UAAP: Mayhem versus efficiency
In the UAAP senior men’s basketball tournament last season, Ateneo was the only team to beat La Salle in the doubleround eliminations. Today, the Archers try to return the favor as they battle the unbeaten Eagles at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The game is no-bearing in terms of ranking. Win or lose, Ateneo will remain No. 1 and La Salle No. 2. But if Ateneo prevails, the playoffs will employ a stepladder format where No. 3 battles No. 4 in a knockout game with the winner moving up to face No. 2. In this case, No. 2 will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage. The Finals will be a straight best-of-three affair. If the Eagles lose, the usual Final Four format will be employed where No. 1 plays No. 4 and No. 2 meets No. 3 with the top two seeds enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage.
The matchup between La Salle coach Aldin Ayo and Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin is as intriguing as the matchups between players. Baldwin has a wealth of experience to lean on. He’s undoubtedly the most credentialed coach in UAAP history. Baldwin has coached in the Olympics and FIBA World Cup. His stints as head coach of the national teams of New Zealand, Malaysia, Jordan, Lebanon and the Philippines speak volumes of his credibility. At the 2002 FIBA World Cup, Baldwin took New Zealand to fourth place, a milestone feat with the Tall Blacks. Coaching players of different nationalities requires more than just knowing Xs and Os – it requires communication skills. Baldwin’s ability to communicate with players at all levels is a major advantage. In contrast, Ayo is a former seminarian who made his way from Sorsogon to Manila, playing for Letran then discovered as a coaching potential at the Jr. NBA program. He doesn’t boast of credentials like Baldwin but his edge is an understanding of how to win at the collegiate level, Philippine style. Both Baldwin and Ayo pay a lot of attention to detail. Baldwin preaches discipline and his players respond with efficient execution on both ends. At Ateneo, there are no superstars, only pieces that work together. Ayo preaches mayhem and his players respond with a tireless effort on both ends. At La Salle, Ayo has to suppress the tendency of key players to go one-onfive because of their superior talent.
Last season, La Salle beat Ateneo in three of four meetings. The Archers drew first blood, 97-81, then the Eagles levelled the count, 83-71. In the Finals, La Salle won two in a row, 67-65 and 79-72. In the offseason, Ateneo got back at La Salle, 80-78, in the Filoil Flying V Championships with Anton Asistio scoring 13 points, including 4-of-5 triples. Five Eagles hit at least nine points in a balanced attack to negate Ben Mbala’s 23 points and Aljun Melecio’s 20.
In the first round of eliminations this season, Ateneo led by as much as 14 points and La Salle was up by one with possession, time down to 7.8 seconds. Matt Nieto stole the ball off a faulty inbound and hit two free throws to seal it for the Eagles, 76-75. Ateneo knocked down three more triples and scored six more free throws – the difference of 15 points was enough to pull off the win. La Salle gave up precious possessions with 20 turnovers compared to only 11 for Ateneo.
La Salle is No. 1 in offense while Ateneo is No. 1 in defense. The keys to beat the Eagles are to disrupt the flow of their structured execution, control the boards and make Nieto a bystander. The keys to beat the Archers are to break their press, influence Mbala to try to do things on his own and pack the paint to avoid second chance and slashing opportunities. Ateneo is No. 1 in bench points, three-point percentage, least turnovers, least assists allowed, least rebounds allowed and least second chance points allowed. La Salle is No. 1 in two-point percentage and turnover and second chance points.
Ateneo has 11 players logging at least 10 minutes a game, four at least 20 and six at least 15 while La Salle has 10 averaging at least 10 minutes, five at least 20 and eight at least 15. The stats show that Baldwin uses a deeper rotation and the depth is critical if the game goes down to the wire. Thirdy Ravena is averaging 14.4 points and Nieto, 11.4 but Chiz Ikeh, Vince Tolentino and Jolo Mendoza are all hitting at least 50 percent from the field. Mbala is averaging 25.8 points and Ricci Rivero, 13.6. Mbala, Prince Rivero, Abu Tratter (the league’s leader in free throw shooting at 83.3 percent) and Justin Baltazar are connecting over 50 percent from the floor. Baldwin and Ayo will try to outwit each other with unconventional schemes, unusual combinations and unorthodox tactics. It should be another epic confrontation between the Blue and the Green.