Ex-Archers Aldeguer, Tang see green ending
Former La Salle stars Dino Aldeguer and T. Y. Tang relived their championship experience in separate inspirational talks before the Archers squad during lunch at a hotel near the Mall of Asia Arena yesterday. It was timely motivation on the eve of the La Salle-Ateneo best-of-three series for the UAAP senior men’s basketball crown.
Aldeguer, 41, wore the Green and White from 1996 to 1999. He played in four finals and on two title squads. In 1998, he tasted his first championship and was named to the Mythical Five, joining RenRen Ritualo and Don Allado in La Salle’s Big Three. In 1999, Aldeguer played a key role in bringing another title to Taft. He knocked down a triple with 2.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime in the Game 3 decider then scored four points in extension before fouling out with 21 points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists, time down to 1: 13. La Salle held on to beat FEU for the crown.
Tang, 32, also saw action on two La Salle title teams in 2004 and 2007. Like Aldeguer in 1999, Tang was instrumental in leading the Archers charge in 2007. His teammates included Jvee Casio, Cholo Villanueva and Rico Maierhofer. La Salle made it to the finals against UE which swept the double round eliminations. In Game 1, Tang fired 17 points, including nine in the fourth period, to fuel La Salle’s hairline 64-63 win. In Game 2, the Archers never gave the Red Warriors a chance and repeated, 73-64, to bag the crown.
Both Aldeguer and Tang went on to play in the pros. Aldeguer played 16 games for Alaska in 2000 and also had a stint in the MBA. Tang was a Rain Or Shine mainstay for seven PBA seasons and retired at the end of the 201415 campaign. He was recently hired to take over the St. Benilde varsity as head coach in the NCAA. Curiously, Aldeguer and Tang are friendly competitors in the paint contracting business.
Aldeguer said he expects the Archers to win. “For me, La Salle has the individual talent that no team can match in the UAAP, not even Ateneo,” he said. “Talent is overflowing. The danger is coach Tab Baldwin knows that so he’ll come to the finals letting his team play together as a whole unit because that’s his best chance and that’s his strength.”
If La Salle plays the menacing style that triggered the 12- game winning streak this season, Aldeguer said the Archers will be unstoppable in marching to the throne. “If coach (Aldin) Ayo can get the team to move the ball the way they did in the first round and play as a unit, the title is ours.”
Tang said UAAP MVP Ben Mbala’s dominance on both ends and Jeron Teng’s leadership on the floor are the factors that will take La Salle to the title. Minimizing turnovers is another key element.
“Coach Aldin has to be quick in seeing the adjustments that coach Tab will be preparing for Game 1,” continued Tang. “He has to be able to give clear adjustments to the players, too. We’ll win because of our experience and poise. Our core players are used to this type of championship pressure. Our strength is our mayhem defense. Ateneo’s streak shooting from beyond the arc can give us a scare.”
The other day, Tang held his first tryouts at the St. Benilde gym and 35 players attended the 6:30-9:30 a.m. session. He supervised the tryouts with assistants Charles Tiu, Ali Peek, Xavier high school coach Carlo Tan and Belgian strength and conditioning expert Nico D’Haenen. Tang said he hopes La Salle assistant coach Siot Tanquingcen will join the team as a consultant.
Aldeguer and Tang said the time has come for La Salle to ascend the UAAP throne once again. They challenged the Archers to play selflessly and win for their school. The former La Salle cagers said winning the championship changed their lives and the feeling of accomplishment is something they’ll never forget.
So far, Ayo has started 11 different players with only Mbala and Thomas Torres locked in as permanent first fivers. Mbala is averaging 20.7 points, 16 rebounds, 2.5 blocked shots and 30.5 minutes in 15 games, shooting 55.5 percent from the field. Teng, playing in his final UAAP season, is averaging 17.5 points and 27.3 minutes. Rookie of the Year Aljun Melecio is hitting 8.3 points a game and Kib Montalbo, who sat out last season with an ACL injury, is averaging 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.9 steals. Melecio and Montalbo come off the bench to lead the second unit charge in every game. Thomas Torres is scoring 7.5 points a contest.
Others in Ayo’s rotation are Abu Tratter, Ricci and Prince Rivero, Andrei Caracut, Justin Baltazar, Jollo Go, Jason Perkins, Julian Sargent, Brent Paraiso and Mark Dyke. The Archers lead the league in average points, 86.9, field goal percentage, 42.1, points in the paint, 43.2, rebounds, 51.8, steals, 8.3, fastbreak points, 18.3, second chance points, 19.0, turnover points, 25.6 and starter points, 50.7. On the downside, La Salle is No. 1 in turnovers at 23.9 a game.