Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Adamson, Ateneo, La Salle, NU, predictions, UAAP, UE, UST
La Salle’s nothing short of heartbreaking, two-point setback to UE last night, 66-64, gives UST a good chance to prop up their semis bid as they take on the lowly NU at the 2pm game.
Meanwhile, Ateneo positions itself to grab the twice-to-beat bonus as the Eagles square off with upstart Adamson, who, in return, hopes to boost their honestly flickering final four hopes with a much-needed win today.
As the Archers move to one game and a half behind Tigers in the standings following a four-game tailspin, UST needs to hurdle past today’s assignment to build cushion coming in to Thursday’s battle against La Salle. The winner of that game will virtually secure the coveted final spot in the semis.
Hopefully, I don’t jinx it.
Predictions:
versus 
The Sports Minded: UST by 14 points.
The Tigers is in a must win situation here to put one foot on the final four. This should be a statement game for them. They should start showing what they are made off. They need to peak starting this game.
KC13: UST by 12 points.
It’s going to be the battle of the offensive strides since NU isn’t capable of tenacious D alike. UST will come firing on all cylinders and expect them to run the breaks. Catch them if you can, Bulldogs.
On Point: UST by 16 points.
The Bulldogs also play a fast pace game and that’s a no-no when you;re up against the Tigers, who are the number one offensive team in the league. NU got blown out in the first round ’cause they played UST’s game and look for another rout later.
versus 
The Sports Minded: Ateneo by 12 points.
Ateneo are now reaching their unstoppable form. The fighting spirit of the Falcons might be dead after losing so many close games.
KC13: Ateneo by eight points.
Ateneo will kill any hopes left in Adamson with this win. Ateneo will dominate in the stretch as Adamson might succumb to another faltering endgame sickness, only if Adamson manages to stay close.
On Point: Ateneo by nine points.
The Falcons managed to come with in striking distance against the Eagles in the first round, where Coach Leo and his boys were still on a mission to get to the final four. Now, I don’t see the fire in Adamson anymore though I expect them to hang around early while Ateneo goes for the kill late in the game.
The De La Salle Green Archers (4-6), who are holding on for dear life to stay in contention for a semi-final berth, will clash with the uprising Univ. of the East Red Warriors (6-4), who are finally living up to their potential as one of the top dogs pf the league after a so-so first round, in the main event.
La Salle, who suffered a sorry loss to spoilsport State U, is in a hostile situation with an egregious four-game slump, while UE tries to build on to their momentum as the semi-final round draws near.
Meanwhile, after being assured of a final four stint following a win against Adamson last week, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws (9-2) are now setting their sights on the twice-to-beat edge when they face the resilient University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons (3-7) in the first game at 2pm.
FEU versus UP
thesportsminded: FEU by 11 points.
The Giant killers are once again in a match against a top ranked team. Can they pull another one? I just don’t think so. After losing to UE, the Tams wants to gain a much needed momentum going into the final four.
KC13: FEU by 12 points.
The dangerous UP squad might have gotten the hang of playing party pooper to final four hopefuls, but they wouldn’t be able to pull the same trick on Coach Capacio’s watch. FEU is hungry to take what they think is rightfully theirs—a twice to beat incentive coming into the semis and unfortunately for UP, they’re first on the to-do list.
OnPoint: FEU by 15
As a team, defense beats offense. Plus, the Tams just won’t allow back-to-back losses and they are out with a vengeance after that embarrassing loss to the Warriors the last time out.
DLSU versus UE
thesportsminded: UE by eight points.
Here’s the situation for La Salle: Win or Kiss the final four goodbye. They’re not officially eliminated if they lose but they’re more or less paralyzed as their chance won’t be fully in their hands anymore. This one, unlike UE’s runaway first round massacre, would be closer but I just don’t think La Salle has it in them to pull this one off.
KC13: UE by nine points.
UE has become virtually invincible downlow as of the late. There is now way La Salle could match UE’s intensity in the paint with just the rookies taking charge.
OnPoint: UE by 15 points.
Look for another disappearing act by the trio of Barua-Malabes-Mangahas. UE, meanwhile, is finally figuring the pieces out. Scary. End of the story.
Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops | Tags: Arellano, Ateneo, FEU, Final Four, Letran, NCAA, NU, UAAP, UE
FEU hit their strides in the second half after a slow start to finally grab a ticket to the semi-finals, after being stopped on its tracks by the resurgent UE last Sunday, with the 84-75 drubbing of Adamson yesterday.
Also nearing a twice-to-beat incentive is the league-leading Ateneo following an easy win over NU yesterday, holding them to one of the worst scoring outings in a quarter with only three points then finishing them off, 75-54.
Another win would give Ateneo a commanding twice-to-beat advantage to further solifiy their title defense.
&
Letran and Arellano, two teams who are fighting to shatter the idle fourth place tie (7-4),clash today in a crucial setto that will determine the remaining final four cast after San Beda, JRU and San Sebastian have virtually occupied the first three spots with their impressive campaign.
Arellano tries to repulse Letran anew after their 81-72 meeting that went in favor of the Chiefs in the first round. Letran, however, looks to avenge their loss with the help of the rejuvanted RJ Jazul, who was held to a low eight points their last meeting, but has been lights out in their latest victories.
Emilio Aguinaldo College and Perpetual Help, who are prematurely out of the contention with 2-9, 3-8 cards, respectively, square off at 2pm.
Predictions:
versus 
The Sports Minded: Perpetual Help by six points.
It’s just a matter of who would have a great game today.
KC13: Perpetual Help by eight points.
Perpetual has better scorers, expect them to give it all.
versus 
The Sports Minded: Letran by five points.
This would be one heck of a game. Both teams are equally talented and it will all boil down to poise and killer instinct down the stretch. Experience plus Coach Louie Alas’ brilliance will be enough.
KC13: Letran by four points.
These two teams have waited for this day to come after they have been lodged in a tie for so long. It’s one of the better match ups in the league where two of today’s best scorers in Giorgio Ciriacruz and RJ Jazul are tasked to lead their team. The one who will execute better in the payoff period will win it.
Top seed Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws will look to solidify their contention for the twice-to-beat advantage come final four when they face the National University Bulldogs and the Adamson Falcons respectively.
Ateneo (9-1), the only team yet to be assured of a final four seat, will battle listless National U (2-8) in the main event at 4pm while second seed Far Eastern U (8-2) , who’s eight game winning streak was snapped by Univ. of the East in its last game, will try to avoid another sleazy stint against the upstart Adamson (3-7) in the first game scheduled at 2pm.
A victory by the Tamaraws will finally earn them a berth to the final four.
versus
thesportsminded: FEU by five points
In the first round, FEU narrowly escaped the Falcons. I see this battle being close as well. After an upset defeat in the hands of UE last Sunday, Coach Glenn Capacio won’t allow another.
KC13: FEU by nine points
Seeing how Adamson managed to rise up from their first round debacle, another upset to further derail FEU’s semis bid could be possible. However, considering FEU’s eagerness to seal the deal and the fact that Aldrech Ramos had a subpar performance their last meaning, Coach Leo Austria’s troop might need to double the effort if they want to win.
On Point: FEU by 10 points
throw out the first round result where the Tamaraws barely won. the Tams got crushed in their last game, they just won’t allow another one. Both of these teams love to play slow, both focus on their halfcourt sets but with FEU having the more potent offense and better defense, this game will be out of reach come second half.
versus
thesportsminded: Ateneo by 18 points
What the hell?!
KC13: Ateneo by 15 points
Ateneo will win over NU. But anything can still happen. UP has proven so against La Salle and Ateneo. Ateneo wouldn’t want another sorry loss.
On Point: Ateneo by 16 points
Here’s the analogy: UP won over Ateneo while, NU beat UP. So which means NU can also beat Ateneo given the scenario? Not really, lest bad officiating and injuries. Why so? ’cause NU just doesn’t have the firepower to do so. Ateneo, with its man power, can easily defend NU, who certainly lacks players who can score.
JRU’s top gunner John Wilson literally hit nothing but net all game long after he bombed in nine three pointers to lead JRU to a commanding 95-85 victory over the St. Benilde Blazers today.
Wilson finished with a stellar all-around performance of 48 points and17 rebounds. He now holds the record for the most field goal conversions and three point conversions in a game at 18 and nine. These individual scoring triumphs don’t come around much in the NCAA so this is phenomenal.
Wow. Well, I need to hear what Jimbo Aquino has to say.
(Photo: NCAA.org.ph)
Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops | Tags: EAC, JRU, NCAA, predictions, San Beda, St. Benilde, Sudan Daniels
Someone’s birthday is today. EHEM. But we should all get back to work after a lazy tuesday. Shall we?
San Beda and JRU, two teams who have since trailed behind San Sebastian’s flawless records, try to come withing striking distance as they square off against hopefuls Emilio Aguinaldo College and St. Benilde, who both are in a threat of early elimination as the competion starts to heat up.
The Lions shoot for their eight straight win, nine overall, at 4pm today after suffering their lone loss over the Stags. The Bombers, on the other hand, aim to bolster their bid later at two, after a busy nine-day lay off.
The Blazers, meanwhile, have to whip past all of their remaining assigments to atleast get a shot at the coveted final four spot.
Predictions:
versus 
The Sports Minded: JRU by eight points.
The Blazers mgith give the Bombers a bit of a test but the kalentong based squad wants to gain momentum going into the final four.
KC13: JRU by six points.
Their ain’t going to be stompin’ later (pardon my twang, lol), but the Bombers will likely prevail over the Blazers.
On Point: JRU by nine points.
If Marc Cagoco doesn’t shoot too much more that the stats can count, JRU is at its best. the bombers must take their time on offense to better utilize their good half court game.
versus
The Sports Minded: San Beda by 12 points.
All the Generals can do is give a decent fight maybe up to the third by Beda will be just due for another blow out game.
KC13: San Beda by 10 points.
Sudan Daniels will definitely make his presence known in this game, alright.
On Point: San Beda by 13 points.
San Beda’s gameplan must start with their big man. Once they score down low, open outside shots will follow and that’s all she wrote.
Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops | Tags: Arellano, AUF, Final Four, Letran, Mapua, NCAA, predictions
UE kept FEU at the bay the entire contest by dominating on both ends of the floor as they handed the Tams its second loss, 87-72, after a proverbial eight-game streak last night to seize solo third.
The Warriors blitzed to an early lead and never looked back behind double digit heroics UE’s troika of Pari Llagas, Elmer Espirtu and Paul Lee. Llagas finished with a game-high 24 points.
After UST’s wrecking loss to Ateneo in the earlier game, 80-70, UE shatters the two-way tie and assumes third place that would pit them anew against FEU in the semis if the current place will remain idle until the end of the eliminations.
UST, on the other hand, holds on to a precarious fourth place spot with 5-5 record, just a win and a half after La Salle who is at 4-6. The Tigers need to prevail on their remaining assigments over NU (August 30), La Salle (Sept 3), Adamson (Sept 6) and UE (September 10) to seal their standings.
The Tigers were held spellbound from the 6th minute mark of the fourth where Ateneo pulled away with the 69-62 lead from a 7-0 roll. UST inched in to within four, 70-74, with less then a minute to play on rookie Jeric Teng’s basket but the Tigers never scored then on.
&
After a crucial outing in the UAAP last night, today’s NCAA games will also be as crucial highlighted by two teams that seek to compound their bid for the coveted final semis spot, with the first three spots already occupied by the top three competitors in the league.
Arellano and Letran, who have been idle at fourth place on a identical 6-4 ledger, will take on the lowly Angeles U and Mapua respectively— two teams who have occupied the bottom of the standings since the start of the season. A much-needed win for the two teams will keep them on the hunt.
Predictions:
versus 
The Sports Minded: Arellano by 15 points.
Arellano will pound the Great Danes as they will solidify their chance for a final four slot with this win. Gio Ciriacruz will have a shooting spree as AUF doesn’t have anyone besides Matt Kearney who can bang in the lane.
KC13: Arellano by 20 points.
They can’t take the Angeles U lightly knowing the guys would want a dignified exit in the league. However, expect the Chiefs to dominate the Great Danes like the have done the last time out.
On Point: Arellano by a baker’s dozen.
Look for the chiefs to come out strong, all the pressure is on their side while the danes are just playing for pride alone.
versus 
The Sports Minded: Letran by 12 points.
If the Mapua show up the way thed did against the Lions last week, then this might be a game. If they don’t, put this one in the books for the Knights.
KC13: Letran by 10 points.
Despite an awful showing in their first meeting, Mapua will definitely give take a tough stand like they did against the league leaders in their last games. But still not enough to stop Letran’s scorers from pouring it in.
On Point: Letran by 12 points.
The Cardinals will make this a game early but, the Knights will pull away in the second half.Jazul wil deliver the goods with most of his shots from the outside.
If winning a college game is all about scoring then the Tigers should’ve been sailing through this UAAP season. Thing is there is this other aspect of the game called defense and I’m not sure if they know it.
The UST Tigers’ offense rely on a run and gun style which means that they play a fast pace game. The Tigers are the tournament’s highest scoring team, the problem though, is their points allowed is higher than their points per game.
With Dylan Ababou leading the league in scoring with just above 20 points while Khasim Mirza and Jeric Teng also averaging around 14 points each, the Tigers definitely have the offensive fire power this year but it is evident that they need to play decent defense if they are to give themselves some chance in the homestretch of the tourney.
After letting Kirk Long shoot the lights out, the Tigers dropped to 5-5 which is still good enough for solo fourth place. They are just 1.5 game ahead of the struggling De La Salle University Archers but when they meet down the stretch in the second round, the Archers just might snatch that game again just like what happened in the first round where the Tigers didn’t play defense the final three minutes of the third onwards.
I remember they are up by 16 points in the middle of that first round clash as they are almost scoring at will during the third but they also allowed the Archers to score as they score. That allowed the Archers to hang around and finally made a run in the fourth up to the end as they stole that game away. The Tigers’ lack of defense cost them that game and their game today against Ateneo as they didn’t mind Long scoring throughout the game. Same defensive mentality, same result.
That’s what worries me about the Tigers. That final four slot is not a lock eventhough the Archers are struggling right now. The UE Red Warriors scored an upset win over the tough FEU Tamaraws to give themselves a better shot of booking a seat in the final four as they improved to 6-4. One game above the Tigers and two games above the Archers. With four games left for each, anything can happen. All of those three teams will still play each other and those head to head games are definitely crucial for those three teams’ fortune.
The Tigers need to change some of their approach regarding their defensive mentality if they are to hold on to that last semis slot. Even with a slump, the Archers are very capable of beating both the Warriors and the Tigers. The Tigers should beat the lower ranked teams like Adamson and NU, to stay in contention for a final four slot. Then, beat La Salle to be assured of that spot.
And if they want to hold on to that precarious one-game lead over the Archers, they just might be forced to play some defense in their last four games. Coach Pido Jarencio and his troops need to realize that playing defense is as important as scoring.
Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops | Tags: Aldrech Ramos, Ateneo, Dylan Ababou, FEU, Final Four, La Salle, Pari Llagas, Paul Lee, predictions, UAAP, UE, UP, UST
FINAL FOUR PREVIEW?
As La Salle’s chances for a semifinals bid started to ebb away following UP’s clobbering of the Green Achers, 83-78, earlier today, UST and UE, who boast of an identical 5-4 record prematurely completing the final four, will face a tough challenge in shattering the third place tie as they go against the league’s top two teams tomorrow.
The Tigers, who bowed down to the same team in a rout in the first round, tries to pull an upset over the rejuvenated Eagles in the first game at 2pm while the Warriors shoot for a first win over the Tamaraws in the main event pegged at 4pm after putting up a tight contest almost three weeks ago.
Predictions:
versus 
The Sports Minded: Ateneo by nine points.
Ateneo is playing big right now. Only a flawless game by UST can give them a chance. Anything less won’t get it done.
KC13: Ateneo by 15 points.
Pick your poison. UST, despite its explosive gunners and athletic forwards, still hasn’t learned to play D as we’ve seen in that awful showing against UP. They will face a double whammy in limiting Al Hussaini’s production down low while preventing Ateneo’s outside stringers. Theydon’t have a center who plays big in the paint that will be able to provide them interior D. If they are lucky to be able to pick the less deadly’ poision in the two and make Ateneo play their running game, they have a shot. Although pulling off a high-scoring venture would favor them, if they start giving away counterpat baskets on the offensive end, forget about winning this game, or even another championship.
P.S. If Ababou goes into early foul trouble, forget everything.
On Point: Ateneo by 10 points.
The main weapon for the Tigers is their offense. If UST’s three-point shooting shows up, this will be a tight contest. If not, this will be another rout. Again, the Tigers must control the boards to be able to run. Ababou’s outside shooting must drop to open the lane for Teng and other slashers of UST. For Ateneo, they would want to attack the inside early to create open shots for their jump shooters. UST can’t afford not to double-team Al-Hussaini thus, Salamat, Reyes and co. will be open. If the Tigers don’t close-out quickly, Ateneo will have a field day from downtown.
versus 
The Sports Minded: FEU by 14 points.
FEU will make this a statement game.
KC13: FEU by single digits.
This is actually one of the better matchups to watch in the league right now. UE can keep up with FEU’s size. Especially downlow where Aldrech Ramos thrives, they have Pari Llagas and Elmer Espiritu to patrol. One of FEU’s edge lie on its backcourt. UE may have Paul Lee, but he’s more of a scoring point. With that, ball movement will be the key knowing that some of UE’s players have the tendency to take ill-advised shots.
On Point: FEU by eight points.
Besides Ateneo, UE is the only other team that can bang with FEU down low. The only problem for the Red Warriors is who will they use to defend the wing players of the Tamaraws? Plus, UE is loaded with players with a shoot-first mentality thus, their players tend to look for their own shots whether it’s forced or hurried which will hurt them ’cause FEU, on the other hand is known for limiting its opponents to just one shot per possession.
Triangle Offense 