AND 1: The Sneaker Champ for UAAP Season 75 (so far) is...

(photo source)

... kiefer ravena! the second year guard from the ateneo blue eagles has been seen rocking different kicks on court in uaap season 75.

(photo source)

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in their games against ust and nu in the first round, he was seen sporting an id version of nike huarache 2k4.

(photo source)

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he also wore an id version of nike's latest model hyperdunk 2012 in their first round encounter with feu.

(photo source)

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in their second round game against up, he laced up some heat on the hardwood with the "scoring title" edition of kevin durant's signature shoe, kd4. he led the blue eagles in scoring with 21 points, including a game-clinching three-point play, to give ateneo the win over the up fighting maroons, 73-66.

i wonder what "the phenom" would pick from his closet for the next few games this season. there are plenty of popular sneaker releases in recent years whose colorway easily blends with ateneo's blue and white. perhaps the jordan 11 (concords look pretty good with either their dark or light uniform but surely space jams would look cool on court), jordan 3 (true blues?), air max penny 1 (orlando cw is surely a neat pick)... what else should he wear on court this season?

The Scores:

ADMU 73 – Ravena 21, Gonzaga 10, Salva 10, Slaughter 9, Erram 9, Tiongson 6, Buenafe 3, Chua 3, Elorde 2, Golla 0, Pessumal 0, Sumalinog 0.

UP 66 – Soyud 14, Silungan 13, Asilum 10, Lopez 8, Gamboa 6, Padilla 6, Gallarza 5, Hipolito 2, Montecastro 2, Manuel 0, Romero 0, Mbah 0, Wierzba 0.

Quarter Scores: 17-17; 32-34; 53-46; 73-66

photos from sirs philip sison, arvin lim, yohan janeo, and erwin cabbab of fabilioh.com  

TIMEOUT: On Missed Shots

(photo source)

"When you miss a shot, never think of what you did wrong. Take your next shot thinking of what you must do right." 

- Tony Alfonso

UAAP Season 75 - Men's Basketball Round 2 Schedule (REVISED as of August 26, 2012)

***UPDATE***: below is a REVISED version of the schedule as of august 26, 2012

 
with that, this is the schedule of games for the ateneo blue eagles game during the second round:

August 25 (Sat), 4 PM: vs UP (@ MOA)
August 29 (Wed), 4 PM: vs FEU (@ MOA)
September 1 (Sat), 4 PM: vs DLSU (@ Araneta)
September 6 (Thu), 2 PM: vs UE (@ MOA)
September 9 (Sun), 2 PM: vs AdU (@ MOA)
September 13 (Thu), 4 PM: vs NU (@ PSC-ULTRA)
September 15 (Sat), 4 PM: vs UST (@ MOA)

the schedule of the last three games of the round got changed, i.e. vs. adamson (from 4pm to 2pm of the same playing date), vs. national university (from september 15 at moa to september 13 at ultra), and vs. ust (from september 20 to september 15). it looks like ateneo's schedule of games got "compressed" especially with the september 13 and 15 playing dates. and of course, there's a weird thursday game to be played in ultra (smaller venue, least accessible of all, plagued with scalpers). both araneta and moa not available for that playing date... perhaps for a justin bieber concert? haha!  

here's my original post:

schedule taken from uaap season 75 facebook page. this is the schedule as of august 19, but it can be subject to change. 

 mark your calendars for the games of the blue eagles during the second round of uaap season 75:

August 25 (Sat), 4 PM: vs UP (@ MOA)
August 29 (Wed), 4 PM: vs FEU (@ MOA)
September 1 (Sat), 4 PM: vs DLSU (@ Araneta)
September 6 (Thu), 2 PM: vs UE (@ MOA)
September 9 (Sun), 4 PM: vs AdU (@ MOA)
September 15 (Sat), 4 PM: vs NU (@ MOA)
September 20 (Thu), 4 PM: vs UST (@ MOA)

as this season's host, national university made sure that most of the playing dates will be in the mall of asia arena. except for the ateneo-la salle game, all ateneo games will be played in MOA arena, which is a hassle for those who are living inside and around the campus. interestingly, there's a couple of wednesday games inserted in the schedule, one of which is ateneo vs. feu. looks like we'll be watching the games more on television for the second round.

FLY HIGH!
GO ATENEO!
ONE BIG FIGHT!

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 74, FEU 71

that's what former teammates are for (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' victory against the tamaraws, the last game of both teams for the first round of uaap season 75. the blue eagles head into the second round with a 6-1 record.

slaughter with the stuff (photo source)

1."the other guys". ateneo has been relying much on its version of the "big three" in kiefer ravena, nico salva, and greg slaughter. however, the two-week layoff must have caused the rusty first half for the blue eagles. slaughter might have led the blue eagles in scoring this game but he had a hard time with all the hooliganism of the bringas brothers on court. i mentioned in a previous column that salva's performance often served as a barometer for an ateneo victory, but he looked lost this game. ravena, who scored the first basket of the game, only got his act going in the second half. but much credit for this win goes to three other players on the roster: juami tiongson, ryan buenafe, and jp erram.

(photo source)

i had doubts about tiongson's point guard play at the beginning of the season but his steady performance during the first round proved me wrong, and i humbly stand corrected. his three point shots in the third quarter ignited the lethargic ateneo offense that plagued them in the first half. rr garcia might have torched his defense but i'm sure he will eventually learn defending and going through screens. he's not an emman monfort defensively but more of a jai reyes on offense.

(photo source)

buenafe once again reminded the blue side of the coliseum that he loves to play against feu. with salva on an off-night, buenafe used his time on court to distribute the ball and make timely plays in that blistering second half run. he took the ball to the hole with that deceptive spin and ridiculous hang time for a "wide" man. more importantly, he facilitated ball movement that gave slaughter and other teammates some easy baskets. if he made a three ball during that game, he would have surely silenced the noisy and shrieking feu crowd inside the coliseum.

(photo source)

erram is another guy who loves to play against feu. during the finals of season 70, he was the intimidating presence in the paint that swatted shots and snagged rebounds for the eventual champions. a season later, he started to contribute on the offense and was a perfect compliment to slaughter in defending our goal. this game, he was all over the court with his put backs, rebounds, and defense against feu's big men.

twin towers (photo source)

2. the twin tower formula. we've seen this in the past few games how coach norman black fielded both slaughter and erram or justin chua make the shaded lane a bit more friendly on offense and quite scary on defense. with slaughter getting ganged up on the inside, another big man comes in handy for an uncontested stab. when teams go for that drive-and-dish play, a second tower can cover the basket as the other one tries to recover for a rebound. coach norman surely knows how to develop his big men, and we've got a long list of players who benefited much from his style of player development: doug kramer, ford arao, rabeh al-hussaini, nonoy baclao, chua, erram, slaughter, and the list goes on and on. who knows, kris porter and g-boy babilonia (who were absent as they were part of the philippines u18 team competing in fiba asia tournament in mongolia this week) would find their way to the list? imagine frank golla becoming an offensive monster next season? or maybe i'm just imagining too much.

flight of an eagle (photo source)

3. ateneo is a second half team. since that second half meltdown against ust, ateneo has regained the distinctive edge of making adjustments during halftime to pull off surprises in the second half this season. against nu, they contained their long distance shooters and let rayray parks get trigger-happy in the midrange. against la salle, against dlsu, they stopped that momentum shift in the middle of the third quarter to keep control of the game. against up and ue, they found a way to make slaughter's life easier on the paint by kick outs and cuts that led to easy baskets. this game, they adjusted their defense to stifle feu's ball rotation, which led to shot clock violations and difficult shot attempts from long range. their three point shots started clicking in the third quarter which made their catch up easier. and they let buenafe create mismatches as well as opportunities for scoring for his teammates. once ateneo gets to read the opponent's play, regroup in the dugout and get their adjustments going, it is not a remote possibility that ateneo will get the win. and if this becomes a trend just like in the previous seasons, they will be hard to stop in the second round.

pati kalaban nagpapapicture (photo source)

The Scores:

ADMU 74 – Slaughter 17, Tiongson 12, Ravena 12, Buenafe 10, Erram 6, Elorde 6, Salva 6, Sumalinog 3, Chua 2, Golla 0, Gonzaga 0.

FEU 71 – Garcia 21, Hargrove 12, Romeo 10, Bringas A. 10, Bringas M. 7, Belo 6, Tolomia 3, Pogoy 2, Cruz 0, Mendoza 0, Sentcheu 0.

Quarter Scores: 18-21; 27-37; 49-53; 74-71

photos from sirs philip sison and erwin cabbab of fabilioh.com  

Collecting shoes is an addiction

compared to the people featured in this video, i only have eight pairs of basketball shoes. but i have to admit that collecting shoes is an addiction.

i already blogged something about my story as a basketball shoe collector. like any other collections, collecting items is a treasure hunt. and i can surely relate with people who bear long lines in order to cop their personal "holy grail." i may not actually have eight legs to have each pair hit the ground, but there's something about getting that shoe that i really want. every pair i cop has its own story to tell, whether it's in the feet of the basketball player who wore it or in the way i personally got it.

this "sneaker game" has gone to a different level with retros getting released and new shoes showing up on shoe stores and even in the internet. though the "sneaker game" has gone overboard lately, i have to say that i'm still going to play it. next up in my list is the air jordan 11 breds (black-red) which is coming this december.

collecting is a passion. it's either you get it, or die trying.

TIMEOUT: The week that was

the heavy downpour of rains battered parts of luzon this week. with rains of catastrophic proportions hitting metro manila, marikina river's water level rose significantly, stirring fears of what happened three years ago during the typhoon ondoy. back then, i was reviewing for my licensure exam for teachers, so i never really had a first hand experience of how marikina river got swollen and spilled over the city's streets. but people in metro manila, particularly in marikina which is just outside our seminary, were surely traumatized with how water, which was generally perceived as a source of life, has become an instrument of destruction.

as another calamity loomed, the san jose seminary community answered the call of service to those who were in great need. we opened our doors to evacuees from nearby barangays in marikina, assisted the evacuees of barangka elementary school, and conducted relief operations at industrial valley complex and the towns of masantol and minalin in the province of pampanga.

i was deeply moved by the generosity of donors who similarly responded to this call to serve those who were severely affected by the floods. the parishioners of the national shrine of our lady of guadalupe (my weekend apostolate area) came in several batches in a span of three days to bring food, clothes, drinking water, and medicines that they have gathered from their parish. friends of seminarians, priests, benefactors, and even fellow josefinos pitched in to help. as the goods came to the seminary, members of the community also gave themselves in repacking, transporting, and distributing what we have gathered to those who suffered much from this calamity.

every member of the community had roles to fulfill, but what i found edifying was the example of the seminarians and even priests who went out of their comfort zones and stretched themselves, literally and figuratively, to be of service to our brothers and sisters in need. times like these, thinking about self-preservation had to stay in the sidelines in order to work for the safety and preservation of others. to go beyond one's role might mean braving the flood waters, going distances whether that is a few steps from the seminary or all the way to the province of pampanga, and getting soaked in mud and wet with rainwater for the service of the other. to do these, i think, is an act of heroism.

indeed, the words of saint ignatius of loyola remind us of the service and love that we render in these trying times:
"to give and not to count the cost, 
to fight and not to heed the wounds, 
to toil and not to seek for rest, 
to labor and ask not for reward, 
save that of knowing that we do your most holy will."

Magbigay ng hindi namimili, kumalinga ng walang kapalit, tumulong ng buong puso! 
Amare et servire in opus ministerii!
Hail San Jose!

Happy Birthday, David Robinson!

2-time nba champion. 
1995 most valuable player. 
1990 rookie of the year. 
10-time nba all star. 
multiple all-nba and defensive team citations. 
one of the four players in nba history to achieve a quadruple-double. 
one of the 50 greatest players in nba history. 
2 olympic gold medals.
inducted to the basketball hall of fame. 

the admiral. 
the epitome of class and sportsmanship in the nba.
one of the greatest centers in nba history.
 
i still have my david robinson basketball card collection that i started to build since grade 5.
i wore #50 in the minor seminary in the minor seminary because i looked up to him as my most favorite center of all time...
... and my most favorite nba player not named michael jordan.

Sangkay Kanunay 2012

Sangkay Kanunay 2012 
San Jose Seminary-UST Central Seminary Dual Encounter 
5 August 2012 

video shown during the dinner program of the said event
AM+DG

AND 1: 100-25

(photo source)

look, up in the sky! it's a bird!

congratulations coach norman black for winning your 100th game in the uaap as head coach of the ateneo blue eagles.

4 straight uaap titles, 3 pccl championships, a gold medal in the sea games, and other championships for the blue and white... what more can you ask for?

oh yes, there's one: another championship for the blue eagles this season!

fly high coach norman!
blue eagle, the king!

photo from sir philip sison of fabilioh.com  

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 76, UP 70

clipped wings, no problem (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' victory against the fighting maroons in the so-called "battle of katipunan" during the first round of uaap season 75.

the big fella in big trouble (photo source) 

1. no more walks-in-the-park. the first half of the game can be aptly described as scary. greg slaughter was triple teamed and hacked inside (breaking down that triple team - a big man defends with two outstretched arms, a guard tries to grab the ball from below, and a forward waits at the side to swipe the ball too), juami tiongson was not available due to a twisted ankle, and mid-range shots from kick-outs often rimmed out. for someone who watched the last time up defeated ateneo (season 72, at ultra, and up was wearing their alternate black jerseys then), that part of the game would surely scare the hell out of the ateneo faithful. at 0-3, up played like they had nothing to lose and everything to gain as their players hustled more and showed a greater sense of urgency. but that was until midway through the third quarter when the blue eagles found their groove. it was nico salva's consistency that once again lifted the team in dire straits. after that defeat to ust, every game, even against lower tier teams, is no longer a walk in the park. coach norman black was right in saying that every team is out to give their best when they are against ateneo because they are playing against ateneo. this is just the first round, and with nine more games to play in the elimination round, the field just gets tougher than expected.

"flash" foward (photo source)

2. x-factor #1 - nico elorde. credit goes to nico elorde, who filled in the shoes of juami tiongson this game. tiongson has played beyond expectations this season, showing maturity in decision-making, steadiness in ball-handling, and precision in passing. with ateneo's starting guard out, elorde took the task of handling and distributing the ball on offense and defending up's trigger-happy guards on defense. despite "just" contributing 2 points and 4 assists (the only bummer in his stat line was his 3 turnovers), his contribution this game goes beyond statistical data. he has surely found his niche in the blue eagles' rotation, though his offense can still be improved as the season progresses.

boom goes the dynamite (photo source) 

3. x-factor #2 - oping sumalinog. the swingman from cebu might have lost his place in the starting line-up, but he showed in this game why he is a valuable piece to the ateneo defense. his entry into the game proved to be the turning point for the blue eagles' comeback against the scrappy maroon five. in 14 minutes of action, he scattered 10 points (2-3 from 3 point area, one of which gave ateneo its first taste of the lead in a long time during the game), grabbed 5 rebounds, and made a steal. that corner pocket three comes handy for him, especially with most players opting to double team the other ateneo players on court. as mentioned in my blue eagles' preview for season 75, sumalinog will be a defensive gem for the blue eagles especially in guarding big guards. this game will hopefully be his first of many solid performances for him in both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. 

The scores:

ADMU 76 - Salva 21, Slaughter 13, Ravena 11, Sumalinog 10, Chua 7, Gonzaga 5, Buenafe 5, Erram 2, Elorde 2, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0

UP 70 - Lopez 13, Ball 11, Padilla 11, Gamboa 10, Soyud 6, Montecastro 6, Asilum 6, Romero 2, Mbah 0, Manuel 0, Hipolito 0, Gallarza 0

Quarter scores: 17-19, 32-40, 61-57, 76-70

photos from sir philip sison of fabilioh.com  

Pamana ni San Ignacio

isang pasasalamat sa aming mga tagapaghubog sa san jose seminary
ipinalabas bilang panimulang bahagi ng isang AVP
pagdiriwang ng kapistahan ni san ignacio de loyola noong 31 july 2012
sa san jose seminary, ateneo de manila university

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 71, La Salle 61

the phenom and mr. 104 shake hands... and the ref ruining the photo op (photo source)

it sucks to miss watching ateneo-la salle games, whether its live or on television, but the call of duty comes first. i was only able to watch the replay this afternoon through the uaap website. nonetheless, solid team effort by the blue eagles in their first round pairing against the green archers. i just hope i won't miss the second round match (and perhaps the final four... and who knows, the finals?) between blue and green. here are some random game notes:

one versus three, no problem (photo source)

1. the man in the middle. height is surely one big advantage in basketball, and greg slaughter surely has lots of them. the 7-1 behemoth scored 20 points (on 7-14 fgs and 6-6 fts), grabbed 7 rebounds, made an assist and blocked an la revilla lay-up. la salle used their big men against slaughter, often double and even triple-teaming him. they were successful in taking the ball away from him in the earlier parts of the game, but greg surely found his stroke in the second half with the up-and-under move going to the hook shot. he knows how to use the left too. hopefully greg develops his inside game further as the season progresses.

#nickobesystem locked and loaded (photo source) 

2. #nickobesystem. as usual, nico salva's performance serves as a barometer for an ateneo victory. he basically torched whoever was in front of him in the game, partly because his guard was doubling slaughter most of the time, leaving him with a smaller defender whom he can exploit on his way to the basket. he is too quick and athletic for a power forward and has been steady on the mid-range. his consistency will be key in this drive for five.

kiefer to mac: "blue is the better color" (photo source) 

3. one really random thought. kiefer ravena vs. mark tallo. is this even a match-up? tallo should better reflect again on why he left the blue eagles towards the end of summer in 2011. though he played big minutes against feu due to la revilla's absence, the fact still remains: he's still a third-stringer in la salle. he would have flourished in ateneo if he knew his role and took his time.

The scores:
ATENEO 71 – Slaughter 20, Salva 16, Ravena 16, Chua 6, Tiongson 4, Elorde 3, Buenafe 3, Pessumal 2, Erram 1, Sumalinog 0, Gonzaga 0.

LA SALLE 61 – Revilla 16, Teng 13, N. Torres 11, Dela Paz 7, Manguera 6, Van Opstal 2, Andrada 2, Webb 2, Mendoza 1, Tampus 1, Paredes 0, Vosotros 0, T. Torres 0, Gotladera 0, Tallo 0.

Quarter scores: 20-8, 35-26, 53-50, 71-61.

photos from sirs philip sison, arvin lim, and erwin cabbab of fabilioh.com  

THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 89, NU 65

i am a muscle man (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' win against the bulldogs in the first round of uaap season 75. the last time nu defeated ateneo was way back in the 2nd round of season 70. that cost ateneo the second seed and twice-to-beat advantage in what would be the step-ladder playoffs, which determined who would challenge the undefeated ue red warriors in the championship round. and the rest was history.

pick your poison (photo source)

1. perimeter defense. ateneo truly felt the departure of veteran perimeter defenders kirk long (who ended up as a tv analyst in the first game of the day), emman monfort, and bacon austria in that stinging defeat against ust last saturday. perceiving this as one of the big blows that can hurt ateneo in the long run, coach norman black was quick to make adjustments in this game. kiefer ravena took the task of guarding reigning mvp and scoring dynamo bobby ray parks while tonino gonzaga was also inserted into the starting lineup as an alternative defender against parks who was a lefty like him. the blue eagles kept the bulldogs' three point shooters at bay, forcing them to shoot a measly 9.5% clip (2-21) from beyond the arc. what i think was key here was letting emmanuel mbe shoot inside while holding parks to chuck up contested mid-range jumpers and denying the corner from denice villamor and mark de guzman. they must have picked their poison by letting mbe shoot inside, but there's greg slaughter to take care of the shaded area (he had 3 blocks in the game). moreover, limiting the opponent's offense is always an important element in an ateneo victory (nu shot 36.44% from the field this game). looking forward to the rivalry game against la salle, the blue eagles must keep up their defensive intensity especially against a team laced with slashers, outside scorers, and looming inside threats like the green archers.

coach norman: "ryan, may lechon after the game" (photo source)

2. no lead is safe. at one point in the first half, ateneo's lead went up to 19, but the people in the stands seem not to be happy with it. after that meltdown against ust, the blue eagles learned one very crucial lesson: no lead is safe. even when ateneo's lead ballooned to 26, it seems that there is still a danger looming that this lead could dissipate in our very own eyes. i think it's a good thing, as the game lasts until the buzzer sounds and not even a huge double-digit lead is safe against a team who is playing with nothing to lose and everything to gain. opponents took an upgrade in more ways than one, and lady luck can smile on players to finally find their range after a rough assignment at the beginning of the game. again, there's no room for complacency and overconfidence in a team looking to achieve something that hasn't been done in a long time. for ateneo, it's all about playing 45 minutes (including 5 extra minutes in case overtime ensues) of basketball marked with patience, discipline, and intensity.

"bawal kampante!" (photo source)

3. fight as a team, win as a team. the blue eagles distributed the ball better (24 assists vs. 15 for nu) and had more players sharing the offensive load for the team. justin chua had a field day making 4-of-5 from both the field and the free throw area for 12 points in 14 minutes of action. slaughter had another dominant stat line for the winning team with 14 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal. ravena is slowly but surely finding his mark in the offensive end while nico salva just had the kobe system turned on in his arsenal with 21 points. back-ups and reserves also had their contributions to the team especially gonzaga (who didn't take a single shot in the game against ust), juami tiongson (who is gradually developing that pass-first mentality), ryan buenafe (that buzzer beating three at the end of the third quarter gave me goosebumps as it reminded me of "the shot" in game 2 of season 73 finals), nico elorde (his hustle is very valuable to the team), and jp erram (more exposure for our next guy in the middle). the blue eagles rolled out the victory as a team and that is something everyone is definitely looking forward too in the highly-touted ateneo-la salle game this coming saturday.

The scores:

ADMU 89: Salva 21, Ravena 17, Slaughter 14, Chua 12, Gonzaga 9, Tiongson 8, Elorde 3, Buenafe 3, Erram 2, Porter 0, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0

NU 65: Parks 22, Mbe 14, Villamor 10, Ignacio 6, Rono 5, De Guzman 2, Betayene 2, Alolino 2, Khobuntin 1, Javillonar 1, Rosario 0, Neypes 0, Labing-isa 0

Quarter scoring: 28-17, 55-34, 72-54, 89-65

photos from sir philip sison of fabilioh.com  

THREE-POINT PLAY: UST 71, Ateneo 70

slaughter getting slaughtered literally inside the paint (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' loss to the growling tigers in the first round of uaap season 75. the loss broke ateneo's 12 game winning streak against ust, which dates back in season 70 courtesy of kirk long's buzzer beater in their second round meeting.

buenafe: "pa-kiss nga pare!" (photo source) 

1. like sheep without a shepherd. no, this is not my gospel reflection for this sunday. during the second half, it was quite noticeable that the blue eagles did not have a leader inside the court - perhaps a part of the bigger hole left by the departure of emman monfort and kirk long. they lacked a figure on court that would remind them of two things that led them to victories and even four straight championships: patience and discipline. it seems to me that juami tiongson, as point guard, was the one tasked by coach norman to bring the team back to its focus. but i think that team captains nico salva and justin chua should lead by example when they are on court. salva, as a starter, has the responsibility to gather the team together in tough crunches like what happened in that crazy second half meltdown. chua, as the veteran off the bench, should anchor the second five with experience and leadership especially in maintaining the lead that was established earlier in the game. other "graduating" players like tonino gonzaga, oping sumalinog, and even greg slaughter share such responsibility with salva and chua.

teng: "BROWNOUT!? ILAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" (photo source) 

2. the breaks of the game broke them apart. ateneo played lock down defense and smooth offense in the first half against ust, then the "unexpected" happened. down by as much as 19 points, the growling tigers rallied behind aljon mariano, whom coach norman black considered as a big threat heading towards this game, to lead a nineteen point turnaround and even grab a four point lead at the end of the third quarter (which came at the hands of an accidental "own goal" by frank golla). then in the fourth quarter, the blue eagles played catch-up while the breaks of the game were coming against them to break them apart. the shots that they made with ease in the first half started to rim out, the fouls kept piling up in the third quarter, and the penalty situation was something that they were not able to fully utilize down the stretch. more than the opposing team, the main opponent of the blue eagles are their very own selves. considering that ust has time and again threatened to steal a win from the jaws of defeat in the hands of ateneo, they have to combat complacency and overconfidence that a big lead is here to stay. this serves as a very early wake-up call for the blue eagles to make the breaks of the game matter for them and not to let these break them down.

the phenom will fly another day (photo source) 

3. on to the next game. on a positive note, the blue eagles played flashes of brilliance in offense and defense yesterday. they out-rebounded ust (43-41), dished more dimes (16-10), swatted the ball more (9-2), and had better percentages in field goals (40% vs. 36.5%) and free throws (79.2% vs. 75%). the blue eagles even had a stretch of forcing shot clock violations against the growling tigers. the glaring stat however was ateneo's 18 turnovers (compared to ust's 14), and perhaps the game clinching play was somewhere along those 4 turnovers that the team committed more than their opponents or the missed free throws and hurried shots that could have counted but rimmed out. four ust players scored in double digits while ateneo relied much on salva (17 points) and kiefer ravena (19 points). nonetheless, these are numbers that can no longer be changed. at the sound of the final buzzer, the blue eagles should be preparing for their next game which is against the nu bulldogs. fans must have been spoiled with victories in the past seasons, but this is a loss that the team can build on for their drive for five. they are expected to bounce back and learn from this defeat. the target is still theirs to hit. they may lose now but never in games that matter. 

WIN OR LOSE, IT'S THE SCHOOL WE CHOOSE!
ONE BIG FIGHT!
BLUE EAGLE, THE KING!

The scores:

UST 71: Mariano 21, Teng 16, Abdul 14, Fortuna 11, Ferrer 4, Bautista 3, Lo 2, Pe 0, Daquioag 0, Afuang 0

ADMU 70: Ravena 19, Salva 17, Slaughter 9, Tiongson 8, Buenafe 5, Sumalinog 4, Elorde 3, Chua 3, Golla 2, Gonzaga 0, Erram 0

Quarter scoring: 12-27, 28-43, 58-54, 71-70

photos from sir philip sison of fabilioh.com  

Happy Birthday, Penny Hardaway!

when i was in the minor seminary, one of the most coveted numbers in a basketball jersey is number 1 because of anfernee "penny" hardaway.

hardaway was one of the exciting young combo guards of the mid to late 90's in the nba. his height and explosiveness were distinct qualities that made him more than the traditional point guard. his game somehow revolutionized the perspective of point guards as distributors and ball-handlers to dynamic scorers. thanks to his team-up with then-rising star shaquille o'neal, the orlando magic had deep runs in the nba playoffs, even reaching the finals in 1995 only to be swept by hakeem olajuwon and the houston rockets for the championship. despite the return of michael jordan and the re-establishment of the chicago bulls dynasty, the magic went far in the playoffs because of hardaway's solid performance on court. unfortunately, his career took a bump after suffering a knee injury. despite his several attempts of coming back into the game, penny was never the same player that he used to be. if not for that injury, he could have had a great run in the nba and perhaps winning a championship along the way.

besides his game, one of the most memorable facets of hardaway in the nba is his shoes. besides michael jordan, he had an iconic collection of signature shoes with nike which includes air go lwp, air up, air flight one, air max penny 1, air penny 2, air penny 3, and air foamposite one. however, because of a career cut short due to knee injury, his signature line of basketball shoes also entered into retirement. but with the emergence of hybrid models, penny's shoes were given a new face through the half cent and zoom rookie. and lately, the return of retro models also ushered in the comeback of his signature line in the market.

i'm quite fortunate to own several models from his shoe line. i never thought that a shoe made for a combo guard like penny was quite comfortable for someone who played forward/center most of the time. when i was in high school, my next valuable pair of kicks besides the air jordan 12 cherry was the air penny 3 blackout. air penny 2 has to be one of the most comfortable gaming shoes i ever worn. i haven't tried how air max penny 1 feels on foot but the performance would surely be close with the other models.

AND 1: "I. WANT. LECHOOOOOOOOOON!"

(photo courtesy of the guidon)

welcome back to uaap season 74 finals mvp and my motivation for playing basketball: ryan buenafe!

6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal in 20 minutes. never mind the 1-5 in the three point area. i shoot along that percentage too. hahaha!

Tugon (Isang pagninilay sa ika-labinlimang linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon)

photo by kevin fonacier

Bahagi ng homiliya na ibinigay noong ika-labinlimang linggo sa Karaniwang Panahon sa sa kapilya ng Barangay South Cembo, Makati City

sa ating ebanghelyo ngayon, tila may iisang tema na naguugnay sa ating mga pagbasa, at ito ang tema ng pagpapadala sa isang misyon.

nakita natin sa paghaharap ni propeta amos at amaziah sa unang pagbasa na si amos, bagamat siya ay isang pastol at tagapangalaga ng mga puno, ay tinawag ng diyos upang ipahayag ang kanyang salita bilang isang propeta. sa ikalawang pagbasa, binabanggit ni san pablo ang pakikibahagi ng mga pinapadala sa misyon ni kristo at ang bunga nito na isakatuparan ang kalooban ng diyos. at sa ating ebanghelyo, nagbibigay ng habilin si hesus sa kanyang mga alagad bago sila ipadala ng dala-dalawa sa isang misyon: na walang dadalhing iba kundi ang tungkod, magsuot ng sandalyas, at ipahayag ang pagbabagong-buhay sa mga taong makakasalamuha nila.

makikita natin sa kuwento ni amos at kahit sa mga alagad ni hesus kung paano pinapadala ang mga ordinaryo at simpleng tao upang gawin at tuparin ang isang malaking misyon. sa kabila ng kanilang tila kakulangan at kahinaan, sa kabila ng kanilang mga pagkakaiba ng kaugalian at pananaw sa buhay, tinatawag sila at pinapadala sa isang misyon na hindi lamang para sa kanila upang tuparin, kundi bilang mga instrumento na makikibahagi sa misyon na ang diyos mismo ang tutupad sa pamamagitan nila.

batid ba natin ang ating misyon sa buhay? sa kabila ng ating mga pagkukulang, tinatawag tayo upang tumugon sa kanyang kalooban sa iba't-ibang pamamaraan. paano nga ba natin ginagampanan ang misyon na ibinibigay sa atin ng diyos sa ating buhay?

makikita rin natin ang kahalagahan ng mga habilin ni kristo: sila ay pinadala ng dala-dalawa upang magtulungan, magdamayan, at maglakbay bilang mga saksi sa pagmamahal ng diyos. mas madali gampanan ang tungkulin nang may kasama. mas magaan ang paglalakbay kung may karamay sa daan. at mas epektibo na maipahahayag ang salita ng diyos kung dalawa ang sumasaksi at nagpapatotoo rito.

sino ba ang mga kasama natin sa buhay na tumutupad ng misyong ito? paano natin napapalakas ang bawat isa bilang mga saksi na magkasamang nagpapatotoo sa salita ng diyos?

makikita rin natin ang kahalagahan ng pagiging payak o simple sa pagsisimula ng misyon. ang pagiging payak ay niyayakap natin upang makilatis at mapili ang mas mahalaga sa buhay, upang tayo ay makapaglakbay ng mas magaan upang maibigay nang buo ang sarili sa paglilingkod, at upang tayo ay umasa lamang sa Diyos na siyang nagpapadala sa atin.

ano ba ang kailangan nating bitiwan upang mas malaya tayong makatugon sa kanyang tawag? ano ang mga aspeto ng ating sarili o di naman kaya ay mga magay na humahadlang sa atin upang makapagbigay ng buo sa ating misyon sa buhay? ano ang mga biyayang nais nating hilingin sa diyos sa pagtahak ng landas ng pagtugon sa kanyang kalooban sa ating buhay?

deo gratias.

Crazy finishes

last wednesday, i was browsing through my twitter feed when i learned that perpetual,a team known for cheerdancing more than basketball in ncaa, was leading defending champions san beda a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. i was like, "oh, ok." then a few minutes later, i read tweets that the game went into overtime courtesy of a baser amer shot from way beyond half-court. it was then that i tuned into the game on television to see the other turn of events that led to perp's upset of beda.


then yesterday, i watched the game between ust and feu, which was part of uaap's opening set of games. ust, which led by 10 after 3 quarters, was dictating the tempo of the game behind big man karim abdul and former xavier standout jeric teng. until feu slowly caught up the lead (using one of my favorite liga de barangay commentator lines: "isa-isa, dahan-dahan, parang anay lang yan!") and even won the game through, again, another crazy finish.

the basketball season is now in full swing. i can't wait to watch more of these in the next few weeks especially with the return of the uaap.

TIMEOUT: "Philosophy bakes no cake"

Illustration taken from "Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy made lighter" by Donald Palmer (Fourth Edition), page 361. This book, used in our Introduction to Philosophy class, is my first ever philosophy book! 

dedicated to all philosophy majors, minors, and students out there
NOTE: this is not mine, just saw this printed at the back of a classmate's shirt

Now and then philosophers have been trying to change the world.
But the chains of an asylum kept them cold inside.

The clamor of the mocking world has never been astray.
They end up with their books as treasure,
with their thoughts as wealth and with their ideas as refuge.

They end up begging.
They weren't fed by philosophy.
The empty stomach overwhelms within.

Hitherto it has always been the case,
but whatever life they have assumed,
it is upon the meaning of what they have taken.

They made a life out of it.

They never baked a "cake" but they have baked a life that everybody is indebted to.

Philosophy will never cause a living but will cause a life worth living.

FIRST 5: 5 wishes for the "Drive for Five"

(photo source)

because kiefer does not stop counting at four

the 75th season of the uaap will be starting this coming weekend. hosted by national university with the theme "unbreakable", uaap season 75 promises a higher level of competition especially in men's basketball as every collegiate team in the league beefed up their rosters, gained a considerable amount of experience and learning from summer leagues and training, and prepared themselves for another intense and grueling season of the country's most prestigious collegiate league.

all eyes will surely be on the ateneo blue eagles, who are gunning for their fifth consecutive men's basketball championship this coming season. still picked as favorites, the loyola-based dribblers have performed quite well since the post-season of season 74 and continued their winning ways in the pre-season of season 75. the blue eagles placed second in the collegiate champion's league and won the university games championship, while some key players even participated in the southeast asian games and still won a gold medal for the philippines. this summer, the hail mary squad placed third in the fil-oil flying v pre-season cup and became champions of fr. martin summer league.

but it wasn't a perfect pre-season for the blue eagles, as most games were close enough to be decided in the last three to four possessions. the team took losses in the fil-oil pre-season cup against san beda (by just two points), la salle (in a game that was sent to overtime by jeron teng's 3 pointer), and nu (where a barrage of three-pointers from a lucky nu squad caught the blue eagles flat footed in the semis). some might say that ateneo took a hit with the departure of kirk long, emman monfort, and bacon austria who were considered as key cogs in the past four championship runs. but with much of the team returning for another year, new faces out to make an impact in the team, and coach norman black seeking a triumphant exit in the league before returning to the pros, the blue eagles are surely in for an exciting drive to be "glori-fived."

and so, here are five wishes that i have for the blue eagles as they open their bid to a five-peat and make history in season 75:

(photo source)

the flash's grandson finally found his way "home" 

1. better point guard play. losing monfort to graduation has to be one of the bitter pills that ateneo had to swallow at the end of season 74. he is not just their steadiest ball handler last but also one of ateneo's best defenders especially against the league's top guards. his departure leaves quite a big hole in the line-up. seniority-wise, juami tiongson takes the place of monfort in the rotation. but despite his clutch shots in the finals last season, he seems to be more of a shoot-first point guard than a distributor, which point guards should be in the first place. a key addition to the team is nico elorde, a former dlsz standout (with gwyne capacio) and one-time green archer, who is more of a defensive-minded point guard and facilitator in the offense. i personally prefer elorde over tiongson to start as point guard, but i won't be surprised to see kiefer ravena getting converted into a point guard this season. this reminds me of how jai reyes, a shooting guard in high school, played started at the point in seasons 71 and 72.

(photo source)

oping has quite big shoes to fill in 

2. player development. ateneo is known as one of the teams that is able to make their players improve their skills for the current season and take their game a notch higher a season later. again, finding a replacement to two solid defensive forwards in long and austria will be crucial this season. oping sumalinog, who struggled last year after taking some time off from injury, is expected to be ateneo's main defender for opposing shooting guards and wingmen. tonino gonzaga is still expected to come off the bench or even start in some games to provide the spark in both offense and defense. frank golla is known as a "wall" in the defensive side, but i hope he already developed some short jumpers and baby hook shots in the likes of doug kramer and rabeh al-hussaini. jp erram's emergence as a scorer during the univesity games and even in the pccl would be a great complement to his defensive prowess. i would also like to see capacio and von pessumal get more playing time this season.

(photo source)

guess who's back... back again 

3. rookies spotlight. the blue eagles might have lost to the green archers in the jeron teng sweepstakes, but an interesting crop of rookies are joining the team this season. it was expected for the blue eagles to add big men in their line-up this season with the impending departure of greg slaughter, nico salva, and justin chua. heading the blue eagles' rookie class is kris porter, who led the ateneo blue eaglets to a final four finish last season, and g-boy babilonia, a mainstay from the philippine u16/18 youth team. though they may only have little playing time this season, it would be good to give them the much-needed exposure as they are expected to fill the hole in the middle in the next few seasons. of course, the returning ryan buenafe must not be forgotten in the equation. the finals mvp of season 73 returns with a vengeance, losing a bit of weight and bulk in his frame. his offensive ability is surely a plus to the already-potent ateneo offense, and it is my hope that his defensive skills took some polishing during the off-season.

(photo source)

nickobe tries to make it 5-for-5 

4. last hurray for the graduates. i hate to burst the bubble as early as now, but this season will be the last for a lot of key players who played a crucial role in all four title runs. gone after this season would be slaughter, chua, salva, sumalinog, and gonzaga. slaughter decided to take his final year of eligibility to contribute to the blue eagles' drive for five. salva, last season's finals mvp, has developed his mid-range and even outside game, and he is surely making the most of what kobe bryant taught him during the latter's trip in the philippines. chua took the sacrifice of riding the bench last season but embraced that role and such paid dividends for him and the team. sumalinog and gonzaga had their respective stories of emerging as impact players off the bench as they solidly contributed to the team whether in stats or in basketball's intangibles. this season is their last chance to don that blue and white jersey, and they might as well make the most of it. if things fall into its proper place, they could earn the very rare distinction of winning championship in each of their playing years, not only in the ateneo but even in the uaap. they might as well give their all in season 75.

(photo source)

one more gatorade bath for black 

5. 5peat. the feeling of winning never gets old, and if you're an ateneo fan, the past four seasons have just been gratifying. it's always enjoyable to hear or even say the words "see you in the annual bonfire!", but there won't even be one without the architect behind the championships that the community enjoyed in the past four years. coach norman black has done a tremendous job of drawing plays and making key adjustments during game in his 6 years as head coach. more than that, his work of motivating the players and keeping them focused and hungry for a championship year after year is just superb. though he is bound to leave the team after the season and even if he will remain as a fixture in the ateneo bench for the next two seasons as a consultant, a 5th straight championship is indeed the perfect finale that coach norman could have. for now, nothing is for sure what beholds the team beyond the norman black era, but it is important to focus on the task-at-hand. expect the blue eagles to go all the way this season to write a new chapter in the ateneo basketball history.

the drive for five begins this sunday at 4pm as they tackle the adamson falcons in a rematch of last season's "one biggest fight", where the birds of san marcelino broke their 29-game losing streak to the blue eagles and similarly deprived ateneo of sweeping the elimination round. despite ateneo winning the championship and adamson losing their flight in their final four match-up against feu, somehow the loss still has to be avenged. with a new season coming up, we do not have an idea what will happen until the final buzzer sounds. and so, the time has come for the blue eagles to give their best shot and push the pedal to the metal in their quest for a fifth straight championship.

GO ATENEO!
ONE BIG FIGHT!
BLUE EAGLE, THE KING!