Sports

Weekly Takeaways: Ateneo’s shaky start leads to questions about their ceiling

By Ralph Anthony Bautista, Mookie Borja and Vito Martin

Published October 12, 2022 at 11:49 am

Photo by Paulina Singh

After a quick offseason, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball Tournament is back. This weekly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles as they look to avenge last season’s finals loss.

THE ATENEO Blue Eagles kicked off their first week in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) Season 85 with mixed results, settling for the second spot in the standings with two wins and one loss. The team managed to fend off a feisty Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws team in their season opener, escaping with a 79-70 victory. The Blue-and-White then followed this victory by stunning National University (NU) with a 77-60 blowout. However, Ateneo could not maintain the momentum from the two wins, as they faltered in their third match against rivals De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, 78-83.

Despite breaking character and losing to the Green Archers for the first time since 2017, Ateneo still has plenty of time to turn things around. They are definitely equipped with the right talents and coaching strategies that will help them bounce back in their coming match-ups against University of Santo Tomas and University of the Philippines this week.

1. Chris Koon and the backcourt dilemma

Vito: AFTER A 78-47 blowout of the Adamson Soaring Falcons in the middle of season 84, Head Coach Tab Baldwin showered forward Chris Koon with praise, calling him a “guard in a 6’5” body.” Forever a man of his word, Coach Baldwin has given Koon the opportunity to show the world what he sees in the Fil-Am forward, entrusting him as the primary ball-handler off the bench.

In theory, Coach Tab’s guard experiment on Koon has a solid logical rationale behind it. Koon was one of Ateneo’s best passers in Season 84 as a wing, serving well as a secondary playmaker to the former Blue Eagles SJ Belangel and Tyler Tio. Towering at 6’5”, he has an edge over other guards because he can clearly see the passing lanes and read the defense over his smaller opponents.

However, in terms of execution, Koon has struggled in adjusting to the added responsibilities of being the primary ball handler of the team. He has been unsuccessful in bringing the ball up the floor as his loose ball-handling has been made vulnerable to the press defenses by his quicker counterparts. During the matches against NU and DLSU, the first fullcourt possessions handled by the Fil-American guard were both met with a trap that led to a turnover.

While his playmaking in the halfcourt has been much steadier, Koon’s current offensive limitations still frequently arise. He needs to prove that his on-ball skills can pose a threat on the court since the majority of his offense in the previous season was created off the catch. The struggles in his ball-handling prevent him from being a blow-by threat to the rim, and he has yet to show off-the-dribble moves in the mold of versatile players like Tio before him. Until he proves that he can be a threat with the ball in his hands, the amount of offense he can create for the others around him will continue to be limited.

In the starting five, Forthsky Padrigao has stepped up and adjusted comfortably in his role replacing Belangel as the team’s number one point guard. Padrigao’s smooth transition to his new role may have fans expecting Koon to adjust just as quickly to his own new responsibility off the bench. These expectations though have to be tempered—Koon has to adjust to both increased time on the court and a whole different position within only four months. Growing pains were to be expected with so many changes to the team; as the year progresses and more experience is earned, look for Koon to get more comfortable in his new role.

2. A half-strength Kouame is still Ateneo’s main offensive and defensive weapon

Ralph: IN MULTIPLE installments of our Weekly Takeaways last Season 84, a constant observation was Ateneo’s tendency to be heavily dependent on Ange Kouame’s mastery. Unfortunately, this issue is exacerbated in the Blue Eagles’ first three games this season.

Despite suffering a partial ACL tear in the offseason, Kouame is still one of the most popular picks by fans and analysts alike to win a second-straight Most Valuable Player award. Limited to only 29.2 minutes per game to make way for his recovery, Kouame has been deadly nonetheless with per-game averages of 17 points, 12.7 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.3 blocks.

While the reigning MVP has garnered numbers of 60.6% shooting from the field and 66.7% from three, his efforts are not well-replicated by other Blue Eagles. In Ateneo’s loss to the Green Archers, out of 12 active Blue Eagles, only Kouame and rookie Kai Ballungay finished with field goal numbers above 50%. Kouame’s high-volume offensive impact goes far beyond efficiency, as his league-best 6.6 offensive rebounds per game plays a key part in Ateneo’s second-chance scoring. Additionally, his exceptional floor spacing and screen-setting abilities allow for more open lanes and uncontested shots–which his supporting cast has to do a better job of maximizing.

With Kouame’s shot-blocking prowess and his lengthy wingspan, driving lanes are essentially no-fly zones for the opposing offenses. However, teams tend to outscore the Blue and White when Ateneo’s alpha rim protector is off the floor, with opposing guards like Patrick Sleat and Schonny Winston getting cleaner looks to the basket. With Ateneo losing key defensive pieces such as Gian Mamuyac in the offseason, this may continue to pose a problem that requires an extra amount of effort and tuning to remedy.

3. The steady rise of Kai Ballungay

Mookie: A LOT of questions were raised when Fil-Am recruit Ballungay found his way to the Loyola Heights campus for Season 85. Having shown his skills previously during the 2019 National Basketball Training Centre (NBTC) tournament alongside NBA rising star Jalen Green, Ballungay flourished and concluded the tourney with an average of 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 forward from California was a much-needed boost for the Blue Eagles’ roster after losing five key players from last season’s squad.

Ballungay immediately showed Coach Baldwin and the whole Ateneo community what he can bring on the floor. During the preseason, he competed with the rest of the Blue and White and won gold in the World University Basketball Series in Japan, while also nabbing MVP honors. He showed his potential in the short exhibition tournament but the question was if he could perform under Coach Baldwin’s system on the bigger stage which is the UAAP.

During Ateneo’s matchup against FEU, Balunggay struggled to adjust to the fast-paced game that the UAAP is known for. He looked slow throughout the match, leading to a lack of aggressiveness that is necessary for playing quality minutes. Scoring only three points in his UAAP debut, Coach Baldwin defended his star recruit saying, “I’ve been all over the world, the UAAP is nothing to sneeze at.”

Baldwin knew it would take some time for his new power forward to get used to the style of play in the Philippines as well as the Ateneo system.

The Blue and White’s next outing saw Balunggay look much more comfortable against NU. The Blue Eagles blew past the Bulldogs with their new stretch four who added 10 points and three rebounds. Not only were his numbers better but his movement on the court was also seen with immense improvement. His screen-setting had good direction as he purposely knew that the system relied on smart cuts to the basket. With all his points coming from the paint, he used his 6’7 frame to overwhelm NU’s big men.

The biggest game of the season so far was Ateneo’s matchup against the DLSU Green Archers. Their previous match was only Balunggay’s first taste of an Ateneo-La Salle atmosphere—infamous for its pressure and physicality. Despite losing to their archrivals, Balunggay erupted with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six offensive rebounds to keep Ateneo close in the game.

While the loss is uncharacteristic for Baldwin’s Ateneo, the Blue Eagles now have a more confident forward in Ballungay who looks ready to show the UAAP his praised skillset. With the rest of Season 85 to look forward to, time can only tell whether he can live up to the Blue and White’s soaring expectations.