I get very upset with all the endless comments about horrible officiating. What’s even worse is when prominent alumni of good schools that produce persons of good character continue to attack the referees with tasteless remarks. Nothing good comes out of it and it only fans the flames.
The quality of officiating may be arguable, but the character employed in excessively degrading referees is shameful and wholly contrary of the kind of values and character that true sportsmanship has stood for and tried instill in those who love or participate in the sport as an athlete, spectator or team member.
What really counts is how one learns, grows and responds to whatever outcomes–whether victorious, defeating, humbling or painful–turn out at the end of the buzzer. It’s all part of the game and it’s all about who walks off the arena the better man in winning or losing.
Don’t play the game if you can’t take what comes with it: the bruises, pains and whatnot. No room at all for sissies, sore losers and spoilsports. Did Michael Jordan ever cite poor officiating as the reason for blots in his career? No. He played with heart in every game. He was the better man.
THE HATERS are happy and the Blue Eagles’ 0-2 start is a heavy weight to take for the five-time defending champions hopeful of extending their championship acts to six. For the first time since 2007, Team Ateneo finds itself in an unexpected hole right in the beginning of UAAP Season 76, right beside fellow neighbors University of the Philippines.
Starting the season 0-2 is as ugly as it looks for any team, regardless of the projected level of competitiveness in the league. Unfortunately, such a 0-2 now a fact embedded in history that the Blue Eagles will have to accept. Fortunately, there are still 12 games to be played. Here are five key points that have surfaced after Ateneo’s first two assignments of the season.
1. Kiefer Ravena is out indefinitely.
This is the simplest fact that’s hurting Ateneo the most; and the worst part is we’re not sure when we can see a healthy Ravena play ball at The Phenom level he is capable of. His absence is felt on both ends of the floor. On the offensive end, Ravena can create his own plays or draw the defense and find the open teammate. Without Ravena, the Blue Eagles are not as fast as they should be, especially under new head coach Bo Perasol’s faster-paced system.
On defense, Ravena hustles and creates stops that translates into fast break opportunities for the Loyola squad. Instead, we saw how Ravena, unable to even tiptoe, was wholly inefficient on the court against National University (NU). Aside from that patented stop-and-pop jumper from the key, Ravena was dismal from the field. Ravena has the heart to play, but his body can’t respond the way he wants it to. He knows this and it’s killing him more than the pain in his ankle. As competitive as he is, it hurts for Ravena to be on street clothes and take on the role of a supportive spectator on the bench. Nevertheless, Ravena has talented teammates who are more than capable of manning the fort while he recovers. And this leads us to the second point.
2. Working hard, but hard enough?
Veteran Juami Tiongson, Frank Golla and JP Erram, in particular, as well as the rest of the team have yet to find their rhythm on the floor. Tiongson’s shot selection and attacks to the hoop are there; but he still hasn’t found the touch. Golla, meanwhile, is eager to regain his form when he played solid minutes to help Ateneo clinch the two-peat and three-peat. Erram, last season’s crowd favorite, returns from his season-ending ACL injury and is not yet as explosive as he was at the peak of his play last season. Von Pessumal should also return to his pre-season form in the coming games as his confidence and comfort under the UAAP lights grow. Forward Gwyne Capacio is also another role player whom the Blue Eagles can rely on once his game picks up.
Expectedly, the Blue Eagles are still working on discovering their comfort zones in Perasol’s free-flowing offense. There were flashes of brilliances in the first two games (e.g. Buenafe’s drive and drops to teammates in the paint, Capacio’s baseline drive and kick out to Nico Elorde for the corner jumper, Chris Newsome creating space and more), but Ateneo settled for too many threes instead of attacking the defense.
Defensively, the Blue Eagles were not quick enough on rotation, resulting in NU’s three-point shooting clinic and the trips to the lane by NU and Far Eastern University’s (FEU) guards. Defensive rebounds fuel Perasol’s running game thus Ateneo has to work hard to face the daunting task of crashing the boards against bigger teams. Good defense and rebounding allowed Ateneo to erase FEU’s lead in the fourth quarter and force an overtime. Ateneo knows how good they can be on defense; they have to find a way to keep up that level of defense for all four quarters.
If there are a few things that the team retained from Coach Norman Black’s days, it would be, “defense wins championships,” and “you are only as good as your last game”. The latter is true for Ateneo since the Eagles’ performance has definitely improved from the first game against NU, but Ateneo must work harder to learn from today’s loss against FEU and make the necessary adjustments to win against La Salle on Sunday.
3. Ryan Buenafe 2.0
Ryan Buenafe is putting up numbers similar to his year as the 2010 Rookie of the Year. The forward’s offense and assists add another depth to Ateneo’s offense. Buenafe knows he plays a crucial role for this year’s campaign and he’s embracing it with open arms–albeit a little too much with a few questionable shots and plays. He’s got the toughness and aggressiveness Ateneo will need as the season progresses. The question is how will the coaching staff use him best.
4. The force is strong in Nico Elorde and Chris Newsome
Chris Newsome brings athleticism to Ateneo not seen since JC Intal played for the Blue and White. Newsome’s quickness and explosiveness is perfect for the offense of Coach Perasol and he can be the spark plug for Ateneo on both ends of the floor. Newsome works best in transition or in situations where he can get the ball near the box. Once he’s outside the arc, Newsome’s effectiveness drops. He has the strength to play it down low and the step to beat bigger counterparts to the hoop. However, he can’t do it alone. Nico Elorde, meanwhile, is unsurprisingly yet surprisingly stepping up among the ranks. The former Archer has made big shots and plays in the first two games of the season–a level of play definitely up a notch from last year’s. Elorde is the example of the player who plays with his all and that’s enabled him to play as well as he has these past two games. Elorde’s numbers and play are yet to improve once the team finds their rhythm.
5. Coaches know what’s best.
The Ateneo faithful should correct the next people they hear blaming Bo Perasol for the woes of Team Ateneo. Perasol and the Ateneo coaching staff is known in the league for learning from past games: studying the tape, reviewing plays and making the right adjustments. The players trust their coaches and thus the Ateneo community should do the same.
Bring on the rest of Season 76. Ateneo has a lot of naysayers to silence. Don’t count them out just yet.
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