Who's the Favorite now?

[Kaboom!]

After the first few games of the season, it seems to me that the Dela Salle Green Archers aren't as invincible as I thought they would be. With the loss of their big man Santa Maria and their prized rookie Hubalde, they have looked vulnerable so far. With MVP Allado, Rookie of the year Ritualo plus a cast that includes PBL standouts Aldeguer and Zamora, it looked like DLSU was gonna breeze through the eliminations.

But UST has been a very surpising team! I am very impressed with Baguio and Gelig, two second year players who have stepped up in the absence of more experienced players.

Other notable teams that need recognition which I think will have their say at the end are: Ateneo, FEU, UE, and UP. It might be wait till next year once again for the bulldogs and falcons.

Only time will tell of course but the season is more exciting this year as there is no clear cut favorite like years past.

Peace.

[nix]

Early into the season, it looks like the UST Growling Tigers are proving to be the team to beat. Their manhandling of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in yesterday's much hyped match-up established them as this tournament's pace-setters.

What makes UST so fearsome is it's good balance of talent both on the front end of the court and at the playmaker's position. In yesterday's outing, only two players scored in double digits with six others contributing at least five points or more. Not even the absence of coach Aric Del Rosario could hamper the unselfish ball play that the Tigers displayed.

I know that everyone is hyping up the credentials of La Salle's big three, UP's Paolo Mendoza, and all the other PBL veterans playing in the UAAP, but don't you think that UST's Baguio shows a lot of promise?

[Jacob]

Right now, it's UST. Even without their head coach, their system is in place and clicking - that's a sign of a mature team. And even without dominant players at the crucial positions (PG and Center), they're solid enough to hurdle the challenge of the other teams like La Salle and FEU. Speaking of La Salle, what's with Ren-Ren Ritualo? Suddenly, he can't shoot. Same goes for Aldwyn Manubag and Brandon Sison, both played in the PBL this past conference. What gives? You expect the above-mentioned to dominate the UAAP but they're playing inconsistently.

[Kaboom!]

There are some players who have been struggling considering they have had experience from previous seasons and the PBL.

In the case of Ritualo, I just think every shooter goes through some tough times and this might be one of them for Ren Ren. I've talked to members of the DLSU coaching staff and they assure me that he is still lighting it up during practices and they feel that his struggles will end very soon. He is playing well according to coach franz if you look at his overall game.

With Brandon Sison, I don't think he was every that consistent from the perimeter from previous seasons. He can definitely get hot and explode at any given moment but his PBL experience hasn't shown yet in Ateneo's first 4 games. He's got a lot more games to set some fire in blue eagle country though.

Another player who I expect to do better are Lordy Tugade who has been horrible so far for the Bulldogs. He is one of the most talented players in the league but cannot carry his teammates on his back for now.

In any case, it's looking like FEU, ADMU, and UP (maybe UE) are gonna be fighting for the last 2 spots in the final four.

[AirHare]

UST did a good job of beating LaSalle. Once you beat the defending champion, not only you become a favorite to enter the final four, you can be favorite to make it to the championship.

This early, I look forward to the second round LaSalle-UST rematch. If LaSalle gets even with UST, it's going to be more interesting when these two teams collide in the UAAP finals.

RenRen Ritualo is obviously in a slump. He looks so tight in first few games. (Loosen up, boy!)

[Jacob]

I agree with nix. Cyrus Baguio, along with Nino Greggy Gelig are a potent twosome for UST. Both are do-it-all forwards in the mold of, dare I say it?, Scottie Pippen. Plus with experienced players such as Latoreno, Ortiguerra and Velasco (who may not have the speed of Singson or the savvy of David but still as solid as they come), you have formidable collegiate team. And what's more they have the capable bench players such as Emerson Oreta, Gilbert Lao, and Derrick Hubalde. They're really deep. My guess it's a UST-La Salle finals, but being a UP alumni, I'm hoping for a surprise run from Paolo Mendoza and co.

[rl]

la salle should still be the favorite due to the fact that their bench is really very deep. they're just too damn talented! but ust is also up there, what with their confidence really high after posting four straight wins. but with ust, i don't think that they can play that well all the time. the law of averages will catch up with them and they'll get beat one of these days. the present tigers line-up just doesn't have the firepower and experience to duplicate what a previous ust team did a couple of years ago - a sweep of both rounds.

feu also looks good as they have a good point guard and experienced forwards. they have the firepower and capability to beat any team in the league. they weren't the fr martin cup champions this past summer for nothing. ateneo has fielded the strongest team it's had in years but when they play bad (as in the game against ust), they're really horrible. the loss of bj manalo to the archers couldn't have been more obvious in that ust game. but since they have quality big men, they also have a good chance of finally making the final four (after years of trying!).

up is also dangerous, since any team which has paolo mendoza shouldn't be taken lightly. but their biggest strength is also their biggest weakness. once paolo mendoza is shut down or has an off-night, up will be hard-pressed to come up with the Ws. but if the other players like madarang and ferrer step up and help mendoza out on a consistent basis, up will be a team to watch out for.

i feel that the race for the final four will be a tight one. i think la salle will get one slot. the other three slots will probably be a toss-up among ust,feu,ateneo,up, and ue.

[marooned]

lasalle and ust are a cut above the rest right now. where did that gelig come from anyway? that guy is goooooddd!!!

feu and ue will complete the cast.

hoping up will make the final four, but we should get our act together immediately. otherwise, the diliman schools will be in the middle of the standings, as has been the case for the past years.

[don]

It's too early to make fearless forecasts, but I just have this incredible bias towards my team -- The Archers! They are still the favorites in this tournament. Despite playing their most miserable game against UST in recent memory (where they got outrebounded, outhustled, lit up with open shots, heaved bricks from the foul line, you get the idea), they lost only by two points in the dying seconds. Yes, whether it's two points or twenty, they lost that game, but my Archers will be back!

As for the others, UST, barring injuries or Coach Aric's distractions with the Dragons, is good for 2nd spot in the Final Four (after La Salle, of course). FEU will definitely contend, but it's also a pretty young team with an MBA coach. For the fourth slot, it's a toss-up between Ateneo and UE, but more favorable to Ateneo since the law of averages will catch up with UE. As for UP, after that blow-out from UE, it was finally (and sadly) revealed as a one-man team.

BUT LA SALLE WILL STILL REPEAT. REMEMBER THE ANIMO...

[Jeremy Darwin]

Don, I believe in what u've said earlier...

DE LA SALLE WILL BE BACK TO BACK THIS YEAR !!!

>;>;>;----ANIMO-LASALLE----->; UST

>;>;>;----ANIMO-LASALLE----->; ATENEO

question: why is Allado sometimes uhmmm...
nagwawala sa court when the scores are malayo already? i think he has to keep his head cool, diba?

what do u think?

[Wolfpac]

BJ Manalo.. Why? I dunno

[don]

My fearless forecast remains unchanged: La Salle will still be NUMBER ONE. Okay, maybe not in the Final Four, but when it counts, that is, the WHOLE ENCHILADA. WE'RE GONNA WIN THE BIG ONE. The losses to the Tigers and the Eagles don't change that. Hey, even UST lost a few times in their title defense years, yet they showed that heart as the season went on and bagged the Holy Grail of amateur hoops.

So never lose hope, my fellow LaSallians.

AND NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HEART OF A CHAMPION. ESPECIALLY LA SALLE'S.

[fReAk]

its UST....no doubt after winning against lasalle and feu who stands a chance... well theres still a second round

[cbie]

Team to beat? Of course UST! Medyo bias pero totoo naman right? They have an unexpected clean slate. Consistency na lang siguro ang kailangan nilang i-prove and i believe the championship will be ours.

[clawed_out]

definitely UST! so favorites with an "s" ?? hmmmm i can add lasalle then! sayang ang UP eh,,,walang teamwork kasi eh! hindi pa makatayo yung coach nila! :)

[gerbsdecastro]

As we all know the playoffs or the Final Four will definitely separate the men from the boys, sabi nga sa NBA. When Final Four arrives, halos pantay pantay lang yan. It is all a matter of entering the top 4. My best bet to win the crown would be La Salle. Their losses were just by only 2 and 3 points. Those are not gauges to write off La Salle. Di ba basketball experts?

[brownstone54]

La Salle will always be one of the favorites perhaps because we are the defending champion. The team is still in tact. There's still Don, Dino and Ren-Ren plus Ronald, Mon ,BJ and this big guy Ramos.

Ateneo has a better line-up this year and they have a deep bench. As long as Ryan, Rainer and Wes are there, they are one of the teams to beat.

UST is another favorite. FEU too!

[Jevi]

I would still go for La Salle. Why? It is because their two losses so far are only by 2 and 3 points respectively. And to think that their 2nd place standing after the 1st round was achieved despite the ho-hum performance of the big three- Allado, Aldeguer and Ritualo. You can just imagine if these guys played up to their maximum capacity such as what they did last year. La Salle would be unbeatable.

Secondly, the players off the bench are really good. They can match up with the good players or star players of the top teams at this point - UST, FEU or Ateneo.

In fact, we can say Ateneo actually played against the 2nd stringers of DLSU in their recent game. The big three are absent. And still, what do we have? just a 3 point loss decided by breaks!

That says something about the really big potential of DLSU. So Allado, Ritualo and Aldeguer better keep their acts together.

ANIMO LA SALLE!

[alcogel]

hmm..as of the moment, i would say that the final four places are already intact. ust, feu, dlsu and ateneo. if up would have won the last game against ateneo, they would have had a big chance of reaching the final four. i would still be hoping for an ateneo-dlsu final (w/c is if of course a possibility) but one cound not discount ust(who has not suffered a lost yet) and feu. so 'til the end of the final round!
smile =)

[jack]

THE Tigers are Growling!!! The archers are missing!! the Eales are soaring!! The tams are rampaging!!! let's just hope that walang sweep this year para may final four.

Who can beat UST? well, i think marami pero medyo kailangan lang ng consistency among the teams. Napakabalanced kasi ng UST. U can't just limit one guy and expect to win.

Good luck to all the other teams. Sana magimprove ang Up sa next rnd!!!

[gDAWAL]

FINAL FOUR:

1.UST
2.DLSU
3.FEU
4.ADMU

*UST WILL BEAT ADMU IN 1
*DLSU WILL BEAT FEU IN 2


FINALS:
UST WILL BEAT DLSU IN 3


I'M PUTTING P1000 FOR THIS PREDICTION.
ANY TAKERS?


KABOOM / LT10,

HOW 'BOUT A FRIENDLY BET?

[Kaboom!]

Jack: As far as I know, the UAAP board has already gotten rid of the sweep rule so even if UST sweeps the 2nd round, there is still a final four. If UST sweeps, waiting na sila sa finals while 3 plays 4 then the winner plays 2 then the winner plays a best of three against 1. At least that was the rule the last 2 years since DLSU hosted.

gDawal: I agree with your predictions but I don't make bets on the games since it might affect the coverage - he he. It looks like UST vs DLSU in the finals although I'm hoping ADMU can get more consistent against the good teams.

Peace.

[cbie]

as of now, ust is the favorite. but who knows, the league is balanced. wala talagang stand-out. good luck to all the teams.

GO TIGERS!

[AirHare]

Kaboom: If UST sweeps the second round, number 4 needs to beat 3 only once to advance? Then the winner only needs to beat number 2 once to advance to the finals, right?

[clawed_out]

GO TIGERS!!!

[sauman]

USTE PA RIN! FEU, DLSU AND ATENEO, They're just fighting for 2nd place... ika nga yung tira-tira.....

[jp.42]

Wala bang magchi-cheer sa FEU?
Cge, ako na!
FEU pa rin!

[The Saint]

Sana nga UST na para manahimik na. Sana nga FEU or UE na lang ang ka match nila sa championship para pareho silang rowdy. Oh, don't get me wrong...I really love your banners during games...napaka "educated" ang dating...I would ALMOST mistaken you guys as gentlemen...deserves your "pontifical university" brand...

My apologies to the UST students not guilty of this. I know not all Thomasians are uneducated. but if your guilty of those posters, both artist and supporter...

[This message has been edited by The Saint (edited 08-22-1999).]

[CJ]

DLSU is still a tough competitor in terms of bagging the crown this year...don has a nice point - "Never underestimate the heart of the Champion...especially La Salle's." so basically, never count DLSU off among the favorites.

goodluck to the GREEN ARCHERS...

and for my fellow Lasallians, keep the faith...ANIMO LA SALLE!!!

[sauman]

Saint, masama at ang loob mo sa USTE a. KICKOUT ka ba? o baka naman D KA NAKAPASA sa ENTRANCE namin?

Baka naman gusto mong IKAW ang manahimik ng habangbuhay? Isang TIRA mo pa sa USTE, TITIRAHIN na kita.....
Payong kaibigan lang dre, wag kang maglalakad ng mag isa.... KILALA kita kala mo ba????>;>;>;>;

[lia_allado]

For me la salle still has a slight advantage being the reigning champions. But competition from ust seems to be heating up. But it all boils down of which has the deeper bench.

[lia_allado]

For me la salle still has a slight advantage being the reigning champions. But competition from ust seems to be heating up. But it all boils down of which has the deeper bench.

[Shawn]

Certainly, it's UST which is the favorite right now. With players like Ortiguerra, Oreta nad Velasco in the top 10 MVP race, they got the talents and edge over the Green Archers' MVP Don Allado who is in the No.1 spot. But where are the others such as Ritualo and Aldeguer? And for DLSU, sana wag kayong magyabang kaagad. Isang beses pa lamang kayong nag Champ! May 4peat kaming Champion. Kayo, 4peat din!!! Yun nga lang, bridesmaid!!! Pero good luck nalang sa team niyo and GOD BLESS. Peace!!!

[valerie]

KABOOM WE'RE BOTH HOPING FOR THE ADMU -DLSU TILT. I HOPE THE OTHERS WON'T COUNT THE BLUE EAGLES OUT JUST BECAUSE UST IS IN THE LEAD..MIRACLES DO HAPPEN RIGHT ?

[rickee2_99]

Good Luck to the top four teams right now.
I'm sure they will all do their best. However
I believe that in the end the Green Archers will triumph eventually due to their big fighting spirit. MVP 6'6" Don Carlos Allado being on his last year with the Green Archers and the rookie 6'6" Fil-Am Manuel Ramos will
lead the Archers to the 1999 UAAP crown.

[jack]

i don't think that a dream match between match of ateneo vs la salle in the finals would be possible is UST keeps on their place in the standings. There are only 2 ways to make it possible: first one team must overtake UST or one team will let FEU take the No. 3 spot --- but not both. If this wouldnt happen the dream match-up will be on the Final 4 na lang. speaking of favorites, it depends on which team will peak on the right time .... UST yata vs La Salle this year.

[gerbsdecastro]

When playoffs come...the men are separated from the boys. All have a chance in the final four. With championship experience and a very deep lineup...La Salle will win it again !!!

[rickee2_99]

The traditional fighting spirit of the Green
Archers will bring them the crown again this year. UST will surely give them stiff competition in the finals.

[Maileen1]

Definitely...UST!!!!

[benz]

UST or DLSU. Either which way. It's a matter of who wants it more during the crucial minutes. Its too bad HENRY ONG isn't playing for UST any longer, or else, he would've unleashed a heave-ho 3 pointer from the parking lot that would've left every archer gasping for air...

HEHEHE.

[This message has been edited by benz (edited 09-04-1999).]

[bookam!]

man, the favorite now is ATENEO!!! ONE BIG FIGHT!!! they're on a roll even though they lost to lasalle...can't put a good team down!