fact that they’ve put their talents in this league and you know it’s the premier amateur league. Schools have really supported them."

The UAAP Season 77 kicks off on Saturday, July 12, at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, with the opening ceremonies tipping off the festivities at 12:30 p.m.

Hosts UE will face off with UP in the curtain-raiser at 2 p.m., while defending champs La Salle try to open their back-to-back bid against the tough FEU squad at 4 p.m.

BALLS Channel will air same day replays of the games.

BALLS can be seen on SkyCable channel 34 or Destiny Cable channel 36.

*****

UAAP Previews: Adamson | Ateneo | La Salle | FEU | NU | UE | UP | UST

UAAP Season 77 Primer: La Salle Green Archers

Originally posted on the Balls Channel website

Head Coach: Marco Januz "Juno" Sauler (2nd season)

Last Season: Champions (10-4 in the eliminations)

                #2-seed in the Final Four; beat FEU in one game in the Final Four

                beat UST in the Finals, 2-1

Key Losses: LA Revilla, Luigi dela Paz, Gabby Reyes, Jarelan Tampus

Holdovers: Jeron Teng, Almond Vosotros, Jason Perkins, Arnold Van Opstal, Norbert Torres, Thomas Torres, Kib Montalbo, Matt Salem, Robert Bolick

Key Acquisitions: Yutien Andrada (returnee), Julian Sargent, Terrence Mustre, Prince Rivero, Abu Tratter

The Coach Says:

“My expectation for us is to play good basketball. I don’t believe in rankings and favorites. What’s more important is how you conduct yourselves during the season, during the games, and hopefully, whatever it is you want to get, you can get to that destination. We want to play good basketball. Wherever that will take us, then we’ll accept that.” – coach Juno Sauler

The Players Say:

“May pressure din sa amin kasi champions, kasi out of all the teams, kami yung team to beat. Na-feel namin na kami yun this season, because last year’s defending champion (Ateneo), sila yung target ng lahat.” – Jeron Teng, forward

“No expectations. Sakto lang, walang gaanong pressure. We’ll just promise na we will work harder time times ten than last season.” – Almond Vosotros, guard

“People are out there to get us. But we’re just getting focused on getting better as a team. We’ll be doing all we can to execute better. Every team will be a challenge.” – Jason Perkins, forward

X-Factor: Almond Vosotros

If there’s someone who has saved La Salle for a number of times in the past year or so, it’s no less than Almond Vosotros.

The 5-foot-10 killer will be playing his final year for the Green Archers, and it seems like coach Juno Sauler’s stoic demeanor which comes with his no-nonsense approach to the craft has already rubbed off to Vosotros.

“Sakto lang,” he said, when he was asked on the team’s expectation for this season.

“Honestly, si Coach Juno, the way he talks sa team, he’s very inspirational. Bihira lang siya magsalita ng marami, as in few words lang talaga. Pero talagang mage-gets mo kung ano yung point niya, kung ano gusto niya sa team, kung ano ang gusto niya para sa amin at para sa future,” Vosotros said.

And it really helps that being the floor general is like being the team’s coach on the floor.

Aside from embodying Sauler’s persona in the hard court, you better expect the 24-year-old guard to once again hit a number of those backbreaking shots, not to mention being the squad’s anchor on offense and defense.

If someone’s going to end his collegiate career with a bang, expect Vosotros to be a sure shot at it, the same way La Salle expects his treys to go in every single time.

Prognosis:

No doubt, La Salle is overwhelming favorite to repeat this season.

With a virtually intact lineup and an athletic cast of rookies coming into the fray, coach Juno Sauler will have an impressive roster at his disposal.

Already loaded from point guard (Vosotros, Thomas Torres, Kib Montalbo, Robert Bolick), wingers (Jeron Teng, Jason Perkins, Matt Salem), to the big guys (Arnold Van Opstal, Norbert Torres, Yutien Andrada), the Green Archers will also get a big boost with the inclusion of swingman Julian Sargent and hardworking forward Abu Tratter.

But despite the downpour of praise rained to La Salle, Sauler has always reminded his boys on the importance of constant improvement, and at the same time, shutting down the talks of them being the number-one team when Season 77 tips off.

Aside from the nitty-gritty of their playbook, the coach of a few words also wants to see more of the team’s consistency in their performance, as even though the Green Archers have won the Filoil preseason tilt, it showed times when the team tended to be sloppy and did relaxed when they owned big leads, costing them games in the process.

Though La Salle is convinced that their back-to-back championship aspirations would not be a walk-in-the-park, if their team, which is oozing with potential, can get its bearings together and live up to their hype, the Green Archers will be a very, very hard team to beat this season.

*****

UAAP Previews: Adamson | Ateneo | La Salle | FEU | NU | UE | UP | UST