Ricci Rivero and other La Salle Standouts Left out of the 2023 Gilas Training Pool, Why?

Was DLSU selfish for not letting their players be a part of the Gilas training pool?

Chot Reyes revealed 23 new names on the Gilas training pool and while a lot of fans and players were happy to see most of the names, a lot of fans were wondering why La Salle’s Caracut, Melecio, and Rivero was not part of the list.

See complete list here (23 Gilas training pool complete list)

Fans online were buzzing about it and demanded answers as to why Coach Chot Reyes snubbed the highly touted players. In a recent interview however it was revealed that the Geen Archers wants their player off the list.

The DLSU Green Archers basketball program is currently in their transition period, which is why the likes of Ricci Rivero, Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio were asked by their alma mater to be excluded from the #23for23 pool for now.

Given the experience and the opportunity that the players could have had as part of the national training pool do you think De La Salle should have just allowed their players to join?

What’s the Real Reason Why Aldin Ayo Left La Salle?

Just when La Salle was still dealing with losing Ben Mbala, they will also need to deal with losing their champion coach. 

Ayo finally breaks his silence as he prepares for a potential move to UST

During the course of the last two seasons of the UAAP, the De La Salle Green Archers have become an almost unstoppable team- only losing a grand total of 5 games during that span of time. 

They won the first 13 games of Season 79 before winning the championship with Jeron Teng hailed as the Finals MVP in his final UAAP game. In Season 80, they finished the 2-round elimination in second place after snapping the 13-game winning streak of the eventual champions, the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles. 

La Salle’s MVP, Ben Mbala was an unstoppable force during his two seasons with the Green and White before calling it quits due to the nagging questions surrounding his eligibility for Season 81.  And just when La Salle fans were still recovering from the news of Mbala’s departure, the man behind the Mayhem system that La Salle has been playing, champion coach, Aldin Ayo, has parted ways with the Taft-based squad. While his name has been connected with the coaching job at the helm of the UST Growling Tigers, Ayo has been quiet with regards to his decision to leave La Salle. Until now.

In a Twitter post, Aldin Ayo finally broke his deafening silence and finally explained that differences in how the Green Archers should be handled are the reasons behind his decision to formally leave Taft. He also stated in the same post that he has always done what he thinks was necessary for the team. 

As to why he waited this long before explaining his side of things, Ayo said that he’s trying to keep his word with the La Salle officials to wait until the 1st week of January before disclosing any information. He said that he decided to come out of the dark because the news about his departure has already broken out earlier than expected. He had to get permission from La Salle before saying anything- a thing that La Salle granted. 

Conclusion

La Salle has already appointed their new coach in Luis Gonzalez, Ayo’s longtime deputy. While UST has yet to release any official statement regarding the impending arrival of Aldin Ayo, sources are saying that UST is set to make an announcement within the first two weeks of the new year. We’ll just have to play the wait-and-see-game. Again. 

The UAAP Season 80 Review: A Year Filled with Surprises and Drama

Nevertheless, it has been a season for the books

This season’s Men’s Basketball Tournament is more than just about the Ateneo-La Salle Rivalry.

Over the past seasons, the Men’s Basketball tournament of the UAAP has been one of the country’s most exciting basketball leagues and mind you, folks. The UAAP is more than just about the fierce rivalry between the Ateneo de Manila Bule Eagles and the De La Salle Green Archers. And Season 80 is no different at all.

For those who were probably stuck in their studies all while the basketball wars were happening, below are just some of the stories which this pundit on wheels thinks has made 2017 memorable for the UAAP fans:

Surprise!

One of the teams that made the most impact this year was the UP Fighting Maroons. And nobody expected them to win. Especially not against a powerhouse team like the Green Archers whom they beat surprisingly by a big margin. They did by shutting down the rest of the Archers as Ben Mbala was almost impossible to stop. And it worked. Throughout the entire season, Paul Desiderio hit numerous game-winning treys. Unfortunately, UP came short of making it to the Final 4 but given the fact they were able to beat La Salle, it’s only a matter of time until UP becomes a Final 4-bound team.

Ateneo’s Redemption Season

After losing in the Finals last season against Jeron Teng and company, the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles wasted no time as they began the season by winning the first 13 games only to lose on the 14th against their archrivals. Then, their backs were forced onto the wall as the Far Eastern University Tamaraws forced a sudden-death match against the number one team. Fortunately, Isaac Go redeemed himself as he nailed two clutch baskets- one that forced overtime and the other one that sealed the win for the Eagles.

In the Finals against La Salle, Isaac Go was the hero of the series as he completed a 3-point play during the dying seconds of Game 1, allowing Ateneo to take Game 1. And when La Salle was threatening for the last time in a classic Game 3, Isaac Go received a pass from Thirdy Ravena and calmly drained a three-pointer to ice things up. Victory. Redemption. George Isaac Go.

La Salle’s Drama

Losing in the Finals against the Blue Eagles was definitely a bitter pill to swallow for the Archers. After all, they were the only ones who beat the Eagles during the elimination rounds.  And they came a defensive stop away from winning a second consecutive championship. They fell short. Tears were shred. Congratulatory and consoling hugs were exchanged. In the end, La Salle lost it all. And the drama was just getting started back then.

Coach Aldin Ayo said after the Finals series that 2-time MVP Ben Mbala still has one season of eligibility with the Green Archers. Then, Mbala said he has enough of the issues surrounding his eligibility owing to the reinstatement of the “seven years out of high school” rule by the UAAP. Mbala has taken his talents to Mexico after saying that he won’t waste a year doing nothing. In a snap, things went gloomier for La Salle.

Throughout the latter part of the season, Aldin Ayo’s name has been connected to the UST coaching job. Many speculated that Ayo’s former connections from the Letran Knights were pushing for him to transfer from Taft to Espana. At first, Ayo denied the rumors, saying that his commitment was with La Salle. WAS. After a few weeks, Aldin Ayo parted ways with the Green Archers- taking with him his coaching staff. Is Aldin Ayo really headed to Espana? We’ll all have to wait. 

Conclusion

Now that the season is over in the Men’s division, there are a few questions that need answers come Season 81. Will Ateneo repeat? Possibly. Who will take over from Ayo in La Salle? Nobody knows. For now. Will the Fighting Maroons ever make it back to the Final 4? That’s up for a debate. Nevertheless, it has been a pleasant season in general- except if you’re a fan of the UST Growling Tigers. 

What Mbala’s departure means for La Salle and for the UAAP in general?

Mbala’s decision is final and is taking his talents to Mexico

Ever since coming into the UAAP last season, Ben Mbala has become a force to be reckoned with. Literally and figuratively, he’s a beast on the court and has become the main defensive anchor of the De La Salle Green Archers for the last two seasons. He won the MVP twice and is a member of the Mythical Team for two seasons. He helped La Salle win the first 13 games of the UAAP back in Season 79 before winning the championship against the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles.

Heading into Season 80, La Salle was tagged as favorites to repeat as champions despite losing Jeron Teng to graduation. And despite missing Ben Mbala for the first two games of the season due to Mbala’s commitment to his country’s national team, the Green Archers went on to return the favor to the Blue Eagles by ending the latter’s 13-game winning streak. Both teams went to the Finals again where Ateneo finally won the championship after winning the series, 2-1.

Coach Aldin Ayo has indicated right after the Finals that Ben Mbala will return for Season 81.

That was a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately for Aldin Ayo and company, they will have to figure things out on their own come next season because Ben Mbala has made the hardest and most heart-breaking decision not to return to the Green Archers. According to the reigning two-time MVP, his decision to leave La Salle was motivated by the questions surrounding his eligibility to play next season. This was due to the reports that the “Seven Year out of High School” rule has already lapsed. This rule was imposed by the UAAP to ease the lack of recruitment that was brought about by the implementation of the K-12 curriculum. Additionally, Ben Mbala has said that he felt it was already high time for him take his talents elsewhere instead of staying in Manila, doing nothing. He is now set to play in Mexico.

What Mbala’s departure means for La Salle and for the UAAP in general?

There’s no denying the fact that Ben Mbala is one of the best foreign players to play in the UAAP and La Salle will sorely miss him due to his competitiveness and the fact that he is almost impossible to guard. Replacing Mbala’s numbers would be a big headache for La Salle because it’s not every day that you see a kind of player who can score as if he’s LeBron James.

While La Salle will have headaches due to Mbala’s decision not to return, this could also mean less headache for the rest of the league. They won’t have to defend someone who is virtually unguardable. Also, Mbala’s decision has already made Ateneo’s road to repeating as champions, less complicated. 

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Conclusion

Who will lead La Salle come next season and beyond? Like it or not, La Salle still has many players who can take over the leadership role and one of those guys is Ricci Rivero who played tremendously great this season. While losing Ben Mbala will be a big blow for La Salle, this will also allow other players to blossom. 

Title Defense Looks Promising for the Ateneo Blue Eagles

Coach Tab Baldwin says the Blue Eagles will have lots of talent next season

The dagger shot was nailed. The final buzzer has made its final sound and was followed by a rain of confetti, flooding the court. These were the scenarios as the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles began to celebrate their championship victory against the De La Salle Green Archers after a classic Game 3 win which was not sealed until the final minute of the game. A classic indeed.

It has been a week already since that exciting Sunday night and to celebrate that championship along with other achievements that are made by the other Ateneo teams in other UAAP sports, the entire Ateneo community joined together and held a bonfire at their Quezon City campus. Present there were members of the UAAP Season 80 Men’s Basketball champions headed by Coach Tab Baldwin and Team Captain Vince Tolentino who played his final year for the Blue and White alongside Chubueze Ikeh.

Now that the celebration was done, let’s go straight to the next thing the Blue Eagles will need to focus on after winning their first championship since Norman Black led the team to 5 straight championships: defend the title. Despite the fact that the Blue Eagles will no longer have Tolentino and Ikeh around come Season 81, the core of the championship-winning team will remain intact. In fact, they will even get more powerful- at least on paper when Season 81 opens next year.

That if you will believe Coach Tab Baldwin.

Ateneo has tons of possible players who can suit up for next season. 

Aside from former Blue Eagle, Adrian Wong who is set to hopefully return after missing a season due to injury, the Eagles will have a new foreign student-player in Angelo Kouame. 

Isaac Go, the hero of Season 80, will be expected to play a bigger role next year and so will Raffy Verano. 

Also, former San Beda Red Lion, William Navarro and Fil-Kiwi player, Patrick Maadenberg are included in the choices. 

And lastly, three Blue Eaglets are set to graduate next year namely, Dave Ildefonso, SJ Belangel and Jason Credo. So, this is a headache Tab Baldwin will want to have: choosing among the players whom he believes will lead the Eagles to another championship.

Conclusion

Season 81 will not start until September of next year. Until then, Isaac Go and the rest of the Blue Eagles can have the luxury of enjoying this championship. After all, it has been five years since the last time they’ve won one, right? But at the same time, Tab Badlwin will be working behind the limelight as he prepares the Eagles for its title because of the fact that La Salle will still have 2-time MVP, Ben Mbala next season- for one final season. 

Championship shifts to Katipunan Anew as Ateneo outlasted La Salle in Game 3 of UAAP Finals

After missing a hook shot in the eliminations that may have given an outright finals berth, Isaac Go may have drained the biggest 3-point shot of his young collegiate career.

With 2 seconds remaining in their shot clock, Go received a pass from Thirdy Ravena and with no choice but to put up a shot, Go put up a looper and swishes the net as the buzzer sounds.

It was a grit and grind game as usual as La Salle managed to take the lead midway the 3rd quarter but Ateneo made a huge run in the 4th quarter to give them an 8 point lead. But again, La Salle fought back and cut the lead into 2 with Andrei Caracut 3-pointer. Then the Isaac Go Title-Clinching shot happened.

The supporter of both teams made the game more exciting as 22,012 fans made it to the venue to watch their favorite teams.

Thirdy Ravena was crowned Finals MVP as he finished the game with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists while Matt Nieto. Chiz Ikeh and Antos Asistio combined for 37 points to help Ravena.

Meanwhile, Season MVP Ben Mbala managed to collect 19 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks while Aljun Melecio, Ricci Rivero, Andre Caracut and Leonard Santillan managed to contribute, 16, 14, 13 and 11 points respectively.

With this championship, Ateneo Blue Eagles will get an iPhone X and Trip to Hongkong bonus from “MVP” Manny V. Pangilinan.

UAAP Season 80 Championship: A Big Redemption for the Blue Eagles

Big Finals victory against La Salle completes a turnaround season for Ateneo

After winning last year’s UAAP championship, the De La Salle Green Archers came into the UAAP Season 80 as the favorites to repeat as champions as they had Ben Mbala, the now two-time MVP, on board. 

Although they were defeated by the UP Fighting Maroons and the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles back in the first round, they literally and figuratively stormed into the Final 4 by ending Ateneo’s 13-game winning streak. Then, the defending champions disposed the Adamson Falcons in their lone Final 4 game to enter the Finals for the second straight season.

On the other hand, aside from seeing their 13-game winning streak snapped by the Archers, the Ateneo Blue Eagles had to sweat it out against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws who forced a do-or-die game that even went into an extra period. If not to Isaac Go’s heroics, that 13-1 record that Ateneo established would have been for naught. 

Coming into the best-of-3 championship series, everyone was expecting it to be a bloody affair owing to the fact that it was between Ateneo and La Salle. And it turned out to be a bloody war indeed as blood from both sides was spilled onto the court, numerous times. 

Game 1 went to the guys in blue after a heroic outing from none other than Isaac Go. Game 2, on the other hand, went to the men in green as La Salle erased a 21-point deficit that forced a Game 3. 

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The third game of the series was a beauty to behold as it was filled with non-stop, amazing basketball action from start to finish. In the end,  the Blue Eagles successfully avoided another late-game meltdown after beating the Archers, 88-86- to bring back the crown to Katipunan. 

Redemption

If anything, this championship that Ateneo won showed their determination to redeem their themselves all season long after losing last year’s championship series due to the inexperience of the team, most especially Thirdy Ravena who made costly mistakes in that series. 

Ravena, the Finals MVP this season, has improved tremendously as he contributed to the success of the team not just by scoring on monstrous dunks but, by being a facilitator, a great rebounder and, a defender as well. 

Isaac Go also redeemed himself after missing the potential game-winner against La Salle back in the second round. He rescued the Eagles thrice this season, once against FEU and twice in the Finals- the last one being the booming trey that statistically iced up the Eagles’ victory in Game 3. And, Isaac Go’s “clutchness” even made Norman Black- the man behind Ateneo’s 5-peat run, dance. 

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Chibueze Ikeh failed to defend Ben Mbala down low in Game 3 but that didn’t stop him playing his best game of the season after scoring 12 points- including that big dunk late in the 4th quarter, while also grabbing 13 rebounds- 8 from the offensive end. He ended his UAAP career with a championship to savor. What a way to redeem from the previous two seasons that were filled with turmoil, right?

Conclusion

Ateneo will lose three players to graduation next season. However, this would mean that Isaac Go will play a bigger role in the Eagles’ title defense. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves folks. Let Ateneo savor this victory for a little while. After all, it has been 5 years since that last title, right?

How Can Ateneo Win Game 3?

Beating La Salle in a championship is difficult but doable

Coming into the Season 80 of the UAAP, everyone was expecting one team to dominate the season like it did last year. That team, of course, is none other than the De La Salle Green Archers who are now being led by two-time MVP Ben Mbala. However, the Green Archers were dealt with a surprising loss by the UP Fighting Maroons and of course, bowing down to the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles at the end of the first round.

The Archers, however, ended the Eagles’ 13-game winning streak which ensured a Final 4. La Salle then faced and beat the Adamson Falcons in their Final 4 match-up- a game which was put into question due to what the Falcons’ coaching staff thought was a biased officiating. The game was reviewed by the UAAP Board and found that there were questionable fouls that were called against both teams but, no replay of the game was required.

This year’s Finals series between Ateneo and La Salle is more unpredictable than it was last year. Ateneo won Game 1 after a hard-fought battle but La Salle came back to win Game 2 by erasing a 21-point deficit.

As a result, we’ll have Ateneo-La Salle. One more time. Tomorrow. All for the championship.

Question: Can Ateneo win it all tomorrow?

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Yes. Provided…

The Blue Eagles can win the championship tomorrow if:

1. Defend Ben Mbala. They’ve already done that in the first round and in Game 1 of the Finals. Go back to those games and look at how they were able to limit the offensive output of the reigning MVP. You do that. You increase the chance of beating the champs.
2. Sustain their intensity. One of the many reasons why La Salle was able to force a Game 3 was the inability of the Blue Eagles to sustain a big margin after working hard to build that lead during the early goings of the game. If Ateneo is to win the championship, they will need to find ways to hold onto the lead. Sustain a high level of energy throughout the entire game.
3. Consistency. This is one of the things Ateneo was sorely lacking during the rest of Game 2. They were hot offensively during the entire first quarter but went ice-cold during the rest of the game.The Blue Eagles need to maintain their consistency especially when shooting from the three-point line. 

Conclusion

Ateneo will be faced with a daunting task that seems impossible at first. But if you come to think of it, Tab Baldwin and his boys have beaten the men in green twice already this season. They just need to rediscover how they were able to win those games. 

Basketball God Prepared a Winner-Take-All Game 3 Between DLSU and Ateneo

The game 2 of the UAAP 80 men’s basketball between the arch-rival Ateneo Blue Eagles and the De La Salle Green Archers is one for the ages. Another great story was added between the rivalry of the two teams as the Green Archers had their biggest comeback in the biggest stage of the competition.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles looked poised and eager earlier in game 2 of the UAAP 80 men’s basketball as they took a lead as high as 20 points in the first quarter. The Blue Eagles took a 32-15 lead against the Green Archers as they shot the lights out and the Green Archers had a slow start. Ricci Rivero and Ben Mbala were forced to sit down as they picked up 2 early fouls individually. The Blue Eagles took advantage of the absence of Mbala from the inside and also executed their plays very well that made their shooters open.

In the second quarter, the Green Archers bounced back as they made a run and they outscored the Blue Eagles 27-19. However, the struggle continued for the Green Archers as Mbala had 3 fouls and Ricci Rivero had 4. Andrei Caracut and Kib Montalbo took the game into their hands as both led the defense and offense for the Green Archers and they were able to cut the lead to just 9 at the end of the first half.

It is in the second half that things got interesting. The hot hands of Ateneo that shot 6 for 12 from the three-point line got cold as they only made one of their eleven attempts beyond the arc. The Green Archers took advantage of the struggling Ateneo and Ricci Rivero whose eyes were filled with tears when he committed his 4th foul during the first half is now filled with fire. The Green Archers ignited their run with an alley-oop made by Mbala. The Blue Eagles struggled and only scored 8 points while the Green Archers scored 26 big points.

The Green Archers did not look back in the fourth quarter and sealed the game. DLSU won 92-83.  Ben Mbala finished with 20 points while Ricci Rivero finished the game with 18 points. Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio had 13 and 12 points respectively.

Thirdy Ravena led the scoring for the Blue Eagles with 20 points and Aron Black contributed 15 points. Asistio and Isaac Go also had 13 points and 11 points respectively.

The game 3 will happen on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum and the rivalry between this two schools will just get better. Only the basketball god knows what is destined and Ateneo and De La Salle are both ready to meet their destiny. 

Another Collapse: La Salle Erases a 21-Point Lead, Force Game 3

2-time MVP Ben Mala comes up with big numbers

Ben Mbala recovered from his worst career game to help La Salle force a Game 3.

Coming into this best-of-three Finals series, the De La Salle Green Archers are tagged as the heavy favorites to win the championship anew owing to the fact that they have the two-time MVP Ben Mbala and an equally impressive sophomore in Ricci Rivero leading the team plus a surging Aljun Melecio. And, the Archers handed the top-seeded Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles their only loss in the 14-game elimination round which subsequently denied the Eagles an outright slot in the Finals.

But came along Game 1. The Blue Eagles surprised everyone else when they limited La Salle’s scoring machine, Ben Mbala, to a career-worst 8 points on 3 for 7 shooting. And Ateneo came away with a 76-70 win to move a win away from the championship.

In Game 2, everyone was expecting La Salle to fight back right from the opening tip but, it was still Ateneo who went up by as high as 21 points. However, that was the last of it as the defense of the Green and White finally started to click in during the second quarter which allowed La Salle to come within 9 points at the half- en route to taking Game 2 on a 92-83 win over the Eagles which set-up a winner-take-all match on Sunday.

How did it happen?  Below are the numbers:

The Mbala Effect. Plus More

As mentioned above, Ben Mbala was hardly a factor during the series’ opener but in the second game, the two-time MVP made sure that his presence was felt on both sides of the court as he led La Salle with 20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 blocks. However, Mbala wasn’t alone either. Ricci Rivero, despite having 4 fouls before halftime, scored 18 points while the dynamic duo of Aljun Melecio and Andrei Caracut combined for 25 points. 

Third Quarter Defense

La Salle gave up 32 points in the first quarter alone when they allowed Ateneo to build that big lead. Defense enabled the Green Archers to cut down the lead to 9 points at the half and from there, it was all La Salle. Aldin Ayo’s boys played stingy defense in the 3rd quarter which limited Ateneo to only 8 points on a horrible 3 for 17 shooting. La Salle on the other had 26 points in that 3rd quarter- making 9 of their 14 attempts.

Ateneo’s Ice-Cold Shooting from 3

Ateneo has been known as a team who likes to shoot threes. In the first half of Game 2, the Blue Eagles went 6 for 12 from the three-point line- 3 from Anton Asistio in the first quarter alone, things went south the rest of the way for the Blue and White as they only converted one of their ELEVEN attempts from rainbow country during the entire second half. Overall, La Salle’s defense limited Ateneo to only 34% field goal shooting. 

Conclusion

Simply put it this way: Ateneo needs to learn how to hold onto that big lead if they are to win Game 3. For La Salle, on the other hand, they need to find a way to clamp down on D during the early goings of the game because they cannot rely on Ben Mbala to get them to the promised land. 

Game 3 is on Sunday. Who will win? This basketball pundit on wheels says it’s gonna be La Salle. Again. Why? Unless Tab Baldwin has something in mind to contain the MVP, Mbala will be unstoppable. As he was in Game 2. 

By the Numbers: How Ateneo Took Game 1

The Blue Eagles didn’t shoot well. But…

One team almost missed the Finals after getting pushed to a do-or-die game back in the Final 4. Fortunately, that team managed to hang on and got things done. On the other hand, the other team made the Finals after dealing with their Final 4 problem in just one game- despite the controversies surrounding the apparent “biased” officiating that their opponents were whining about a day after the game was played. 

As a result, we are treated to another Ateneo-La Salle Finals slugfest. And Game 1 of the best-of-3 championship series didn’t disappoint the 15,000 fans who watched at the Mall of Asia Arena yesterday as they were treated to a heated game- a typical scene for an Ateneo-La Salle game.

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Blood spilled. Elbows were thrown. Bodies were flying everywhere. In the end, the Blue Eagles were able to score just enough and defend late in the 4th quarter to take Game 1 via a 76-70 win over the Green Archers in a game wherein two-time MVP Ben Mbala was not a factor, at all. 

So how did the Blue Eagles pull off another victory against the mighty Archers? Below are the numbers:

Defense on Big Ben

Like it or not, defending Ben Mbala can be a big headache for any team. But in Game 1 of the Finals, not only did Ateneo defenders force Mbala to miss 4 of his SEVEN attempts which resulted to him only scoring 8 points throughout the game, the Blue Eagles defended Mbala so well that he was forced into making 3 turnovers. He also had 4 fouls although he did grab 12 rebounds for the Archers.

Second-Half Surge

Matt Nieto met Ben Mbala’s powerful elbow and sustained a cut in his head. Bloody cut, indeed.

After seeing his twin brother getting hurt, Mike got to retaliate in the second half by scoring all of his 11 points in the final 20 minutes of the game and that was one of the good reasons why Ateneo came out on top. Even though La Salle was threatening late in the game as they cut the lead to a single point, Mike Nieto made sure that the Blue Eagles held on as he also had help from Thirdy Ravena and Isaac Go who scored the three-point play to ice the game.

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Free Throws

Sure, the Blue and White only shot 36% from the field including 27% from the three-point line but they managed to fish 25 fouls from the La Salle defenders which enabled Ateneo to take 30 free throws, making 20. La Salle, on the other hand, went 11 of 19 from the free throw line.

Conclusion

This series is definitely far from over and if you’re Ateneo, expect La Salle, most especially Ben Mbala to come out more aggressive come Game 2 on Wednesday. La Salle hasn’t lost two straight games in 2 seasons. And we can be sure that Aldin Ayo doesn’t intend to break that run now. 

A Wheeler’s Opinion: The Adamson Protest: Will it Work?

Franz Pumaren and company file a protest against what they thought was a biased officiating 

Photo by PBA Media Bureau

Over the past weekend, the Final 4 of the UAAP Season 80 kicked off and was a mixture of fortunes. On one hand, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws took advantage of the horrible, ugly offensive performance by the top-seeded Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles who by the way, absorbed their second consecutive loss after winning 13 straight elimination games. That’s the reason why both teams will face again tomorrow to decide who will face the defending champions in the Finals.

Speaking of the defending champions, the De La Salle Green Archers are already Finals thanks to their quick job against the Adamson Falcons. However, that game was to be put in jeopardy as the Falcons formally submitted a formal protest yesterday against what the coaching staff called as the “worst officiating” that  Head Coach Franz  Pumaren had ever seen.  

How bad was it? Below are the disparities that Franz Pumaren had been ranting about:  

• Free throws awarded
• Adamson: 5
• La Salle: 39
• Fouls called against
• Adamson: 33
• La Salle: 12

Now, the UAAP has already taken action, suspending three referees who officiated the game. And with the protest already filed, officially,  the UAAP board will now review what went wrong and will see if there will be a need for a rematch. However, in an interview with CNN Philippines, UAAP Commissioner for Basketball, Rebo Saguisag, mentioned that the mistakes that were “made” during the game were not enough for the game to have a rematch. So, let’s just check out the possible scenarios below:

Adamson Wins Protest: Rematch Granted

Okay. This may sound simple and complex in many ways. Assuming that the UAAP board concluded that the officiating during that specific game was as bad as Pumaren was claiming and it will grant a rematch, then La Salle will have no choice but to play against the Falcons, again. However, La Salle, specifically Head Coach Aldin Ayo, shouldn’t mind a rematch. Why? They’ve beaten Adamson twice in the elimination rounds. They have the now two-time MVP Ben Mbala on board. And, they have the twice-to-beat advantage.

No Rematch. Protest Turned Down

Simple. No rematch. No further action will be taken. Everybody will move on and the Green Archers are still waiting in the Finals. 

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Conclusion

Let’s just hope and pray that whatever the UAAP board will do about Adamson’s protest, everyone will respect it regardless of who will benefit from the decision. For La Salle, with or without Adamson’s protest, they should be preparing for the Finals. For Adamson, on the other hand, it’s a wait-and-see game. 

Ben Mbala playing on a higher level towards Final Four

UAAP reigning MVP Ben Mbala of De La Salle University Green Archers is living up to the expectations from the green side by posting incredible numbers towards entering the Final Four on UAAP Season 80. Mbala posted a double-double performance by scoring 28 points and grabbing 19 rebounds to lead the Green Archers with a win over arch-rivals Ateneo Blue Eagles on their second round meeting at the Araneta Coliseum. Mbala also added 6 steals and 6 blocks on the defensive end.

The Archers won 79-76 over the Eagles. The win avoided Ateneo in sweeping the UAAP Season Elimination round. La Salle ended Ateneo’s 13-game winning streak. Mbala made sure that a Final Four will happen this season and no step ladder to Ateneo straight to the Finals.

The UAAP Season 80 Final Four is now set. The #2 seed DLSU Green Archers will face the #3 seed Adamson Falcons on Nov 18 Saturday at Araneta Coliseum. While the top seeded Ateneo Blue Eagles will face #4 FEU Tamaraws on Nov 19 Sunday at Araneta Coliseum.

Deja vu: Another thrilling game between La Salle and Ateneo but this time the Green Archers takes home the W

Ben Mbala scored a game high 28 points against Ateneo Blue Eagles in their 79-76 victory.

DEJA VU!

For Ateneo and De La Salle it was a little bit of deja vu. But this time in favor of the Green Archers. 

And it led to De La Salle University denying Ateneo de Manila University of sweeping the UAAP Season 80 elimination round. The Green Archers took home the W with the score of  79-76. 

Like their first meeting, the Ateneo vs DLSU matchup ended with a pair of clutch free throws but this time it was Ricci Rivero of the Green Archers who sealed the game. The Blue Eagles and the Green Archers started the game with so much physicality. The Green Archers were able to execute their mayhem defense but the Blue Eagles matched it with better offense. 

The Green Archers only led 37-35 at the half. However, at the start of the second half, the Blue Eagles turned the tables as they took a 9 point lead, 63-54, at the end of the third quarter by sticking to the good game plan by coach Baldwin. 

However, DLSU tightened their defense at the fourth quarter. Led by Ben Mbala, the Green Archers clawed their way back into the game. Despite the non whistle calls by the referees like the no travel call of Ateneo, La Salle kept their composure and they were able to make eight straight points before a nice spin move and a floater from Kib Montalbo with 40.3 seconds left which gave the Green Archers the lead. The DLSU crowd erupted as the ball fell at the bottom of the net. The Green Archers took a 77-76 advantage and forced Ateneo to take a time out. 

The mayhem defense by the Green Archers almost did not work against a play drawn by coach Tab Baldwin which set up Isaac Go for a wide open basket but Go blew the semi-hook and missed the shot as Mbala tried to contest the shot. Rivero was able to get the rebound and was then fouled. This led Ricci Rivero into the line.

Ricci Rivero finished the game with 21 points as he scored both free throws. Ateneo tried to tie the game but Asistio was blocked by Ricci. 

Ricci rushed to the bench as the buzzer sound and pounded his chest with joy as they handed Ateneo their only lost for the elimination round of UAAP season 80.

Ben Mbala led  all scorers with with 28 points, 19 rebounds, 6 steals and 6 blocks while Ricci Rivero also contributed 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks along with his 21 points.

Thirdy Ravena led Ateneo with 15 point while Isaac Go and Matt Nieto scored 13 and 12 points respectively.

Box Scores:

DLSU 79 – Mbala 28, Rivero R 21, Tratter 8, Santillan 7, Melecio 6, Montalbo 6, Go 3, Caracut 0, Rivero P 0, Baltazar 0, Paraiso 0

ATENEO 76 – Ravena 15, Go 13, Nieto Ma 12, Verano 9, Mendoza 7, Asistio 6, Tolentino 6, Ikeh 4, Porter 3, Nieto Mi 1, Mamuyac 0, Black 0

A Wheeler’s Opinion: Why Ateneo won’t Win in the Finals against La Salle?

That’s assuming Ateneo sweeps the elimination rounds. And La Salle goes to the Finals, Too

The Blue Eagles are aiming for a possible sweep of the elimination rounds heading into their last 2 games: one of them is against La Salle. 

Sure, Thirdy Ravena soared up for a posterizing dunk in the dying minutes of the Blue Eagles’ 102-83 victory against the still winless UST Growling Tigers. 

Sure, the Blue Eagles were able to keep their undefeated slate with 2 more games to play. 

Sure, they can relax a little bit against the UP Fighting Maroons whom they will face next on Wednesday but knowing Tab Baldwin, he wouldn’t do it. 

It’s not in his character especially being recognized as an international coach. And if you’re facing a team like the Maroons, you should play as if you’re playing against the Ben Mbala-led Green Archers of La Salle because in case you haven’t been watching the UAAP, UP has accumulated 5 wins this season: one of them is against the Green Archers themselves so UP is not the team that Ateneo should be laughing at especially if they want to go straight to the Finals.

Now, La Salle, despite not being the who is on a verge of sweeping their way into the Finals, remains as the favorites to repeat as champions. 

Why? For one, they have the reigning MVP, Ben Mbala who is averaging 26 points per game this season and nobody in the league can match-up against him. 

Another reason why La Salle is still a better team than Ateneo is Ricci Rivero. Rivero has been playing impressive basketball aside from his high-flying dunks. 

Sure, Anton Asistio can knock down three after three after three but when it comes to athleticism, that’s where Ricci Rivero comes into the picture. In fact, it was Rivero’s 19 points that led the way for La Salle against the Blue Eagles back in their first-round encounter which Ateneo won, 76-75.

If there’s one team who is capable of going to the Finals aside from the defending champions, it’s the Blue Eagles. 

Why? They surprised everyone last season when they reached the Finals when everyone thought they wouldn’t even reach the Final 4. They were also the only team to beat La Salle last season. And they gave La Salle everything they had during the Finals and despite La Salle winning the championships thanks to the heroics of eventual Finals MVP Jeron Teng, everyone knew from that moment, Ateneo will be back in the Finals. 

The question is: Can they finally get over the hump and beat La Salle?

The answer is no

Why no? Below are the reasons:

Big Ben is a Big Problem

Sure, Chibueze Ikeh has been playing his best season with the Blue Eagles but Ben Mbala won last season’s MVP for one reason: he caused the biggest problems for his opponents. 

Sure, you can throw two or even three defenders against Mbala but given the fact that La Salle is also loaded with perimeter shooters, it’s not a strategy any coach would employ regardless of Mbala’s performance.

Ateneo may have an emerging Ikeh plus an improving Isaac Go but defending Mbala is entirely a different thing. Big Ben may have scored 18 points against Ateneo back in the first round but we all know he can score more and we can expect to put up an MVP performance come the second-round encounter between both teams on November 12, 2017. And he will be haunting Ateneo should both teams meet again come the Finals. 

Ateneo’s Dangerous Tendency

If there’s one thing that could doom Ateneo’s chances of winning the championship for the first time since the Norman Black era, it’s their bad habit of letting their opponents stay within striking distance before finally stepping on the accelerator late in the game and breaking the game open. This was visible during yesterday’s game between Ateneo and UST where the Growling Tigers were actually within 5 points during the early goings of the Finals until Ateneo stepped on the gas and were never threatened the rest of the way. 

The good thing was: it was only UST. It could have been worse had Ateneo was playing against La Salle. And Ateneo can’t play this way most especially against La Salle because whether Ateneo likes it or no, they were lucky against La Salle back in the first round. They allowed the Green Archers to actually take the lead in the 4th quarter only to win it thanks to a sorry La Salle turnover plus a pair of charities from Mike Nieto. 

Conclusion

Regardless if Ateneo sweeps the elimination rounds or not, we can expect both Ateneo and La Salle to meet again, at least two more times after November 12. For the Blue Eagles, it’s simple: Shut down Mbala and clamp down on defense and you beat the champs. Let the Archers hang around and you can say goodbye to a thrice-to-beat advantage in the Finals. 

Ateneo Drops 9 Threes to Defeat Archrival De La Salle

The Ateneo Blue Eagle needed 9 triples to defeat archrival De La Salle Green Archers with the score of 76-75 in UAAP Season 80 Men’s Basketball at MOA Arena. The win secured the top seed for the Blue Eagles and sweeping the first round of the elimination with an undefeated record 7-0.

 Matt Nieto was named best player of the game, scoring 16 points in the win.

Combined 9 threes from Anton Asistio (4), Matt Nieto (3), and Jolo Mendoza (2), the Blue Eagles started the game with a 28-16 scoring in the 1st quarter mostly hitting from the three-point line while De La Salle Green Archers only shot 6/23 FG from the three-point line. 

UAAP Season 80: Here Comes Big Ben!

Coming off from a great stint in AfroBasket, DLSU’s main man is back and it seems he’s a lot better now. Playing with Adamson today, he posted a monstrous stat line with 32 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, 11/16FG, 2/4 3pt FG, helping them to win the game via 85 to 73 scoreline.

Green Archers are now tied with Ateneo Blue Eagles with a 3-0 standing. Their next game will be on Saturday.

Ben Mbala to Miss Highly Anticipated Game Against FEU to Play for FIBA Afrobasket

The defending UAAP Mens Basketball Champions De La Salle Green Archers will play against Far Eastern University Tamaraws without their Cameroon star player Ben Mbala on September 10 2017. Mbala is in Brazil for Cameroon’s training camp in preparation for FIBA Afrobasket.

The game between the Green Archers and Tamaraws will be highly anticipated game coming off a heated brawl of the two teams in Davao.

Mbala is the reigning UAAP MVP averaging 20 points and 16 rebounds per game last season.

FIBA Afrobasket will run from September 8 – 16. 

Mbala will also miss the game on September 16 against the National University Bulldogs. 

Watch Ricci Rivero 6’1 Athletic Guard’s Dunks and Highlights, Potential Gilas?

The young basketball player from La Salle, Ricci Rivero has quite made a following from the internet world. The player is a 6’1 guard that has been turning heads because of his athletic plays and of course slam dunks. Most people are saying that he is a potential PBA player and a strong national team candidate.

What do you think?

Watch Ricci Rivero’s highlights below.

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Dream match Ateneo vs La Salle Men’s Basketball Finals Preview on UAAP Season 79

College archrival De La Salle Green Archers and Ateneo Blue Eagles will add another history to their UAAP Men’s Basketball rivalry as they face once more on UAAP Men’s Basketball Season 79 Finals.

Heavily favored Green Archers to win the crown will depend on their Cameroonian big man Ben Mbala who led the Green Archers to an outstanding 13-1 standings at the end of the elimination round. Mbala tallied 20.6 points, 16.0 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks  this season. Season 79 will also be the last season for King Archer Jeron Teng, who wants to give La Salle a championship before leaving his UAAP career. Green Archers is known in deploying mayhem defense by pressuring opponent’s offense.

On the blue side, Ateneo is coming in to the Finals with more confidence and momentum since they are the only team to deal Green Archers their only loss of the year.

But Ateneo’s Head Coach Tab Baldwin know that with the title on the line, this will be more difficult to accomplish.

The Blue Eagles needs to rely on their backcourt offensively and their big men defensively.

With Ateneo’s Aaron Black back and healthy on their line up, Thirdy Ravena’s all around game and court general John Wong presence, Ateneo will surely give a great match up to La Salle’s backcourt.

Isaac Go and Chibueze Ikeh should play-up tight and straight up defense on La Salle’s Center Ben Mbala to control the game.  

Ateneo Blue Eagles won 3 out of 4 match-ups against La Salle Green Archers on their UAAP Finals history.

1988 – Ateneo defeated La Salle
2001 – La Salle defeated Ateneo
2002 – Ateneo defeated La Salle
2008 – Ateneo defeated La Salle  

The UAAP Finals Game 1 showdown will be held today at SM Mall of Asia Arena at 3:00 PM.

De La Salle Green Archers favored to sweep it all. Can they really do it?

Having one of the best line up ever in the league history, the DLSU Green Archers are favored by a lot of people to sweep it all up to the finals? Can they do it? Let’s check!

They already won twice this season. They won against FEU with a slim margin while they basically dismantled UP last Saturday at Araneta.

We already knew that they have a Jeron Teng in their line up but the biggest factor why people saying that they can do it because of Ben Mbala. Mbala for me was the best player right now in the league. He averages 21.5 points and 18.5 rebound per game.

Other than those 2 superstars, they also have their other holdovers like, Thomas Torres, Kib Montalbo, Abu Tratter, Prince Rivero, Jollo go, Julian Sargent and Joshua Caracut. They also have a bunch of rookies that was a High School Phenoms back in their days like Aljon Melencio, Ricci Rivero, Mark Dyke, Justin Baltazar and Brent Paraiso.

The line up is great but what scares me the most is that DLSU is now taking pride in their defense. Coach Aldin Ayo is very vocal in term of their defense and that defense is one of the best weapon so far of DLSU.

It is too early for other to predict what’s gonna happen but there will be a possiblity that DLSU can do it.

Prediction:
– Yes! DLSU will sweep it all.
– MVP awarf for Ben Mbala.

Ben Mbala dominates as the Green Archers dismantled the Fighting Maroons

It was all DLSU from start to finish as Ben Mbala dominates early. He scored 12 points in the 1st quarter alone and finished the game with 30 points.

UP tried to hang on as they drew closer 44 – 39 at the opening part of the 3rd quarter. But since that, DLSU’s defense begun to tighten up ans they hold UP to only 18 points while scoring 33 points in that quarter. It was all DLSU since then.

Ben Mbala led the Archers with 30 points while grabbing 14 rebounds, Tratter and Teng finished with 12 point a piece.

UP was Led by Paul Desiderio with 21 points and Jet Manuel with 12 markers.

Box Score:

DLSU 89 – Mbala 30, Tratter 12, Teng 12, Go 11, Montalbo 9, Torres 8, Caracut 3, Sargent 2, Rivero R 2, Baltazar 0, Melecio 0, Rivero P 0, Dyke 0, Paraiso 0

UP 71 – Desiderio 21, Manuel 13, Harris 8, Dario 8, Vito 5, Webb 4, Lim 4, Romero 2, Gomez de Liano 2, Jaboneta 2, Lao 2, Asilum 0, Prado 0, Longa 0, Moralde 0

Scoring by quarter: 31-19, 43-34, 76-52, 89-71

Photos credit to Francis Quinto.