In line with the ongoing University of Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Basketball tournament, this weekly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their quest to successfully defend the crown.

Recap of the week (September 9 to September 12)

After a trophy-laden preseason, the Blue Eagles were held on a pedestal as the favorite to win it all in the UAAP season. In their season-opener loss, however, the Ateneo Blue Eagles looked sluggish and off-rhythm as the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons took the match, 70-74.

The Blue Eagles were quick to bounce back, showing off the offensive versatility and defensive instincts that handed them three preseason crowns, as they soared over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 87-79, for their first win of the season.

Upcoming games

September 15, Saturday, 2 PM vs. Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws

September 22, Saturday, 4 PM vs. National University (NU) Bulldogs

1. Better ball movement unlocked the offense

A lack of ball movement and heavy reliance on isolation plays in the Blue Eagles’ match against AdU proved to be a bane on offense, as the team was held to just eight team assists the entire game. Against the Fighting Maroons, however, the Blue and White’s much improved ball movement and a number of good off-ball actions, including Asistio running through a double flare screen for an open three late in the second quarter, undoubtedly played a part in unlocking the offense.

Improved ball movement also enabled the Blue Eagles to put pressure on the UP defense, as they converted 26 points from 31 attempts at the charity stripe. Efficient penetration to the basket could prove to benefit the Blue Eagles as they shot a combined percentage of 79% through the first two games (48/61).

A jump in numerous offensive statistics was also evident in the team’s match against UP as the team’s offensive rating saw a jump from 81.9 to 107.6, while the team’s good perimeter looks also allowed them to increase their effective field goal percentage from 33.33% to 48.41%. The Blue Eagles crafted better chances as their contested field goals improved from 17/67 against Adamson to 19/55 against UP. Fluid ball movement freed up the team’s perimeter shooters and slashers which could prove to be lethal for games to come.

2. The importance of good defensive possessions

Angelo Kouame’s posterizing slam was just one of the 19 fastbreak baskets generated by an excellent defensive possession against UP—something sorely missing in their matchup against Adamson.

After going into halftime with just a slim three-point lead, a pivotal 7-0 run by Ateneo to start the third quarter was the momentum shift that ultimately swung the game in the Blue Eagles’ favor. This run was made possible by three defensive stops that rewarded the Blue and White easy baskets.

Defensive rebounding was also a big key in these runouts. After giving up numerous extra possessions to AdU, Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin made rebounding an emphasis against UP, and it worked. Without the luxury of having two or more chances per possession as the Soaring Falcons did, the Fighting Maroons only managed 11 second-chance points compared to Adamson’s 17. If the Blue Eagles are to retain their UAAP crown, they will need to show a more consistent defensive effort in their succeeding matches.

3. Controlling the tempo allows Ateneo to utilize their strengths

A stark contrast between Ateneo’s first two games was the pace they played in. The Blue Eagles had 86 possessions versus AdU and slowed down their offense to 79 possessions against UP. Despite playing less possessions, the Blue and White were actually more efficient on the ball, scoring 87 points against UP compared to 70 points scored against AdU.

With an offensive system built around ball movement and off-ball screens and cuts, the half court game is a comfort zone for the Blue Eagles, wearing opponents down by running the shot clock while finding a slip in the defense for the best possible shot. By playing at a faster pace as they did in their season opener, the Blue Eagles failed to utilize this advantage and ended up forcing contested shots, much to the delight of AdU’s defense.

Playing at a slower pace is also advantageous for the Blue and White on the defensive end. Forcing the opponents to run their half court sets allows Kouame to use his length in manning the paint and swatting away shots, preventing easy baskets inside. This also allows Ateneo to run their disciplined defensive schemes to disrupt passing lanes and convert easy transition baskets as they did against UP.

Pace will be a key statistic moving forward. Opposing teams will be keen to force the Blue Eagles out of their comfort zone and into a run and gun match. It will be up to Ateneo’s plethora of guards to take control of the tempo and utilize the team’s strengths. As evident in the preseason, when the Blue Eagles play to their strengths, they are unstoppable.