In line with the ongoing University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball tournament, this weekly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their quest to reclaim the crown.

Recap of the Week (October 21 to October 28):

It was business as usual for Ateneo during their last eight-day stretch, as they racked up a pair of wins over respectable competition. In their game against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, the Blue Eagles faced a deficit entering the fourth quarter for the first time this season. However, just like their win over the National University (NU) Bulldogs, Ateneo turned it on in the fourth quarter and managed to lock up a Final Four spot in double-digit win.

A week later, the Blue Eagles faced the UAAP’s second leading scorer Alvin Pasaol and the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors. Ateneo played one of their most complete games of the season setting season-highs in points, field goal percentage and assists, while limiting Pasaol to a season-low eight points. The 24-point blowout served as the Blue Eagles’ biggest winning margin of the season, and secured Ateneo of at least a twice-to-beat advantage after the elimination round.

Upcoming Games:

November 4, Saturday, 2:00 PM vs the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers

November 8, Wednesday, 4:00 PM vs the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons

November 12, Sunday, 4:00 PM vs De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers

1. It is time to start considering a possible elimination round sweep.

In the press conference following last Saturday’s win over UE, Head Coach Tab Baldwin brushed off a question on his Blue Eagles being just three wins away from sweeping the Elimination Rounds.

“I don’t care if we’re one win away or five hundred wins away from a sweep; The only thing that matters is UST,” he said, referring to the team’s upcoming game with the Growling Tigers.

Baldwin’s comments echo his entire team’s mindset of taking the whole season one game at a time. However, because Ateneo has already locked up a twice-to-beat advantage, it is difficult to ignore the possibility of a sweep, including the automatic slot in the UAAP Finals that comes with it, when taking into account how dominant the team has been all season. One very telling statistic of Ateneo’s might is that they hold an average win margin of 14.1 points.

It is even harder to brush off the thought of Ateneo running the table considering that it’s one of only two tangible goals that the Blue Eagles can still accomplish, along with securing the top seed.

In order to gain the lofty advantage, the Blue Eagles must still conquer a three-game gauntlet during a nine-day stretch that starts this Saturday. They begin by facing a winless, but desperate UST team that gave the Blue Eagles a scare in the first round. Four days later, they play another desperate squad in the UP Fighting Maroons, who are currently battling for the last slot in the Final Four. The Blue Eagles should be wary of these teams as back in Season 72, Ateneo’s lone elimination round loss came against that season’s last place team, UP.

However, assuming the Blue Eagles rack up two more wins, they will only be able to secure a sweep if they win the last game of the elimination round against their archrival and most formidable competitor, La Salle. That game will surely be a true test for Ateneo, considering La Salle is the only team that the Blue Eagles did not defeat by double-digits this season.

Because the Blue Eagles still have to win out against the bottom of their second round schedule to sweep the elimination round, it may be good for the Ateneo faithful to take a cautious approach entering this last stretch of games. But, with just two weeks left before the postseason, and with the Final Four picture beginning to take shape, it may also be safe enough to say that Ateneo fans can start dreaming of the possibility of their first ever UAAP Men’s Basketball elimination round sweep.

2. The Ateneo offense has been spectacular.

When the Blue Eagles get into their offensive rhythm, they are nearly impossible to stop. The team currently averages 106.4 points per 100 possessions, top in the UAAP, and sports the second-best field goal percentage behind DLSU at 43.3%. Ateneo’s free-flowing attack, which plays to the strengths of the players that Coach Tab Baldwin has to his disposal, has been the driving force for the league’s best offense.

Thirdy Ravena has been one of the focal points for Ateneo. The forward averages a team-high 14.3 points per game, using his athleticism and footwork to rack up points near the basket and through free throws. The threat Ravena poses to defenses when he attacks the rim opens up the game for his teammates. He draws in defenders to help corral his drives, giving good looks outside to the sweet-shooting backcourt duo of Matt Nieto and Anton Asistio.

Chibueze Ikeh’s ability to salvage points through second-chance opportunities—he averages 4.1 offensive boards per contest, third in the UAAP—has been extremely important when their shots do not fall. Vince Tolentino’s efficient scoring and playmaking capabilities as a big man has been the glue to Ateneo’s well-rounded starting lineup.

The Blue Eagles’ depth has helped maintain this offensive proficiency even when the starters hit the bench. The team shuffles between the guard rotation of Jolo Mendoza (who leads the entire UAAP with a 57.1% percent from deep), Aaron Black, and Tyler Tio. All are capable scorers that have the ability shoulder the offensive load on a good day. Ateneo’s spacing expands when Baldwin trots out Isaac Go and Raffy Verano— two bigs who shoot 33% and 30% from deep, respectively—on the court at the same time.

Ateneo plays an offense that emphasizes ball-movement, constant motion, and screens on and off the ball. Even when the team runs isolation plays, which normally only happens late in the shot clock, the other players are not stagnant; action on the weak side of the ball takes place to keep the defenses on their feet.

Vince Tolentino with a niiiiiiiiice dish to Chibueze Ikeh! #UAAPSeason80 pic.twitter.com/8vxkimLBs6

— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) October 28, 2017

The intricate half-court sets the Blue Eagles run can conjure easy baskets, and are a joy to watch. The players are patient in allowing the play to develop and are disciplined to know when to make the right pass. Aside from these, the Blue and White also take care of the ball, averaging 16 turnovers per game, the lowest number in the league.

Coach Tab Baldwin has also proven to be a masterful tactician. Against UE, the Ateneo gaffer geared the team’s offense towards exploiting Alvin Pasaol, who Baldwin described as a “one-way player,” on the other end of the court.

The Blue Eagles’ first few possessions began with Ravena, who was being guarded by Pasaol, clearly trying to attack the paint to take advantage of the slower UE forward. When Pasaol was assigned to Tolentino, the Blue Eagles ran their team captain through a series of pick and rolls, which led to layups and forced Pasaol to switch onto speedier guards like Matt Nieto. Pasaol picked up two early fouls as a result of this, and ended the match with only eight points—his lowest output of the season.

“[Foul trouble] gets into a player’s mind. When you’re out there trying to operate with a couple of fouls early in the game, it really distracts you and takes away from your aggressiveness,” Baldwin said. “When Alvin [Pasaol] is playing free and aggressive, he’s a handful. We really felt that we only had to worry about him at one end of the floor. When that is the case, the objective is to limit him at one end and to exploit him at the other.”

The team simply possesses the perfect combination of coaching and personnel that allows them to run complex plays with relative ease. When a group of players buy into a philosophy that works, results will come instantly.