Can San Beda win without Ekwe?

[Aleancelo]

Your guess is as good as mine. But don't get me wrong. I'm not belittling my alma mater. Besides, I spent my grade school (RIP Fr. Odi Arceo) and high school years there. Thus, I only root for the Red Cubs and not for the Red Lions.

[bonzieknight45]

can san beda win w/o ekwe? in the eliminations yes but the championship no because ekwe's dominance is not just the factor during the championship series but during the entire season. the ncaa has never seen and faced a guy who's 6'8 black player that really dominate the game with his size and his love for blocking shots. those qualities and intangibles made them the strongest team during the recently concluded season. taganas can't do those things ekwe does and even aljamal actually san beda is a very small team without ekwe. i have nothing against san beda but that's my opinion and i think that's what everybody in the basketball world thinks. peace out!

[deltoid]

^ I would have to disagree on this one... Who would believe that as an unbiased opinion coming from a "Letranista"? Your last statement is just plain generalization...

Well, I guess some people really like grapes... :bop:

[joaqui_15]

Of course san beda could win games without sam ekwe.. but i think the better question is, can san beda win the championship without sam ekwe.. hehe :)

[shaqmonster]

This thread serves no good purpose. This thread is asking the opinion of people from the 7 schools who lost and those from the school who won.

Can San Beda win without Sam Ekwe? Siyempre hindi natin masasabi. Too many what-ifs are involved here.

Pwedeng may ibang makuhang sentro ang San Beda na mas magaling pa nga hindi katulad ni Ekwe na walang alam sa basketball nung dumating at kailangan pang pagtiyagaan na turuan. Remember that because of Sam, hindi na nagfocus ang San Beda sa pagrecruit ng ibang sentro. Ibang posisyon na ang mga hinanap nila. Kung wala si Sam, the this is an entirely different story and San Beda would have concentrated on getting the services of a good big man.

The trouble is, we are going to answer this thread with our own respective biases.

Ako rin may tanong. Yung ibang teams kaya mag champion din pag mataas ang standards nila at totoong mga estudyante ang nasa line-ups nila?

[RedLion2001]

I think this will be a :bop: thread..... :rotflmao:

Anyway, San Beda can win games without Sam Ekwe. Why? He is not the only player playing for the center position. Other players may not be as intimidating like him, but certainly coach Koy will not let them play if they dont deserve it. And if ever there is a mismatch for the center position, there are still four players playing inside the court that can double team or help in the defense.

And of course, San Beda can also lose games. Bilog ang bola, hindi pwede laging panalo.


may ganitong thread na dito dati e.... di ko lang sure.... :D

[boredtoday]

Ako rin may tanong. Yung ibang teams kaya mag champion din pag mataas ang standards nila at totoong mga estudyante ang nasa line-ups nila?
hahahah, ang tanong kamo pards, kung makabuo pa kaya sila ng 15 man roster. :rotflmao: :glee:

[jra21]

They can win games but they can't win a championship.

[bchoter]

I don't see why we can't discuss this issue without eliciting negative comments from pro or anti SBC.

For me Sam Ekwe is the most important player in the Lion's squad. But that doesn't mean Pong Escobal, Aljamal, or coach Koy Banal's coaching abilities can be discounted because of Ekwe's contributions. Yes, Ekwe is a force to reckon with. t is not easy to replace a 6'8" physical specimen with uncanning tming and freakish athleticism. But taking him out doesn't mean you take everything that Sam contributes. I'm sure coach Koy will find ways to get contributions from his other players and can replace Sam's contributions by committee. Of course the intimidation can't be replaced but there, again, Banal can do something about it. It's just not as easy if Sam was there. Which is the same way I see SBC's fortune with and without Ekwe. Obviously, it makes it easier to have him there. And the flip side without him. I'm sure Aljamal would have doubled the effort. Pong would be the same steadying factor who is fearless. I'm pretty sure Ogie would have made more tangible contributions because he truly is capable of giving more if only there was no need to subjugate his game to Ekwe and Alajamal. JR Taganas would have been more bruising. The rest could have been equal to the task. Who knows, Eric Suguitan could have been the revelation if he was given the opportunity. Suguitan blocks Espinas... runs back for the fast break... "Pong dribble-penetrates... fakes a shot but throws the ball to the wating Suguitan... 'Suguitan 3 points'..." ;)

[shaqmonster]

I don't see why we can't discuss this issue without eliciting negative comments from pro or anti SBC.

Bchoter, it is a matter of venue. This is pex. Guys like you are outnumbered by trolls and bashers 100 to 1.

[bchoter]

^ Just turn a blind eye... and raise the finger :D

[jra21]

May point si Bchoter, pero even with ekwe naman the red lion can still be beaten by other teams, they don't have a perfect record naman. Mapua almost beaten them in their final four ist game match-up, the dolphins won the 2nd game of the championship series. hindi naman tambak ang dolphins nung final game.

Remember andun si ekwe sa red lions. how much more kung wala siya???? hmmmmmmmmm not even a final four place for beda i Think:) peace

[tsinamanph]

ok pa rin naman ang comments ni jra - di naman below the belt- tingnan na lang natin sa season 83.... i am sure he/she has a long list of "what ifs" and that golden envy list///

ano nga pala team mo, jra?
and also, it is san beda, not beda.

thanks, bchoter...for those obejective comments..

[jra21]

Understood na *** beda ay san beda...

I am not against any team, just an opinion of a basketball fan:)

[RedLion2001]

fyi...

San Beda ang school namin...
Bedans ang tawag sa amin...

on topic:

I agree with bchoter... It is team effort that wins games/championships.

[jra21]

Ok fine, mga sensitive kausap itong mga "BEDANS"

on the topic:

So nung mga panahon na wala si ekwe na hindi nagchampion ang San Beda wala kayong team effort???

[RedLion2001]

Ok fine, mga sensitive kausap itong mga "BEDANS"

on the topic:

So nung mga panahon na wala si ekwe na hindi nagchampion ang San Beda wala kayong team effort???

If youre going to take what ive said literally and will not use your comprehension, tama ka. Pero kung pag-iisipan mu kung anu ang pinararating ko, mali ka.

Does it mean na pag may team effort kayo e panalo na kayo agad? Common sense, bilog ang bola, hindi ka sigurado kung palagi kang mananalo.

When ive said that team effort wins games/championships, i meant that five players are playing inside the court, not just one. And sinabi ko bang "team effort always wins games/championship"?

Try to comprehend first before answering some posts here.... *okay*

[spongklong]

for me its really hard to tell..

last year, we saw how aljamal matured and elevated his game. for me he was the one who guided SBC to the finals and not Ekwe. Escobal was the biggest surprise. he is a "rookie" yet he played like a true veteran. Angeles's crisp playmaking was also a factor. and ofcourse, who would not acknowledge coach Koy Banal??? for me, he has implemented a system in SBC that the previous coaches weren't able to do. plus the motivating factor..

to sum things up, is Ekwe the only reason why SBC won last year? defnitely my answer is NO!

[tsinamanph]

so far, ok naman itong si jra...who knows? we might end up giving you an authentic EKWE jersey..... cool ba?

[walter_berry]

IMHO, if one is to look forward to season 83, in all honesty, a San Beda team without Sam Ekwe will be at best a final four team. Granted that an "Ekweless" Red Lions will still have a solid core to work with from their 82 champion team (Aljamal, Escobal, Menor, Gamalinda, Tecson, Taganas) and a stable of comebacking and rookie players joining them (Tirona, Galinato, Camus and possibly Dave Marcelo) the reality is that none of these players possess exemplary individual skills (e.g., scoring, rebounding, shot blocking, defense, etc.) that the team can use to its advantage. In other words, there is no "superstar material" in this team. We can say all we want about team play but every team needs a go to guy whether it be on offense or defense.

Moreover, we can all harp on team defense but with no Ekwe around to anchor the middle, the premium will have to be on one-on-one matchups as I feel that the Red Lions will no longer have that luxury of cheating on defense. Major concern really is that there is no one in the Red Lion roster that can match up defensively with players like Jason Castro and Beau Belga (don't laugh at this guy, this guy plays tough defense and rebounds with the best of them and he doesn't back down from anyone) of PCU and for that matter even Jim Viray of SSC-R (don't underestimate this guy).

Lastly, this is still somewhat tied up to defense but having Ekwe around is enough intimidation to make other teams think twice about getting rugged with the Red Lions. JRU will be a main concern here as they have displayed not only a very rugged but effective type of defense during the CCL and Homegrown Cup tournaments but also a though mindset that seems to distract if not "scare" other teams. Letran also comes to mind here since everyone probably knows their brand of defense.

[Rocker09]

Ekwe was their leading rebounder and shotblocker last season...He made sure that teams would think twice before driving to the lane...Hence, teams were forced to attempt low % shots because of intimidation...I'll compare this situation to the detroit pistons....When Ben Wallace was with them, they won a championship and were always considered as championship contenders. Now that Ben is not with them anymore, the pistons are struggling to even get the best record in the east. They are still winning but if you think that they'll win the championship this season, then you're out of your mind. The same applies for san beda. Without ekwe, they can still win and make the final four but there is no way in hell that they can win the championship. ;)

Animo Benilde!

[shaqmonster]

^ Thank you for your post walter berry, and welcome to pex. We are glad that your first post was made here in this particular San Beda thread. Mukhang made to order hehehe.

PS. Re cheating on defense, San Beda rarely uses the zone defense. More often than not, the Lions employ man-to-man defense with or without Sam although because of Sam's sheer length and athleticism, he is able to provide help defense within a radius of 2 - 3 meters. I don't know if that will qualify as cheating to you.

With or without Sam, I doubt if the other teams can match up with San Beda man for man.

JRU? They have no Floyd Dedicatoria next season hence their performance in the off-season tournaments where Dedicatoria played or is playing is not an accurate barometer of how they will perform in Season 83. Someone said that JRU is basically a Dedicatoria team. With his departure, Wilson is being groomed as the primary offensive option. But what can a 5'10 - 5'11 guy do?

Letran? I am not belittling Letran but the exodus of Bautista and Aban this year will make it extremely hard for Letran to even make the final four. Who will they rely from now on? Faundo? Daa? Dangcal? Guevarra? Balneg? Mondragon? Letran's Team A was even beaten by San Beda's rag tag Team B (incomplete in all playing positions except 4 and 5) in the Homegrown League.

SSC? This year si Viray na lang yata ang natitirang go-to guy at "impact player" ng San Sebastian. With the departure of Red Vicente, sino ang tutulong kay Viray? Gilbert Bulawan? This player is good in offense but soft in defense, save for his despicable dirty plays.

None of the current San Beda players possess exemplary individual skills? Really? Menor is a former NCAA juniors MVP and the subject of tug of war with DLSU. He doesn't have any extra ordinary offensive and defensive skills?

Aljamal who can produce double doubles if given the right playing time, and who can shoot from the 3 point and free throw areas with very high accuracy has no exemplary skills ?

Escobal, who torched San Beda with 47 points in a national tournament when he was still playing for Holy Cross and also was highly recruited by Ateneo and DLSU, is an ordinary player?

Camus, at 6'4 plays point and combo guard, is ordinary? Geez, i haven't seen a 6'4 point guard in the PBA. Taganas who was also a one-time NCAA juniors MVP is just a flab who clogs the lane?

How about Riego Gamalinda? How about JR Tecson? Tecson nilis being recruited by JRU with an assurance of a starting five position because he is not getting enough playing time in San Beda due to the number of talents in the lineup. Second stringer in San Beda but starting player if he transfer to JRU? Wow! Players from other schools would have transferred but not JR Tecson. He'd even rather play in our Team B than be a starting player for JRU. :)

By golly, if these guys have no exemplary individual skills, maybe the players from the other teams must be that extra ordinary in comparison.

I guess it is because these San Beda players placed individualistic plays in the backburner in favor of team play made people forget how good these players are individually. Maybe that is the reason why they appear to be ordinary in the eyes of people like walter berry here.

Sabi nga sa posts nung isang taon pa, kung papabayaan lang ni Koy Banal na lumaro ng solo itong mga nabanggit na players na ito, lahat sila kayang mag average ng 20 - 30 points a game kagaya nina Bonbon Custodio, Floyd Dedicatoria, Jim Viray, Khiel Misa at iba pa na halos sila na lang ang tumitira sa mga teams nila.

Walter, if these bunch of San Beda players are not good enough to win the championship in Season 83 without Sam, sino ngayon sa tingin mo ang NCAA team na malakas at magiging champion sa Season 83? Please give us your honest opinion and explain/justify your choice.

[azul_81]

to be honest ? NO

every basketball afficionados knows how EKWE works. Ekwe is EKWE.There will be a big hole in the center of Red Lion's defense if Ekwe is not around. Kahit sa UAAP alam yan.

Sinong nasa sariling baet na maglalakas tumira ng tumira ng tres kung wala kang reliable center ?

Year 2005 when Letran Knights won the title. Pansinin nyo ang daming shooters na hindi takot bumitaw. Dahil ? Dahil andaming pwedeng gawin center ni Alas na maasahan. At yung Power Forward niya pwede nya i-shuffle maging Center and vice-versa.

In San Beda's case si Ekwe ang heart and soul ng Red Lions.
Imagine nyo yung laro between SBC and PCU last year....muntik pa masilat. Isang gahiblang buhok lang ang lamang. Andun si Gabby at si Castro tapos supporting pa si Belga.
Do you think sino pwede isabay sa seasoned player na si Gabby kung wala si Ekwe ? Kung ihahanay nyo ang ibang center or power forward kay Gabby baka masayang lang ang pagod.
Si Ekwe lang ang sagot kay Gabby.
EKWELIZER sya diba ?

unbiased yan, dude

[shaqmonster]

This thread serves no good purpose. This thread is asking the opinion of people from the 7 schools who lost and those from the school who won.

xxx

Ako rin may tanong. Yung ibang teams kaya mag champion din pag mataas ang standards nila at totoong mga estudyante ang nasa line-up nila?

Like what I said. *okay*

[jra21]

Like what I said. *okay*

Mataas ba Standards ng San Beda????

[Rocker09]

a true basketball fan should know how important ekwe is to san beda....read my detroit pistons comparison

[shaqmonster]

Mataas ba Standards ng San Beda????

Yes. No doubt.

[jra21]

Yes. No doubt.

Uhm okie Thanks

[shaqmonster]

a true basketball fan should know how important ekwe is to san beda....read my detroit pistons comparison

Rocker, I read your comparison.

I am not saying Ekwe is not important to San Beda. He is important. All the players are important.

Your Detroit Pistons comparison will not apply in this case. You are making an apples to oranges comparison.

In the case of Detroit, the departure of Ben Wallace rendered his team inferior to the other NBA teams like Dallas, Miami, etc.

In the case of Sam Ekwe, his departure will of course weaken San Beda. But will it weaken San Beda to the point that it will become inferior to the other NCAA teams? Comparing the team rosters, there is no doubt that San Beda is still the stronger team. That's what I am driving at.

Put simply, San Beda is still the stronger team even without Ekwe. Just compare the team rosters, will you? Wala pa diyan yung other factors like the coach and the crowd. ;)

[boredtoday]

Mataas ba Standards ng San Beda????
uuuhh.. yes.

and if we speak relatively among fellow NCAA schools, a bigger and louder, HELL YEAH! :D

[Rocker09]

Rocker, I read your comparison.

I am not saying Ekwe is not important to San Beda. He is important. All the players are important.

Your Detroit Pistons comparison will not apply in this case. You are making an apples to oranges comparison.

In the case of Detroit, the departure of Ben Wallace rendered his team inferior to the other NBA teams like Dallas, Miami, etc.

In the case of Sam Ekwe, his departure will of course weaken San Beda. But will it weaken San Beda to the point that it will become inferior to the other NCAA teams? Comparing the team rosters, there is no doubt that San Beda is still the stronger team. That's what I am driving at.

You may not know it but Ekwe actually helps in making his team mates better. Because of his inside presence, the shooters in the team can have more open looks. Ekwe also is a pretty good passer. The detroit pistons are still talented even w/o wallace(hamilton, billups, prince, rasheed, webber) but they're still struggling because teams can now score easier against them. Although if were gonna talk about next season, I'll agree that san beda is still the most talented and they can still win the championship(although it would be tougher) but let's change the scenario. What if there was no ekwe last season? a season where Espinas, Aban, etc were still playing. Do you think san beda could have won the championship. I'll compare it again to the Pistons, do you think they could've beaten the LA lakers in 2004 if they didn't have ben wallace?

[tsinamanph]

You may not know it but Ekwe actually helps in making his team mates better. Because of his inside presence, the shooters in the team can have more open looks. Ekwe also is a pretty good passer. The detroit pistons are still talented even w/o wallace(hamilton, billups, prince, rasheed, webber) but they're still struggling because teams can now score easier against them. Although if were gonna talk about next season, I'll agree that san beda is still the most talented and they can still win the championship(although it would be tougher) but let's change the scenario. What if there was no ekwe last season? a season where Espinas, Aban, etc were still playing. Do you think san beda could have won the championship. I'll compare it again to the Pistons, do you think they could've beaten the LA lakers in 2004 if they didn't have ben wallace?


ang dami namang "what ifs?" pare.....i do not think it would be appropriate for us to answer those...wishful na masyado and medyo with traces of graping....

i think the more appropriate question for this thread is - " with ekwe still around, who do you think can win versus san beda?"

yan....yan ang sagutin natin... ;) more realistic and moving forward....

[Rocker09]

the question of the thread is, "can san beda win w/o ekwe?"...I think it's just appropriate to take into consideration the past(last season) and the future(next season).........

[shaqmonster]

This thread serves no good purpose. This thread is asking the opinion of people from the 7 schools who lost and those from the school who won.

Can San Beda win without Sam Ekwe? Siyempre hindi natin masasabi. Too many what-ifs are involved here.

Precisely my point from the start. This thread calls for so many what-ifs. Magiging paikot - ikot lang ang usapan. And invariably, the what-ifs that will be raised are those that tend to support our individual biases and school loyalties.

There is no such thing as an unbiased opinion. Our environment, education, family, society, etc., they all play a major part in influencing our opinions and moulding our way of thinking. Collectively, they form our biases.

Suggest that we close this thread, else let us brace ourselves for a merry go round.

[tsinamanph]

agree - will post no more, shaq.

[shaqmonster]

the question of the thread is, "can san beda win w/o ekwe?"...I think it's just appropriate to take into consideration the past(last season) and the future(next season).........

Rocker, the title of the thread suggests that the discussion should be prospective, not retrospective.

Anybody who says that San Beda could not have won with certainty can replace Madam Auring and Jojo Acuin. Sino ba ang nakapagsabi last year na UST ang magiging champion sa UAAP?

[walter_berry]

Thanks for the welcome shaqmonster!

Well and good if Aljamal, Escobal, et. al are indeed subjugating their skills and sacrificing precious “audition time for the PBA” just to fit in the system. On hindsight, I may have been a bit harsh with my remark that these guys do not have exemplary skills. That said, you need not worry about individual skills comparison with the rest of the field, the players of the other teams are not “superstar material” also (Dedicatoria is at best a role player, Misa is a ballhog and Custodio of UE is trouble), save probably for Jason Castro (but then again this may be traced to PCU being more of a one man team rather than a well oiled machine).

With regards to teams that stand a good chance in wresting the crown from the Lions in next year’s NCAAs (assuming San Beda is “Ekweless”), the most glaring “choices” on my end will be PCU followed by JRU.

Basis for selecting PCU is simple… the Red Lions don’t have an answer for Jason Castro. I think most of us will admit that Castro had a lot of the Red Lion faithful on needles and pins during game 3 when “HE” almost beat the Red Lions. Hopefully Camus will turn out incredible even just on the defensive end so that Castro can be presented with a difficult match-up. On the other hand, PCU has enough bodies to match-up with Aljamal, Menor, Escobal, etc. Their PCU counterparts may not necessarily outperform them in terms of stats but as observed in last year’s games, these Dolphins should be given credit in outhustling and even outplaying San Beda’s “key guys” (most glaring during game 2 and the 4Q of game 3… we can also add the 4Q of the 1st meeting between these two teams to this). Also, the luxury of playing Aljamal outside the paint will be lost if Ekwe is not around as he will now have to play closer to the basket.

JRU on the other hand is an intriguing team indeed but they are worthy contenders for next year’s title. As much as you pointed out that 5’10 Wilson (who by the way does not possess exemplary skills himself) will be their main offensive weapon my basis in selecting them is not based on offense but rather the stinging defense that they exhibited during the CCL and the Homegrown tournaments. I dare say that the way they played defense during those tournaments may have convinced them (if not gave them the realization) that they can bang with the best teams out there. Yes, Dedicatoria won’t be there next year but this assessment also assumes that the Red Lions will be without Ekwe too. JRU’s big men, Sena and Nocom, have been impressive lately (particularly Sena who made it to the mythical 5 of the Homegrown cup) and both guys seem to be fearless in dishing out and “receiving” blows in the paint from taller frontliners of other teams. I guess what I’m arriving at with JRU is that these guys now believe that they can not only compete but that they can win. Yes, Aljamal, Menor, Escobal, et. al may be more talented than these guys but without Ekwe around these JRU guys won’t be easily intimidated anymore.

As for the other teams, fat chance really, save for the Altas maybe (but only because I have no clue how their foreign recruits play).

I believe the above is an objective assessment of which teams can wrest the crown from the Red Lions next year assuming Sam does not play. I am aware that you have as much right as anyone to either agree, disagree or even dismiss the above as rubbish, but then again that’s what online forums are for.

As a parting shot, let me make it clear that even without Ekwe the Red Lions are still a formidable bunch. But given how Ekwe impacts the game I just don’t see the Red Lions advancing beyond the final four without him in the team. Of course, I may end up eating my words but then again that’s a chance I have to take just to get my unbiased opinions across.

As for tsinamanph’s query as to who can dethrone a San Beda team with Ekwe the answer is quite obvious… no one really. I’d even go as far as saying that the Red Lions will most likely win the NCAA and CCL crowns next year.

[shaqmonster]

^ Thanks Walter. This is the level of discussion that we should have here in PEX. You have expressed and rationalized your opinion well.

Maybe in Season 85 when San Beda will be "Ekweless' we can start discussing this again. By that time, there will be new players who will add spice and flavor to our discussion. Unfortunately, wala ngang Ekwe pero baka Argentinian naman ang meron kami. "Can San Beda Win Without _____________? ;D

[walter_berry]

Hahahaha, dude, formulating "what if" scenarios for Season 85 would be a stretch.

This is a bit off topic but I would very much welcome having Argentinians and other foreigners play in the local collegiate scene for San Beda or any school for that matter. Not only does it add spice and flavor but it will also raise give local talents a chance to test their mettle against international talent. To be very candid about it I think Belga really benefited a lot from banging bodies with Ekwe, if I were a PBA team owner (which sadly I ain't) I'd probably draft him "now" to guard, harass and take imports out of their game.

[Rocker09]

Rocker, the title of the thread suggests that the discussion should be prospective, not retrospective.

Anybody who says that San Beda could not have won with certainty can replace Madam Auring and Jojo Acuin. Sino ba ang nakapagsabi last year na UST ang magiging champion sa UAAP?

IMO as a basketball fan, I don't think San Beda could have won last season w/o Ekwe. There is a reason why he was named MVP, DPOY, and ROY you know.

If we're talking about next season I would say that san beda may still win w/o Ekwe because of the lack of competition although it won't be as easy if they have Ekwe.

Because of this, I already predict that San Beda will once again win the NCAA title next season.

[bchoter]

First of all, welcome walt. That was as good a first post can be ;)

It is difficult to replace an Ekwe. On offense his rebounding prowess gives the outside shooters the confidence to shoot know that Sam can give them a second chance. He also takes away some of the heat from Aljamal even if he is a little raw on offense. That is because he is the tallest and second most athletic (next to Espinas) among the NC big men. But with the talent that SBC has they can easily compensate even minus the help Sam provides. Menor, for one, has willingly played 4th-5th option. I am very sure this kid is capable of scoring against anybody with his unique combination of size, strength, and speed plus his innate talent (ayos ba lakay? ;)). Pong have scored big time against Manila schools even before he set foot in Mendiola. He had an even weaker crew in Holy Cross so I'm quite sure nobody was capable of drawing away the defense form him. Bam, Tecson, and Taganas are all capable of going on a scoring binge on any given game. On the offensive glass, SBC is not exactly a doughnut team even minus Ekwe. The Lions are actually 3-4 deep in the middle. They still have the tallest team minus Sam.

It is on defense were the Lions will take the biggest hit if Ekwe was taken out of the line up. But Coach Koy is a defensive coach. I am more than sure that he'll be able to come up with the right defense given what's on the roster. Again, if there's one team who can afford to lose an Ekwe it is SBC with its platoon of big men.

To sum it up, yes, Ekwe is a huge loss. But SBC can take it.

[Ferocious Lion]

To sum it up, yes, Ekwe is a huge loss. But SBC can take it.

Yes, San Beda can compensate for the absence of Sam.

For Season 83, coach Koy can include 6'8" Eric Suguitan, 6'6" Mike Galinato and/or 6'5" Mark Sarangay in the lineup. Plus, we're fairly certain that Red Cub Center Dave Marcelo will stay on to become a Red Lion.

While these boys are not as intimidating or as athletic as Sam, they - together Taganas - can play quality minutes and hold their own against other NCAA centers.

With Espinas moving on to the pros, I dont know of any big man in the NCAA who can dominate or take over games. The centers that we have are more than enough for the quality of the opposition (plus, our forward and guard line-ups are almost intact as only Angeles will graduate).

A simple retooling of the lineup with the material on hand and a little tweaking of the offensive and defensive patterns will certainly remedy the absence of Sam.



*okay*

[ai#3]

Kahit sino naman tanggalin mo sa main core ng Red Lions eh siguradong di na ganon kadali manalo. Lahat sila may kanya kanyang papel na ginagampanan. Kaya nga ang pagkawala ni Angeles ay pinaghahandaan ng husto.

[walter_berry]

Ai#3 you hit the nail on the head there, you raised a very valid point about each of the Red Lions having roles to play in the team. You also correctly pointed out the real adjustments that the Red Lion guards and swingmen need to do given Angeles' graduation. This becomes crucial then considering that Hermida is still recovering from an injury (I believe).

If Hermida recovers in time for season 83 this shouldn't be a problem but if the injury prevents him from suiting up I wonder what kind of adjustments the Red Lions will do particularly with regards to the starting unit. In my honest assessment, the ideal scenario would be to make Escobal slide down to play point, Menor become the starting shooting guard and Gamalinda gets to assume the lead small forward role. Another option would be, Escobal at point, Menor remains at small forward and rookie Camus (assuming he's that good) gets shoved-in as the starting shooting guard.

Of course, putting Escobal at point has its cons, most obvious is he has to pass up shots for himself, the advantage though is that the Red Lions get to leverage on Escobal's experience and overall court savvy -- something which the lead guards of the other teams don't have.

This scenario also means that the Red Lions may need to add an extra point guard or two in their line-up next year (which therefore translates to lesser spots for the skyscrapers from team B). The comebacking Tirona will play a major role here and so does Evangelista. Again, if Camus exhibits signs that he can play both point and shooting guard then the transition will be less of a concern for the Red Lions.

Funny how some of us seem to have missed Angeles when we were putting forward what-if scenarios for an "Ekweless" Red Lions team.

[shaqmonster]

Micah Evangelista is recovering quickly. It was quite hard to believe but I was told that he is already running. Borgie and Du need another month before they can start training and going back to shape.

Taupa and Espinosa might be demoted to Team Behold because there are strong arguments for the promotion of Gege Castillo, Chris Camus and either Mark Sarangay or Eric Suguitan.

Dave Marcelo is assured of a slot. He will play 4 because he is being groomed as the replacement for Aljamal who will graduate next year.

[tsinamanph]

wowowow.....exciting mga kapatid...FROLICS NA!

[oca1]

Nice discussion you have here. Makikisali lang po.

First, let me say that “Coaches draw up their game plan base on the kind of players they have.”

Nariyan si Ekwe and Banal simply capitalized on his athletic ability.

Would San Beda have done it last season without him? I say, yes.

I say this knowing how well Banal calls the zone defense. With Ekwe’s athleticism, Banal had called mostly man-to-man defense to cover the perimeter and was hardly worried of the opponent’s drive to the basket because he has Ekwe. Kahit nasa weak side si Ekwe, sa bilis, taas ng talon at haba niya, kaya niyang habulin ang bola at mid-air.

Pero kung wala man si Ekwe, maraming klaseng zonang alam ni Banal.

Eto, kung depensa ang usapan.

Sa offense, I think Ekwe is not a key player. Yes, he does pull down a lot of offensive rebounds. But Letran, Mapua and PCU demonstrated how to box him out and deny San Beda second shots. Also, in season 82, his scoring average went down as the tournament went on. Dahil nga nalalaman na ng kalaban kung ano ang kaya at di niya kayang gawin. In offense, Ekwe doesn’t have much in his arsenal.

In the 6 elimination games against the above mentioned teams, San Beda didn’t dominate the boards. For 3 and ½ quarters, the game could have gone either way. It was only San Beda’s collective strength that allowed them a breakthrough at end game. Almost always, Ekwe was a non-factor at end games.

You can’t set him up for points. He can be boxed out from the offensive boards.

Having seen all these in Season82, is there much difference we can expect from Ekwe for Seaso83?

Basketball is a skills game. This is undeniably true in the offense part of the game. So far, I do not like how Ekwe is developing his offense. He takes a liking to jumpshots and he lands away from the basket. To say he takes fall away jumpers is to make it sound good. But it is the wrong shot for him to take. A player his size should always be in a position to contest the rebound. Yet, after he releases his shot, he lands farther away from the rim, out of position for a possible rebound play. With his poor shooting percentage, opposing coaches will gladly give him that shot, every quarter for all of 40 minutes.

On defense, his abilities are now familiar to all. Opponents now know how to play him. His mere presence will no longer intimidate. Just take into account how UST-Kettle Corn played him in that triple OT. They know he will challenge every shot inside the paint. So, they devised a lot of drop pass plays. Eto naman si Ekwe, talagang sinasalubong bawat penetration ni Japs Cuan, kahit ilang drop pass na ang naging puntos. That’s what I meant by lack of basketball smarts. Kulang na kulang dito si Ekwe.

We can also take into consideration the CCL championship against UE. The moment the big men of UE settled down, nawala na yung intimidation factor ni Ekwe.

It is worth noting that both UE and UST have coaches who played in the PBA. Obviously, their experience taught them well how to handle tall and athletic players like Ekwe. Mas madali pa nga i-handle si Ekwe dahil kulang ito sa basketball smarts.

So, really, Ekwe can be made a non-factor --- basta may magaling na coach ang kalaban complemented by talented players. Take note talented – hindi kasing tangkad na player.

I therefore doubt if he will be the most instrumental or crucial player in the back-to-back aspirations of Red Lions.

The key here is --- the other players of San Beda will have to step up even more. The likes of Aljamal, Escobal and Menor will have to be assertive on court. They have to make things happen, instead of just waiting for opportunities to come. Otherwise, malabo ang back-to-back.

I don’t buy the idea that if San Beda enters season 83 without an Ekwe, it has no chance of winning a second straight championship.

Kahit hypothetical, I don’t think it is a valid observation.

Games are won not just on what you bring onto the court. Kalahati lang yan. May kalaban ka- What do they bring on court?

UE and UST showed how to play against a team with an Ekwe in the middle. It’s for the other NC’ teams to learn from it.

[spongklong]

Micah Evangelista is recovering quickly. It was quite hard to believe but I was told that he is already running.

medyo off topic po..

are you sure micah evangelista is still eligible this coming season? if he isn't overaged yet, i think the 5 of 7 rule still doesn't apply to him coz it will be his 8th yr in college i think (ofcourse i'm open to corrections).

micah played for CSB as a rookie in 2002 (same year as orbeta). though he did not play a single game that season, he was even suspended by the league for leaving the bench in an almost brawl against MIT. i sure remember this coz this was the final game of jeff martin, the hot-headed cardinal who was eventually sacked by MIT coach Horacio Lim.

micah just like orbeta came to CSB in 2000. i think i saw him in the try outs that year. so if we are going to count 2000, since the 5 of 7 rule can be applied after his last year in high school, this will be his eighth year.

please correct me if i'm wrong though...

[renestrauss2004]

medyo off topic po..

are you sure micah evangelista is still eligible this coming season? if he isn't overaged yet, i think the 5 of 7 rule still doesn't apply to him coz it will be his 8th yr in college i think (ofcourse i'm open to corrections).

micah played for CSB as a rookie in 2002 (same year as orbeta). though he did not play a single game that season, he was even suspended by the league for leaving the bench in an almost brawl against MIT. i sure remember this coz this was the final game of jeff martin, the hot-headed cardinal who was eventually sacked by MIT coach Horacio Lim.

micah just like orbeta came to CSB in 2000. i think i saw him in the try outs that year. so if we are going to count 2000, since the 5 of 7 rule can be applied after his last year in high school, this will be his eighth year.

please correct me if i'm wrong though...

ahhhaaaa!!:confused:

Balita ko rin matagal ng player yan...kasabay pa ni suday salvacion...

[Ferocious Lion]

^ Is there a 7 year out of HS rule in the NCAA?

I dont think so. That rule is only enforced in the UAAP.

[tsinamanph]

^ Is there a 7 year out of HS rule in the NCAA?

I dont think so. That rule is only enforced in the UAAP.


and San Beda is not known for integrity issues.....kahit 28 years pa na matalo na walang titulo - I am sure the management knows about this pretty well..and makakasiguro kayong ( gamot ay laging bago) di namin kayo dadayain... ;)

[shaqmonster]

ahhhaaaa!!:confused:

Balita ko rin matagal ng player yan...kasabay pa ni suday salvacion...

Siguro graduating si Sunday at first year si Micah. :)

But seriously, sabi nga nila, change us! Ibahin niyo kami. Kung gawain namin yang kumuha ng mga gurang na players sana matagal na kaming nag champion. Di ba tsinaman?

Sino ba ang mga nagpasimula ng hugot na players sa iba ibang eskwelahan? Yung mga players na isa o dalawang taon na lang makakapaglaro. Nung 90's pa lang gawain na yan ng ibang NCAA teams. :rolleyes:

[spongklong]

^^i'm not saying po na mandaraya kayo or may balak kayong dayain kami.. i'm not just aware (if this is true) that the 5 of 7 rule applies in the NCAA.. i'm just stating here that micah has long been playing in the NCAA.. yun lang po..

[spongklong]

Siguro graduating si Sunday at first year si Micah. :)

But seriously, sabi nga nila, change us! Ibahin niyo kami. Kung gawain namin yang kumuha ng mga gurang na players sana matagal na kaming nag champion. Di ba tsinaman?

Sino ba ang mga nagpasimula ng hugot na players sa iba ibang eskwelahan? Yung mga players na isa o dalawang taon na lang makakapaglaro. Nung 90's pa lang gawain na yan ng ibang NCAA teams. :rolleyes:

yup last playing year ni sunday sa NCAA nun 2002 the same year na rookie si micah.

[oca1]

For as long as Evangelista, or any player for that matter, is not yet 25 and inspite of having played for two schools has not yet played an accumulated 5 years, pag nag-enroll yan eligible pa yan maglaro.

[oca1]

Now, back to Ekwe.

I don’t know exactly how old he is. Given his age, how many playing years does he has with him?

When he came onboard, I heard 2 years lang makakalaro ang “goal keeper”. Recently, I was told after Season 82 may dalawa pa raw - Seasons 83 and 84 pa!

Can any Bedan confirm this.

[tsinamanph]

Now, back to Ekwe.

I don’t know exactly how old he is. Given his age, how many playing years does he has with him?

When he came onboard, I heard 2 years lang makakalaro ang “goal keeper”. Recently, I was told after Season 82 may dalawa pa raw - Seasons 83 and 84 pa!

Can any Bedan confirm this.

This is also what I know - season 83 and 84 pa....Ang di ko ma-confirm ay ang mga tropa / utol ni Sam for the next seasons after 84.... hehehehehe

[paul_tams]

there is still a chance for SBC to march into the final four and hoping, into the finals with or without Ekwe, aside from SBC, possible Final Four and Finals' contenders are UPHDS, JRU and PCU because are the underdogs and teams to beat in this season...

[bchoter]

Mawalang galang no po sa ating mga Bedan brothers.

Disclaimer muna: I have nothing against Bedans and this is purely based on my observations.

Napapansin ko lang na mejo sensitive tayo sa mga issues to the point na parang paraoid ang dating. This is actually not a bad thing because it speaks well of the way you were brought up or of the education that you got from your school. Ang iba kasi e oblivious sa mga katarandaduhan ng kanilang eskuwelahan. At yung iba naman may have gone to school but were never educated. Having said that... ang gusto ko lang iparating is hindi naman lahat ng statements dito ay nagpaparatang. Isang halimbawa yung message ni spongklong. Sana lang in the future maski na obvious na nagpaparatang ang messages is you can chose to ignore them because nobody wins when you feed the trolls... at baka in the process of feeding the trolls eh makasagasa tayo ng mga sensible PEXers ;)

At wish ko lang... sana lang magawi sa Espana ang utol ni Sam ;)

[Rocker09]

Sponklong actually raised a good question because we are also asking that about the star player of our school w/c is Paolo Orbeta..........

[tsinamanph]

Mawalang galang no po sa ating mga Bedan brothers.

Disclaimer muna: I have nothing against Bedans and this is purely based on my observations.

Napapansin ko lang na mejo sensitive tayo sa mga issues to the point na parang paraoid ang dating. This is actually not a bad thing because it speaks well of the way you were brought up or of the education that you got from your school. Ang iba kasi e oblivious sa mga katarandaduhan ng kanilang eskuwelahan. At yung iba naman may have gone to school but were never educated. Having said that... ang gusto ko lang iparating is hindi naman lahat ng statements dito ay nagpaparatang. Isang halimbawa yung message ni spongklong. Sana lang in the future maski na obvious na nagpaparatang ang messages is you can chose to ignore them because nobody wins when you feed the trolls... at baka in the process of feeding the trolls eh makasagasa tayo ng mga sensible PEXers ;)

At wish ko lang... sana lang magawi sa Espana ang utol ni Sam ;)


excited pa kami at mga kapatid ko bchoter sa pagkakapanalo...matagal nang di narmdaman ang ganito....pagtagal tagal e masasanay din kami....malay mo, maulit sa espana at siyempre sa mendiola.... :bashful:

basta ikaw at ang mga katoto mong taga espana - ayos na tayo....

at tungkol naman sa utol ni Sam....di namin sila tuturuan na sumakay papunta diyan...hehehehe

[shaqmonster]

Point well taken, mga kaibigan.

If you will notice, my post was not triggered by spongklong's query, who, by the way, couched his inquiry in a sincere manner.

My post was in reaction to renestrauss' follow-up post which imputed that San Beda has in its lineup a player who is over-aged.

[spongklong]

thanks for understanding.. :D

[FerdinandMarcos]

I don't think San Beda can win the championship without Sam Ekwe same goes when San Beda is without Aljamal, or even Tecson for that matter. Credit goes to the team not to a single player. collective efforts of each player in the championship roster of Red Lions is responsible for that Title. From its star players down to the reserves.
*okay*

Pax!

[renestrauss2004]

Point well taken, mga kaibigan.

If you will notice, my post was not triggered by spongklong's query, who, by the way, couched his inquiry in a sincere manner.

My post was in reaction to renestrauss' follow-up post which imputed that San Beda has in its lineup a player who is over-aged.

correction bro.! there was no malice when i replied to spongklongs post re: evangelista...neither did i say anything that he was over-age.

My point is... sayang naman kung sakaling totoo nga sinasabi ni spongklong na 2000 pa varsity na siya sa csb...baka *** kasi masilipan kayo... thats all.

Well anyway, sabi naman ni sir oca1 the ruling about the 7 yr out of hs does not apply sa NCAA but only sa Uaap. As long as he is not over 25 yrs. by Season 83, ayos pa!*okay*

arriba...PAX!

[RedKfir]

Without Sam can we win games? Yes, we can. Without Sam could we have won the championship? Probably, bilog ang bola. Without Sam, San Beda would be less dominating. We won't have that shotblocker who contests every shot and intimidates who is in the paint. Without Sam, we could have lost more than one game in the eliminations. However, I believe that we could have entered the final four. The playing field could have been more even and our opponents would have not considered a dominant 6'8" guy in their game plans.

Around three years ago, we embarked on a three-year program with the purpose of reclaiming the championship. That time, we don't have any idea that we will have Sam and he was not part of the original plan. We only thought of strengthening our recruitment and development of local players, if we get talents from abroad then it is a bonus. As we have said over and over again, Sam is manna from heaven. We never thought we will have a player like Sam. Without Sam, I'm sure that Koy have a different approach and tactics that he will use, utilizing whatever players that he has on his line-up. I think we are in agreement here that Koy is one of the best coaches here and we could have seen a different Red Lion basketball approach if Sam is not around.

[shaqmonster]

correction bro.! there was no malice when i replied to spongklongs post re: evangelista...neither did i say anything that he was over-age.

My point is... sayang naman kung sakaling totoo nga sinasabi ni spongklong na 2000 pa varsity na siya sa csb...baka *** kasi masilipan kayo... thats all.

Well anyway, sabi naman ni sir oca1 the ruling about the 7 yr out of hs does not apply sa NCAA but only sa Uaap. As long as he is not over 25 yrs. by Season 83, ayos pa!*okay*

arriba...PAX!

I don't want to prolong this issue renestrauss.

If you will look at your post, it imputes some wrongdoing. The post speaks for itself. You said -

"ahhhaaaa!!

Balita ko rin matagal ng player yan...kasabay pa ni suday salvacion..."

Anyway, it doesn't matter anymore because you already clarified yourself. If you didn't have any malice, then well and good - thank you and I appreciate that.

Peace out.

[renestrauss2004]

^*okay*

On the topic...

Without Ekwe, the F4 placings would have been entirely different.

The RL would not have enjoyed the #1 and a twice to beat bonus but certainly still among the top 4.

The ride to the championship would have taken much longer, maybe a year or 2 more...but Sam's intimidating presence made all the difference.

[st_bede21]

This thread serves no good purpose. This thread is asking the opinion of people from the 7 schools who lost and those from the school who won.

Can San Beda win without Sam Ekwe? Siyempre hindi natin masasabi. Too many what-ifs are involved here.

Pwedeng may ibang makuhang sentro ang San Beda na mas magaling pa nga hindi katulad ni Ekwe na walang alam sa basketball nung dumating at kailangan pang pagtiyagaan na turuan. Remember that because of Sam, hindi na nagfocus ang San Beda sa pagrecruit ng ibang sentro. Ibang posisyon na ang mga hinanap nila. Kung wala si Sam, the this is an entirely different story and San Beda would have concentrated on getting the services of a good big man.

The trouble is, we are going to answer this thread with our own respective biases.

Ako rin may tanong. Yung ibang teams kaya mag champion din pag mataas ang standards nila at totoong mga estudyante ang nasa line-ups nila?


what if lahat ng redcubs mag stay sa san beda at walang umalis? as in wala? may tatalo pa ba sa san beda!? kakainis naman ateneo at lasalle. kuha ng kuha sa san beda! buti di umalis sila menor ar taganas

[the_BuGs]

kung wala si Ekwe? sure mananalo pa rin ang Beda pero Championship? malabo.... maganda ang basketball program ng Letran at SSC...

[AltarBoy^_^]

Iba pa rin ang may Ekwe na nasa gitna ng shaded area. Umiiba ang high percentage shots ng mga opponents pag nakita na nila si Ekwe sa harapan nila and the defensive rebounds that he gives the Red Lions prove that he's one unstoppable force inside the paint. Add to that an improving scoring game in the Fil-Oil tournament. He's doing wonders for San Beda. But excluding him, San Beda can still fight it out in the final four with scorers like Aljamal and Escobal, a slasher in Menor, court generals from the red cubs den and a frontline that boasts of tall and bulky big men that can outrebound any team in any given time. ;)

[theo78]

sa mapua, masusubukan kung mananalo ang san beda na wala si ekwe

[charmbedista]

Understood na *** beda ay san beda...

I am not against any team, just an opinion of a basketball fan:)


hindi kami sensitive, thats what we call "bedan advocacy". "beda" is a spanish name ng santo na si Saint Bede. hindi ata maganda na tawag na lang sa mga santo eh ang mga pangalan nila halimbawa, si saint cecilia, maganda bang tawagan siyang cecilia lang? respeto lang yan, hindi lang respeto sa San Beda pero respeto na din kay St. Bede. ;)

[eklavu]

oo ****.

team effort ito.

kaya kayo mag effort effort kayo para mag champ din/ulit kayo.


pagdiskitahan ba?

B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83
B2B @ 83

GO SAN BEDA FIGHT!

[Eagle_squad]

Yeah
San Beda can still dominate the NCAA
even w/out Sam Ekwe
They definitely have a complete line up
thier roster have sufficient reinforcements
to replace Ekwe or even Aljamal

Nevertheless, I dont think San Beda
can win with out Aljamal
That's my analysis

GO ATENEO
ONE BIG FIGHT!!!