The Ateneo Dream Team

[crush980400]

hey guys! what do u think of Ateneo's so-called Dream Team? with Pinzon, tioseco and mumar not around, they lack point guards to move the ball around. right now, they have tan-chi and quimpo but they're both rookies even if they've practiced with the team before. sometimes, even wesley gonzales, with his height of 6'1 has to be the point guard 'coz the dream team lacks one.

the return of brandon sison and ryan pamintuan seems to be a big help, though. and the rookie from Japan, Rich Alvarez, is a ggod player too although he has not shown enough brawn to prove that yet.

i've watched them in their practices and Rich can really dunk (big time!). i hope that he shows that during the games so the dream team can live up to its name. the eaglets-turned-eagles like paolo bugia should also step-up to give the other teams a run for their money...

u think ateno could make it to the final four?

[marooned]

final four???

heheh, your dream-on team will battle our fighting maroons for fifth place, at best.

yaan mo na yon, matalino naman tayo!! lol

[nix]

I had such high hopes for the Ateneo team at the start of the tournament, but after two lackluster games against FEU and UST, I have very strong doubts that they can compete against the stronger teams. FEU, La Salle, and UST appear to be shoe-ins for the first three slots. The fourth slot will be tightly contested for by the Blue Eagles and the UE Warriors.

Richie Alvarez, although possessing a heap of athletic talent, is too raw to be a major factor for his team. He has no moves! When matched-up against the big guys of UST, he could barely get his shot off.

Ateneo sorely misses BJ Manalo. Their point guard spot is sorely in need of depth. Cruz definitely cannot play the spot as he lacks the instincts of a playmaker, and his back up is too small to be a scoring threat.

If I were Joe Lipa, I would play Pamintuan and Villanueva at the same time, especially in the endgame. Villanueva is a franchise player who is really the only low post threat in the Ateneo line-up. Paminutuan would take a lot of pressur off Villanueva on the rebounding end.

Yes, Ateneo can slip in to grab the fourth spot. But unless they learn how to break a fullcourt press, take less three point bombs (it looks like half their shots are from rainbow country), and play better team defense (stop allowing all those easy lay-ups), they won't take home the trophy.

[AirHare]

It's been a nightmare so far for this "Dream Team". They have the talent but have not shown the heart to win big games. For the Eagles' sake, they better start finding ways to beat the upper echelon teams.

Wednesday's game against UE will be a good test before the showdown against DLSU on Saturday.

[Aragorn]

I agree with Crush regarding the great potentials of this 'Dream Team'. But I think that looking good on paper's not enough. We need to prove that fact on the court---and beating Adamson and NU aren't exactly great examples of that proof.
The Ateneo team actually looked pretty lost offensively on the court, especially during the FEU and UST games. Lipa is relying too much on the three-point shot, and isn't taking advantage of his big men down low. If Pamintuan and Villanueva (or even Villanueva and Alvarez) were down low, with Tan-Chi, Ranier Sison and Gonzalez outside, we'd have a semblance of an offensive scheme. The way things are now, well, we're just throwing up the treys, hoping they'd go in, just like they did in the 2nd half of the Adamson game.
One request though...if Lipa chooses to stick to a three-point set-up, well, send Marco Benitez in! By Jove, he's the best shooter on that team, and he hasn't seen a minute of action!

[rl]

The 99 Blue Eagles are the best team the Ateneo has fielded in a decade. However, I feel that they shouldn't have been tagged as a Dream Team because it may have put unexpected pressure on the players. The 87-88 champion teams were more complete but they were never called 'dream teams' at any point in time. I agree with the others when they said that Ateneo is relying too much on the 3-pointer. All previous teams HAD to rely on the trifecta because they had no choice - all were donut teams, with no big guys- but this present team HAS the big men to do the job inside. The Blue Eagles should pound the ball inside more often. In addition, the point guard situation could have been better had Manalo decided to remain a blue eagle.

On the upside, this team is undeniably good. When they play well, they really are one well-oiled machine. I don't care if the blowouts were against Adamson and NU but any team which blows away opponents by those large margins must have talent. I feel the problem with this team is a lack of mental toughness. I have a feeling that what this team needs is just one win over a 'quality' team to get over the hump.

The game against UE will be very critical for the Blue Eagles. Ateneo really needs that win to regain their confidence in time for the game against La Salle this coming Saturday. I would not say that a final four slot is a sure thing for the Blue Eagles, but it is still attainable.

[Aragorn]

rl is right. Mental toughness is what this squad needs. And another thing...Alvarez needs attitude! He's getting bullied inside, physically and mentally, when he could be standing up to the best of them. Maybe with maturity, he'll develop an aggressive attitude on court, but not by this Saturday, I think.
The 87-88 back-to-back champs was definitely the best Hail Mary squad in recent memory. However, it's my opinion that the 96-97 team with Gabby Cui, Rentosa, the Sison twins, Verayo and Tioseco was a much, much better squad than the present "Dream Team". It's just that today's competition is so much thinner. Imagine what kind of league it would be if Ildefonso, Espino, Bal David, Telan and company were still around...it would be a UAAP semis without Ateneo once again.
Anyway, I'm wishing all the best for our team---this Saturday will be their baptism of fire against their age-old nemesis. Animo Ateneo!

[rl]

i was able to catch the ateneo-ue game on tv this afternoon. it's a good thing that ateneo won because it gives the team some confidence going into the game against la salle on saturday. even though the blue eagles led all the way, they really didn't look that impressive. a lot of turnovers were committed and the shot selection was suspect. there was even a point in the game wherein the commentators mentioned that both teams were playing 'ugly' basketball! on the upside, ateneo still won inspite of the fact that villanueva and alvarez had so-so games. one thing i can't understand though is how come coach lipa doesn't give villanueva that many minutes. i think villanueva averages only 20 mins a game.

the game also showed how bad the ateneo pt guard situation is.tan-chi is not a natural point guard and even though he does try his best, i foresee him having problems with teams that press very well. why didn't pinzon or mumar play this year anyway?

[gDAWAL]

GUYS!!! ALAM NIYO, SIMPLE LANG ANG PROBLEMA NG ATENEO...

MALI-MALI YUNG IPINAPASOK NI JOE LIPA NA PLAYERS!!!!!! KAPAG KAILANGANG HUMABOL NG ATENEO, WHO DOES HE CALL?...FERNANDEZ, ALABANZA, ANTONIO, PROKOPYO?!

NO OFFENSE TO THE PLAYERS I MENTIONED BUT, WHY PUT IN YOUR 3RD STRINGERS WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP?

ANG DAMING MAGALING SA ADMU. BA'T AYAW MO ISABAY SI VILLANUEVA, PAMINTUAN, & B. SISON????????

COACH LIPA, IM SORRY TO SAY THIS BUT KUNG MATALO ATENEO THIS SEASON, IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR POOR DECISION MAKING.

PEACE.

[gDAWAL]

ATTENTION COACH JOE LIPA:


GIVE YOUR STAR PLAYERS MORE MINUTES!
(esp. VILLIANUEVA)

AND STOP PUTTING IN YOUR "BANGKO" PLAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK SA SABADO VS. LA SALLE

[Super]

i think the reason why ateneo won against lasalle is the great defense played by jean alabanza! i believe that he is the best player in the whole ateneo team! he fears no one! he can do anything! he is a role player abd he fears no one! bj manalo is no match for alabanza... pound for pound, alabanza can match any player in the uaap in the 2 and 3 position! you guys just wait til he heats up! he'll be the key to ateneo's championship year!

gDAWAL.. you think you're soo hot... you care to challenge alabanza to a one on one?!?!? you know where he studies... you know where he practices... he'll be waiting for you!

Everyone should pay respect to Joe Lipa... he's been the National coach and he is probably the best coach in Phil history... he's the one who taught the great coaches such as Al Chua, Nemie Villegas... with these credentials, i dont think anyone should doubt his coaching capabilities...

[Dennis S.]

The Ateneo Blue Eagles definitely have a strong chance to make the Final 4. Finally, Ateneo now has the ceiling to compete against the other schools. The Eagles are no longer a donut team as it has a bevy of big men they can rotate. Villanueva, Pamintuan, B. Sison, Alvarez, Gonzalez, even Bugia are quality big men who can defend and rebound with the best of them. R. Sison is an awesome shooter who only needs to improve his shot selection and toughness. A. Cruz is a great defender and sparkplug and I think he is the toughest of the group. The one major weakness of the team is the point guard position coz' Tan-Chi and Quimpo are not really natural point guards. They have trouble with the press which causes a lot of turnovers. But I gotta give them credit for the job they have done so far.
I believe that if Ateneo can maintain their focus and not get intimidated by the experience and the savvy of veteran laden teams like UST and La Salle, and if they don't let their guards down against teams they are supposed to beat like NU, Adamson, UE, and UP... the Final 4 is well within reach.

[rl]

Ateneo played a great game against La Salle last Saturday! Ang bilis ng rotation sa defense at ang lakas ng rebounding. If they can come up with that kind of intensity and effort in all the remaining games, sa tingin ko may chance din sa finals. Getting to the finals is really a longshot, but it's not impossible. But if by some miracle Ateneo gets to the finals, I hope that they don't go up against La Salle. Kasi dehado talaga ang Ateneo and it would really be depressing if Ateneo loses to La Salle in a championship match.

Did you guys see Alvarez's layup when Villanueva passed off to him? Sana dinakdak na lang niya kasi libreng-libre naman siya. That would have brought the house down!!

Looking ahead, are there any guys from the HS who can make an impact when they get to college next year? I've heard of this Fonacier guy - is he really good? I think it's just Brandon Sison who's playing his final season, right?

[tr|n|ty]

Ateneo's dream team is there...somebody has got to wake them up though. As i was frantically cheering for the Blue eagles last saturday, they played great if only they could sustain that same edge in every game not only the games againts La Salle. Pamintuan should improve his rebound skills. His height should be an advantage. Brandon Sison should improve his inside game, for a 6'4 guy, he should penetrate from the inside and take less of the rainbow shots. Rainer Sison should be more careful on his shot selection. I think one impressive player is Paul Tanchi. Alvarez, despite his obvious athletic ability, should show more finesse. Villanueva is an outstanding player...he's a potential match against Allado.

i'm not an atenean(UP fighting maroons is my team), but hailing from a family full of Ateneans, i have deep respect and support for the blue eagles. The blue eagles are ladened with talent. Hope they use their skills and give the Loyola crew something sweet to cheer for.

[tr|n|ty]

Ateneo's dream team is there...somebody has got to wake them up though. As i was frantically cheering for the Blue eagles last saturday, they played great if only they could sustain that same edge in every game not only the games againts La Salle. Pamintuan should improve his rebound skills. His height should be an advantage. Brandon Sison should improve his inside game, for a 6'4 guy, he should penetrate from the inside and take less of the rainbow shots. Rainer Sison should be more careful on his shot selection. I think one impressive player is Paul Tanchi. Alvarez, despite his obvious athletic ability, should show more finesse. Villanueva is an outstanding player...he's a potential match against Allado.

i'm not an atenean(UP fighting maroons is my team), but hailing from a family full of Ateneans, i have deep respect and support for the blue eagles. The blue eagles are ladened with talent. Hope they use their skills and give the Loyola crew something sweet to cheer for.

[brownstone54]

I must admit that Ateneo has a better team now. The team is stronger and they play with more heart. The team may have lost some good players and they may have not recruited BJ but there's nothing to worry about as long as Ryan, Rainer and Wes are there. The other players must step up so as to help the team achieve their long-time goal --- to win the crown.
They have been training pretty hard and the administration is very supportive so there's no reason for them to be complacent. They should show their fellow Ateneans how good they are in the UAAP.
It's about time that they do their best to bring pride and glory to Ateneo. It's been a long time since they won the championship...

[crush980400]

congrats to the dream team for winning over la salle!

[Cy]

im not an atenean, but i agree with what brownstone54 said.. they really have the chance...

yebah!

[crush980400]

when is the next game of ateneo for the second round?

[Rockgardener]

Crush..I think it's August 28th..
I don't know where..

[sauman]

What Ateneo dream team are you talking about? Kala nyo ba yung panalo nyo sa La Salle e big deal na? eh sa Uste nga kumain kayo ng alikabok sa mismong homecourt nyo. Siguro tama kayo na dream team nga ang tawag sa team nyo kasi puro kayo pangarap. Mangarap na lang kayo! Anyway nakakailang UAAP basketball champion na ba kayo? E overall championship meron na ba kayo? WALA!!!

Paglaruin nyo na lang ulit si Dudut.

[legal eagle]

You may have noticed that this discussion was initiated by the question "What do you think of Ateneo's so-called Dream Team?" The very nature of the words "What do you think" encourages this forum's participants to engage in a healthy, open exchange of opinions. It won't be taken against you if it's beyond your ability to come up with even one intelligent opinion, or if thinking requires too strenuous an effort on your part such that would disable you from participating in an intelligent manner. The decent alternative, however, would be for you to just remain silent and allow others to continue in the discussion. How pathetic that you instead try to mask your ignorance and draw attention to your challenged intellect by making insidious comments and citing irrelevant, useless information.

[faura]

May you further draw your attention -- to the extent that you can -- to the use of "so-called" when referring to Ateneo's "Dream Team." Such implies that the initiator of this topic proposes that it is in fact arguable whether the men's senior basketball team that Ateneo has fielded this season is worthy of being called a "dream team," supporting her/his claim by citing particular strengths and weaknesses that she/he sees -- hence the invitation ("What do you think?") to share ideas and opinions on this matter.

As a life example, consider your "so-called" brain. Still not clear? Not surprised.

[BaBY BLuE]

hiyee there people...

first of all, a message to faura, legal eagle and to the others greatly bothered by you-know-who and his pathetic response: let's not mind you-know-who and not waste our efforts and time. the more we react, the more you-know-who would get pleased. i really think that the rebuttal that faura and legal eagle posted are more than enough to shake the senses(?) in you-know-who. (woohoo! nice going u guys!) let's just continue with our intelligent exchange of ideas...

so much for that...

as for the dream team, i see it as a strategy to give the team a challenge.

i see the idea (of calling the ateneo team as a dream team) as a strategy of putting the team in a position where they can either: (1) accept the challenge and stand by the true meaning of the words 'dream team' --- or (2) simply ignore it and call the season just 'one of those years.'

as the standings now show, the team accepted the challenge --- and the strategy is working!

blue eagles, fly high! dream team, reach for the sky!

[Aragorn]

Animo Ateneo, baby!!!

Let's keep it cool, people!

[sauman]

Legal Eagle:
Brod... Napipikon ka namn e... Wala namang seryosohan... Peace Man...
Walang pikunan..........

[crush980400]

i see that you have been debating over my use of "so-called" and "what do you think". let's just say that i want to know what other people think of ateneo's team. i'm not at all imposing that the eagles are really the dream team, true to the essence of the phrase. let's all keep cool.

by the way, i'm a she.

[blue babe]

a belated reply:
hmmmm.... super? kamag-anak mo ba si alabanza? :)
but i agree with you. he's one of the more talented but least noticed players and he contributes a lot to the team. when coach joe wants someone stopped, who does he send? he can really play a mean defensive game. and the coach knows that. and so does anyone who has half a brain for basketball. as the commentators in the AdMU-DLSU game said, he's tough. but he can take what he dishes out. unlike bj pikon.

as for sauman... when you write something as controversial as what you did, expect the worse. if you can't take the hostility you just invited, then keep your thoughts to yourself and your fingers off the keyboard.

basta... i'm geared up and ready for this saturday's gime.
WIN or LOSE its the school we choose!

one last comment on BJ... i totally agree with one of the commentators when he said this about BJ's mostly monosyllabic interview: at least now dlsu has someone on their team that can talk! :)

[sauman]

Hey you BLUE BABE,
If you think I can't stand what you so called "hostility" from you ego trippers, well , HOSTILE is my last name... mind you...

How can anyone possibly think of something which doesn't exist... in your case, your so called "dream team".. simple, you cannot coz Ateneo simply is not a dream team.... COMPRENDE??

[ASuL]

sauman...
what kind of a nick is that anyway?

blue babe...
don't let him psych you out...the guy is a joke! c'mon he's from UST! what do you expect? right?!

Fight! Fight! Blue and White!

[crush980400]

i still think that ateneo is the DREAM TEAM. go 'teneo!

[archerguy]

Hello there Atenistas!

I know this is a bit out of the forum topic but I would like to know the origin of the name "Ateneo". Have a nice day.

[blue babe]

hey sauman!

your reply pretty much explains itself. I won't argue with you and your hostility. I really don't think too highly of people who are proud of their being uncouth and mal educado.

No tengo tiempo para gente como tu. El siguiente vez que quieres hablar en espanol, piensa primero antes de contestarme. COMPRENDES?

if you need me to translate, (with you're limited intellectual capacity, i'm sure you'll need all the help you can get) I'll be here. :) if not, we can try another language, one that you have a firmer grasp on. :)

All I can say is, the Ateneo Dream Team is one to be reckoned with!!!

One Big Fight!

[This message has been edited by blue babe (edited 09-01-1999).]

[green grin]

let sauman speak, he's just jerking you guys. be like alabanza, take it like you can dish it. besides, nakakatawa naman talaga yung comments niya. it's all in good humor.

on the dream team - you guys have a winner in the next couple of years. we got the better of you this time out but as erap is wont to say, "weather-weather lang 'yan". alvarez is getting better. and with villanueva and pamintuan (hindi pa ata seniors sila, no?), ateneo is bound to win a championship or two.

on lipa - you know what they say about coaches, "Players win games, coaches lose them."

blue babe - o ye como va. you sound kinda cute. wanna tussle verbally? choose your weapon - spanish, german, french, swahili, or just plain ol' english.

peace, blu-bloods.

[:)]

Sauman,

Your picking on a fight with a lady is such a pity. You truly are a Thomasian. And now, you are also fighting with your fellow schoolmates. Talk about camaraderie.
What kind of language did you use? Is that the kind of stuff you morons learn in school? I'm not surprised at all. Judging by the way you and your fellow clowns behave, it seems that you fools don't get anything out of your Thomasian education. You never cease to amaze me in your posts. Don't you realize that you are already making a fool out of yourself?
An advice though. The next time you want to use somebody else's user ID, make sure that you won't get apprehended.... :)

To Blue Babe,

Ignore this clown Sauman. You see, this dweeb is so pissed off with my posts. Like the coward and sore loser that he is, he is picking on you now! When he has nothing else to say anymore, he'll use someone else's user ID to do some character assasination. What a lowlife.





[This message has been edited by :) (edited 09-02-1999).]

[green grin]

archer guy - ateneo probably got its name from "atheneum" which is an institution of learning, or a place of rhetorics and discourse (somewhat like this website -hehehe)

:) - let blue babe fight her fights. alaskado ka tuloy.

sauman - baka makagat ka.

blue babe - what do do you say?

[bookam!]

all i can say is...IT REALLY IS A DREAM TEAM!!! galing ng ateneo, walastik!!!

[toby]

they lack heart

[Scoop]

Heart? They're all heart!

[Francine L.]

Sorry, but the Ateneo "Dream Team" is at least two years away. You don't build a team overnight, and you've got to fill in the pieces one by one. The front court looks solid, although still not mature enough. Villanueva will dominate, but he needs a year or two to mature. Alvarez is still too soft. He cowers when he gets banged around. Right now, he can't stand up to the likes of Ortiguerra, Wilson, Victoria or Latoreno. Wesley Gonzalez has been a revelation. He has really matured and will probably be dominating in his position next year. But the back court is really weak, and if Ateneo doesn't remedy this soon, they'll never have a championship team. This is one building block that stands out like a wide gaping hole. BJ Manalo could have filled this void, but he was lured by La Salle, that's why his departure hurt so much. But take heart, Ateneans, you can also recruit a good point guard from somewhere else (don't look at your Juniors team - nobody there - Fonacier's got the makings of a good #2 or #3). But there are good #1's in other schools. Scout the NCAA Junior teams, use the Alumni connections to check out some good Fil-Am point guards. The point is (no pun intended) that Ateneo cannot be complacent, nor can they continue pursuing their goal of a championship team by approaching it with their patented stiff upper-lip. La Salle grabbed BJ from within their grasps, right before their very eyes. Well, they should be more aggresive in their recruitment program, too. No one's gonna give Ateneo great players on a silver platter. They've got to scout around for them. Let's not be coy.

[CaRaMBa]

Read all the messages under this topic.

Such a good discussion from different people (with the exception of a few, obvious naman kung sino).

The Ateneo team did well this year, but hey, champions aren't made overnight. I hope the Ateneo team does well in the final four.

[oRanGe555]

I think its about time that Ateneo gets a Dream Team. I mean, we've been missing in UAAP action for so many years already. I think that the team has improved a lot under new coach Joe Lipa. And, although not much has changed in the line-up, the players upped their speed, skills and strength. I think the championship is still a long shot...but who knows, we might turn the tables around. After all, who would've thought that we would get into the Final Four :)

[couth]

guys,
Ang ganda ng suporta ng team natin this year, pero sana kahit hindi nananalo..nanonood parin tayo!
I still remember a few years back, babble lang at mga magulang nanonood!

WIN OR LOSE diba?

pero Im not complaining na nananalo tayo!
ONE BIG FIGHT!

[bugsbunny]

hey wassup everybpdy!

first of all i wanna say that yes it is true you cannot build champions overnight but you can try, cant you?

anyway, this is all i can say. every team is a dream team coz they're dreaming of winning the gold (in this case, the uaap mens basketball championship) but it only takes one team to make that dream into a reality. what ateneo's simply saying with their "dream team" connotation is that they are working hard to mke that dream of winning the championship into a reality. nothing more. there's no arrogance attached to that term. it is the people that attach arrogance to it.
so to the ateneans and especially to the ateneo blue eagles team: good luck sa semifinals and i hope ateneo will go all the way -- all the way to the finals and to the championship, baby!

and if not, it's ok. at least nakarating ng final four, di ba?

:)

[hot_chick]

the first time i saw the banner "Guess supports the Ateneo Dream Team" hanging outside Loyola Gym, i thought, "duh? dream team? malamang nga siguro kse hanggang dreams na lang tayo." yes, i know, that was a bit harsh, pero from our team's record, i mean by this time of the season, nagpapahinga na yung mga players nten. now, grabe...ang galing...we're in the final four! everyone should be happy that we're in the final four...i mean who could've imagined that?=) i guess we can really call the team this year...the dream team.=)

for those dissing us ateneans...remember guys..SO WHAT IF WE DONT END UP CHAMPIONS IN A BASKETBALL GAME? WE STILL GOT THE BRAINS!!!=)

tomorrow's a big day...sana free cut the whole day! hehehe=)

[Grapevine]

looking at our 10-4 win loss card, we could say that the ateneo dream team did a pretty good performance already considering that we placed 6th last season...and now we've landed on the 3rd place. now that's a huge improvement for the team. we were able to beat the 3 best teams, DLSU UST n FEU. i think we should credit Coach Joe for his commendable shuffling of players. Last year's line up was almost the same as this year's, but things just got better now because he's letting the good players play together for a much longer time.
i just hope that we win tomorrow versus UST so that we'd have another chance to beat them and get into the finals with DLSU (assuming they win over FEU tomorrow). that would be fun to watch!
otherwise, the team still did their best this year. i think they were able to prove their worth as the ateneo dream team given the very evident improvement in their performance.
Coach Joe said that the team is not yet ripe enough for a championship crown. it would take us 3 more years (correct me if im wrong) to be hailed as the champs. but with our team's performance this year, i think they might have a chance to make it next year. let's just hope for the best :)

ONE BIG FIGHT!

[CaRaMBa]

bugsbunny: yep! one can always try. and that's what ateneo's gonna do!!!