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.
Recap of the elimination round matchups (October 16 and November 26)
WITH THE lore of the Battle of Katipunan only growing after last year’s three-game Finals showdown, October 16th and November 26th proved to be two much-awaited gamedays. The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons drew first blood with a 76-71 victory over the Blue Eagles in an overtime thriller last October 16th. In the five-point loss, Ateneo tactician Tab Baldwin experimented with an unconventional starting unit that ultimately turned out to be ineffective against UP’s frontcourt. Playing from behind, the Blue Eagles relied on their three-level scorer Dave Ildefonso to catch fire offensively, as he willed Ateneo to a 38-33 lead by the half.
Staying true to their identity, the Fighting Maroons headed out of the locker room with effective adjustments, eventually taking a seven-point advantage early in the fourth quarter. In spite of an offensive dry spell, the Blue and White managed to make some defensive stops and push the game into overtime. In extra time, UP’s veterans sank big-time baskets, but Ateneo kept within striking distance until Kai Ballungay’s missed corner triple proved to be the nail in the coffin in an otherwise entertaining matchup.
In their rematch more than a month later, the Blue Eagles left no stone unturned and silenced the Fighting Maroons to avoid a regular season sweep against their cross-avenue foes. Playing with heightened aggression from the tip, Ateneo played through an Ange Kouame surge to take control of the opening quarter. With the typical Fighting Maroons never capitulating, UP stormed back from an eight-point deficit to take a 37-35 halftime advantage. The third frame consisted of some of the scrappiest physicality in the entire regular season—playing into a pesky Ateneo team’s favor. With deadeye-like shooting in the fourth quarter by Gab Gomez and BJ Andrade, the Blue Eagles took down UP in a statement 75-67 win.
Finals schedule (Best-of-three):
Game 1: Sunday, December 11, 6:00 PM, vs University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at the Mall of Asia Arena
Game 2: Wednesday, December 14, vs University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at the Araneta Coliseum
Game 3 (if necessary): Monday, December 19, vs University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at the Araneta Coliseum
1. Coaches’ battle
Anton: THE RIVALRY between the cross-avenue neighbors has been well-documented since the teams played against one another in Season 81 and has continued to grow this year. The first installment of the Katipunan showdown saw third-year Head Coach Tab Baldwin battle against UAAP coaching veteran Bo Perasol, with Ateneo grabbing the upper hand in a two-game sweep. Since then, the American-Kiwi tactician has dominated the coaching scene, demolishing the competition and carving out an already impressive list of accolades in only six seasons with Ateneo.
To put his caliber into perspective, Baldwin has led the Blue Eagles to an 84-18 win-loss record. To boot, he has also won three consecutive championships in the process, cementing himself as one of the greatest coaches that Philippine basketball has to offer. However, every champion has its challenger and a king, a threat to the throne. For the 64-year-old Baldwin, his bravest contender came into fruition earlier this year in Season 84.
After a disappointing end to the Fighting Maroons’ hopes for redemption, Perasol was replaced by the National University (NU) Bullpups Head Coach Goldwin Monteverde, who, like Baldwin, had a winning culture with his young team. With that success came expectations, and media and fans alike had many lined up for the newly-hired coach to compete with the defending champions. In Ateneo and UP’s first meeting, Coach Baldwin got the better of Coach Goldwin in a 90-81 victory, momentarily closing the door on any comparisons between coaches. The then-rookie coach quickly avenged that loss in their second encounter, putting a stain on Ateneo’s 39-game winning streak and posing a threat to Ateneo’s title aspirations. The championship match strengthened this evenly-matched coach’s battle, with the series going the distance and Coach Monteverde coming out on top in a nail-biter. The loss also halted the Blue and White’s four-peat hopes and ended their reign atop the UAAP.
In their seven matchups against each other, no game was won by over double digits, proving the parity between the two club leaders. Now with the two basketball minds balancing the field each time they meet, this finals matchup could be in for another all-time classic. The rivalry goes beyond just the Battle of Katipunan; it is also the Battle of the Wits, with one trying to outcoach the other.
Will the 51-year-old Monteverde get the better of Coach Baldwin once again? Or will the three-time champ find a way to bounce back and bring home another championship to the Blue and White? We’re about to find out soon enough.
2. Kouame vs. Diouf: An MVP-caliber clash in Ange’s last dance
Ralph: DESPITE WHAT is expected to be a prosperous professional basketball career ahead of him, two-time UAAP champion and Season 84 MVP Ange Kouame has already cemented himself as an all-time great in the collegiate scene. In a season that could very well be the Ivorian-Filipino’s curtain call as a Blue Eagle, Kouame has personified tenacity and dominance by playing through injury troubles. The elite Ateneo center was a man unconscious in the home stretch of round two, as he rounded up his season numbers to 11.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. Kouame may have sustained his stellar and MVP-level play, but there were still concerns surrounding the depth of his supporting cast. While they may have looked more mortal compared to their dominant yesteryears, the Blue Eagles evidently transformed themselves into a unit that plays cool under crunchtime pressure. A pivotal factor to winning close-possession ballgames is to hoard more shot attempts to find more looks at the basket—with Kouame’s league-leading 5.4 offensive boards per game giving an enormous boost to Ateneo.
While the 6’10” Kouame wreaked havoc throughout the eliminations, it was another starting center hailing from Katipunan that bagged MVP honors. Being a consistent force on both ends, it was UP’s Malick Diouf that took home Season 85’s top individual award. Beyond his season averages of 10.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, Diouf’s gifted skillset solidifies his spot as a premiere contributor. While Diouf’s offensive efficiency, board-crashing efforts, and shot-blocking prowess are standout assets of his game, it is his floor general-like passing that makes him stand out above other bigs.
In the eliminations’ two hotly-contested Battle of Katipunan bouts, a huge spotlight was cast on the duel of the MVPs. Kouame outshined Diouf, with the Atenean recording 12.0 points, 14.5 boards, and 1.5 blocks to the Maroon’s 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists through two games. In Ateneo’s vindictive win over their cross-avenue adversaries last November 26, Kouame proved to be too much for Diouf. At the onset of the contest, Kouame already asserted himself with ruthless aggression—pushing his matchup assignment Diouf to foul trouble that lingered all night. Capitalizing on his versatile offense, Kouame used his frame and quickness to create separation from Diouf—to either aim and fire for quality triples or drive down the lane for high-percentage attempts in the paint. The nightmare did not stop there for Diouf, as the Ateneo big man flexed his rebounding abilities and manhandled the Season 85 MVP—outrebounding him 17 to seven in rebounds.
While the Blue and White’s superstar center unquestionably posed as Diouf’s kryptonite, it should be expected that the league’s newest MVP is set to be out for blood. With all indications pointing for this to be the Koaume’s final UAAP stand, the Band of Brothers should unite and brace for unexpected adjustments and game planning that may especially be targeted at Kouame.
3. Unstoppable force meets an immovable object: Which prevails down the stretch?
Vito: IN THE grueling four-day wait between the Final Four’s conclusion and Day One of the Finals rematch, tensions were high between UP and Ateneo fans on social media. On Twitter, a tweet by GetBlued sparked a debate on underdogs and favorites that was as intense as it was superfluous. With both fanbases attempting to uncover the mystery behind which team is the true underdog, neither side will get the answer that they want. In this Battle of Katipunan, there are no underdog stories—instead we are blessed to witness the most balanced finals matchup in recent memory.
Though it took them quite a while to get there, Ateneo played through most of the season as an offensive juggernaut. They methodically dismantled opposing defenses with precise execution of Coach Baldwin’s sets, leading to a league-best offensive rating of 100.06 as per Stats by Ryan. On the other end of the court, the Maroons lay ready to greet Ateneo’s well-oiled machine with their unwavering defensive effort. UP this season has the league’s best defensive rating at 85.77, smothering rival offenses with their size and length.
With an unstoppable force on one end and an immovable object on the other, there remains no other outcome than the two sides battling it out up to the final possession that will decide their fate. Each game of this finals matchup will likely go down the wire, and that is where Ateneo may have cause for concern.
This UP team, from the stars all the way down to the end of the bench, is as battle-tested as any UAAP team could get. They have been infamously known by their own fanbase as a squad that could never bring their best until the very end of the game, confident in making gut-wrenching finishes. The Maroons have played nine games in the season with only a five-point margin between them and the other team entering the final frame. Of those nine games, they entered six of those fourth quarters either behind or tied, and they have managed to come away winning four out of six of those matches. If there was ever any time for the UP squad to flex the best version of themselves, it would be in these final three games of the season.
Against a team like UP, Ateneo can no longer rely on a single third-quarter burst to secure the victory. The Blue Eagles need to keep their talons sharp the entire 40 minutes (or more) of each game, knowing that the Maroons will be ready to take their hits twice as hard in the last stretch. Coming off what was maybe their best game of the season against Adamson though, Ateneo fans should have full confidence that this team has what it takes to match up with the best.
Predictions
Anton: LIKE COACH Baldwin, I also believe that the current Ateneo Blue Eagles are filled with inexperienced underdogs compared to the previous year’s team. This makes me uncertain if some of the key rotation players can step up when the lights are at their brightest. Although they are starting to click on both ends—currently on a seven-game winning streak—the margin for error is small for the Blue and White to get the job done with a younger roster. You combine this with the fact that UP is reportedly integrating a new game plan into their system, the chance for vengeance may not be that simple. This series will be an all-out war between rivals and I am certain both teams will put on a masterclass spectacle in a series for the ages. I see this matchup ending the same as the season prior, with the UP Fighting Maroons making history and winning their second championship in the calendar year in a tightly-contested Game 3.
Ralph: IN THEIR failed four-peat bid a season ago, what notoriously led to the Blue Eagles’ demise was their inexperience in closing out competitive games. Despite losing heavy firepower in the offseason with the departure of SJ Belangel, Tyler Tio, and Gian Mamuyac, clutch time woes are no longer the case for this battle-hardened Ateneo ballclub. With the squad peaking at the best time possible, the Blue Eagles are set to don their newly-embraced “underdog DNA” and slug it out with the defending champions in inevitable close-game situations. I fearlessly anticipate the much-heralded Men’s Basketball crown to return to a familiar home—a side of Katipunan proudly painted Blue and White. It is Ateneo in 3 for me in this hotly-anticipated trilogy.
Vito: THE BLUE Eagles have undoubtedly been playing their best basketball down the stretch of this season, which will help them come into this matchup with momentum on their side. As evidenced by JD Cagulangan and the many sleepless nights his season 84 performance has caused for me, though, the Ateneo faithful know full well that UP will not just roll over into their grave. I expect each and every one of these finals games to be decided down the wire until the final possession just like last season. I do expect, though, that coach Baldwin and his squad will not make the same mistakes that led to the Season 84 finals slipping away from them. It is also hard for me to expect Kouame—arguably the greatest UAAP player of all time—to idly sit by and let another ring slip from his fingers. I believe that Ateneo takes the crown back to our side of Katipunan in three games.
