WHEN ASKED about this year’s competition, Blue Eagle Coach, Norman Black said, “There are no [easy games] this year”
In their first three games, the Ateneo Blue Eagles boasted wins over heavy hitters Adamson and perennial contenders UST. The Blue Eagles’ only loss came at the hands of pre-season favorites, the FEU Tamaraws, when Nico Salva’s game-tying layup came painfully short.
While the last two years have been relative cakewalks, this year they face a steep task: they will have to scrap and fight for their victories.
Musical chairs
“We understood going into the UAAP that we were probably going to play the top two teams [Adamson and FEU] back-to-back, “ Coach Black said. “We would have liked to have won both games but a split, that’s okay,” he adds.
With championship expectations, however, ‘okay’ cannot be the standard.
Breaking the sophomore slump
After being buried in a rotation that hosted resident twin towers Rabbeh Al-Husseini and Nonoy Baclao, the quality of the heralded 2008 recruitment class now takes front and center. Justin Chua, Frank Golla and Ryan Buenafe are now called to live up to the hype that followed them from high school.
But, while both Chua and Golla were bench-ridden for their first two years, Buenafe has had ample opportunity to prove himself. The San Sebastian product is undoubtedly talented, gifted with superior passing skills and a natural feel for the game that is unmatched by anyone in the UAAP.
“An in-shape Ryan Buenafe is probably one of the best players in the league,” Coach Black said. But certain problems and a struggle to keep in shape have hindered him from reaching his full potential.
Lacking a true point guard, Coach Black has put his faith in Buenafe’s abilities having started him twice in three games thus far.
Nico Salva, on the other hand, has proven to be invaluable to the Blue Eagles’ success. Salva, the only player to score in double-digits in every game, averaging a team-high 12.7 points, has been Ateneo’s most consistent contributor. With his crafty spins to the basket and a lethal mid-range jump shot, Salva has made an impact from day one. His tenacity for crashing the boards has also made him the Blue Eagles’ leading rebounder with an average of 6.7 a game.
Point guard troubles
Having been an integral element in Ateneo’s past two championship crowns, team captain Eric Salamat has yet to show his ability to run the offense, averaging a dismal 1.7 assists per game. While he is second to none in picking an opponent’s pocket, averaging 2.3 steals, Salamat has not shown the consistency that the leadership position necessitates. His clutch play has been unseen having yet to play in the final two minutes due to injury.
Back-up guard Emman Monfort is more suited to playing off the ball; a three point specialist to be chased around screens by defenders, rather than an initiator of the offense. Second-year Ateneo High standout Juami Tiongson has been solid in limited minutes but is still too inexperienced to be running the point position.
Bombing From Deep
A 1 of 15 showing from behind the arc against FEU doomed the Blue and White and Justin Chua’s late game takeover was needed to overcome a dismal 2 of 17 performance against UST.
While no recent Ateneo team has relied on the three pointer—having led the league in inside points the last two seasons—averaging a miserable 15.6 percent from beyond the arc allows the defense to pack the paint, forcing the Eagles to take increasingly difficult shots.
Defense
Defense has been the cornerstone of the Blue Eagles two year reign atop the UAAP. The coaching staff has done well to implement a defense catered for their current personnel. While the interior presence of Baclao may be gone, the funneling defense has been replaced by a much more active rotation which forces more turnovers, thus playing into the hands of the backcourt of Kirk Long and Salamat. The Eagles have also had success in forcing their opponents into difficult shots, holding them to 37.3 percent shooting from the field.
Getting Dirty
The opening loss cemented FEU’s place as the team to beat this season, but with nearly all teams coming back stronger, this looks to be one of the toughest seasons in recent history. The road back to the top would be difficult, and while the Blue Eagles were knocked down early, that’s exactly where they ought to be, down in the mud, scrapping, getting dirty and playing hard.
Editor’s Note: As of press time, the Blue Eagles have yet to face their archrivals, the DLSU Green Archers. Visit http://theguidon.com for the breaking news article on the July 24 game.
