kiefer to kevin: mas masarap maging atenista (photo source)
2006. season 69. the mere mention of these numbers still hurt until now, despite the eleven straight games the ateneo blue eagles have won against ust, including a buzzer beater by kirk long in the second round of season 70, two final four appearances (in seasons 70 and 72), and two wipeouts during the eliminations this season. the blue and white meet white and yellow in the final four once more, and the stakes are higher this time around: rising above from a loss last game, sealing a championship birth towards a 4th consecutive title, and (still) avenging the title that should have been ours in season 69.
here are five things the blue eagles have to consider in this final four clash with the growling tigers:
1. dictate the tempo. in both victories in the elimination round (round 1: 66-53, round 2: 82-57), the blue eagles dictated the tempo from the opening tip until the final buzzer. newly-crowned rookie of the year kiefer ravena (16 ppg average on both ateneo-ust games during the eliminations) and most improved player candidate nico salva (17 ppg vs. ust this season) are expected to lead the charge for the eagles. emman monfort and kirk long, who have been the "tiger slayers" in previous seasons, are expected to dictate both offensive and defensive tempos of the game as they defend their turf against ust's two jerics (fortuna and teng respectively).
2. test the depth. one clear weakness of the growling tigers this season is their bench depth. compared to the caliber of the blue eagles' bench, ust's bench is by far outmatched in terms of veteran presence, playoff experience, and firepower on both ends of the court. if the blue eagles will take the ball strong to the hole just like their previous games against them, coach pido jarencio will be forced to look for bench players to fill in foul-saddled starters. if jeric fortuna will be rested, who will he put in charge of ball-handling? the last time he sat fortuna out, ravena ran amok in the araneta with three steals and consequent lay-ups. with melo afuang still out, he just can't rely on paolo pe to contain greg slaughter or even justin chua. ultimately this game will surely be a battle of bench depth and efficiency, with ateneo having the advantage over ust.
3. perimeter fence. ust is a team that lives by the three pointer, and dies by it when the going gets tough. they shot a decent 24.89% in the perimeter during the elimination round, averaging 4 threes a game. fortuna and teng can shoot them without conscience, and ateneo has found a way to make them throw bricks in the two elimination round games. but the blue eagles must remember what happened in the second round last season, where then-tiger tata bautista and teng ate through ateneo's double-digit lead by shooting threes like soldiers with unlimited bullets. they have to hold their fort in the perimeter, and it's better if they turn the proverbial perimeter fence into a wall.
4. enter the slaughterhouse. greg slaughter was a non-factor in both elimination round games against ust, scoring less than double digits in both games (6 points in both games). some might think that slaughter has found his defensive match with karim abdul who effectively held him to such lowly production. in any case, if ateneo wants to secure this victory, they must win it from both the inside and the outside - offensively and defensively. slaughter's footwork is still a work in progress, but he has somehow found a way to turn left and make baskets from there. his production would be crucial in sending the blue eagles to its 4th finals appearance with a win against ust.
5. elimination game mentality. ateneo has the knack of rising to the occasion and winning big after a shameful defeat. in their past three championship runs, ateneo has not lost two consecutive times (i hope i won't jinx them with that statement). coach pido jarencio might have other things in mind, being arguably the most charismatic motivator among the coaches in the uaap this season. he can always use the 11 game losing streak to ateneo, or the spirit of 2006 for that matter. but coach norman black, as i mentioned in previous previews, is the best collegiate coach in the land, hands down. in the final four, records no longer matter. every game must be taken one at a time, and even with a twice-to-beat advantage in the pocket, expect coach norman and the blue eagles to treat and play this game like an elimination game. this will hopefully add fuel to the fire to that road 4 glory.
the last time ateneo and ust faced each other in the final four was in season 72. score was 81-64 for the eventual back-to-back champions blue eagles. see you tomorrow at the big dome for hopefully the first of three wins to clinch our fourth consecutive championship.
FLY HIGH!
ONE BIG FIGHT!
BLUE EAGLE, THE KING!
No comments:
Post a Comment