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Now that we’ve seen all eight teams in action, we’ve listed the biggest questions for the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.
The opening weekend of UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament is now in the books. There were close games on Saturday, and there were blowouts on Sunday, and several newcomers immediately made their mark.
Even with that small a sample size, some questions and reactions already entered my mind, so I decided to list them down. Remember, these are all observations based on what each team showed on opening day. Of course, adjustments will be made, but based solely on the initial eye test, here are my five burning questions.
Can UST win it all?
Perhaps what was most impressive about the Growling Tigers’ thorough dismantling of the defending champions Sunday was that they did it without lead guard Forthsky Padrigao. Next to that would be man-child Collins Akowe outscoring the entire UP starting five 29-23 while also outrebounding Francis Nnoruka and Gani Stevens 17-13. Plus, Kyle Paranada and Nic Cabañero are now veterans who have tasted the postseason and know what it takes to win at this level.
But just how far can they go, and should España expect a big celebration in December? UST was already a Final Four team last year, and now on paper they appear stronger since Akowe is bigger and quicker than Mo Tounkara. The men’s basketball tournament is as wide open as it’s ever been in the last 10 years, and with a few favorable breaks along the way, UST could have a chance to win it all for the first time in 19 years.
Is UP a lock for the Final Four?
I know, this one is probably an overreaction from the 20-point loss to UST, the largest opening-day defeat by a UP team since the UE Red Warriors plastered them 87-59 on opening day back in 2014 (thanks to the Sultan of Stats Pong Ducanes for that bit of information.)
But it’s a fair question given that the Fighting Maroons lost a lot of firepower with the graduation of JD Cagulangan and Quentin Millora-Brown and the abrupt departure of Francis Lopez. There are at least three teams — UST, FEU, and NU — that have taller FSAs than Francis Nnoruka, and the rest of UP’s frontline lost a lot of height with QMB leaving.
Let’s do the math. The Fighting Maroons have to be clearly better than at least four other teams to make it to the Final Four for a seventh straight season. After seeing all eight teams, there are probably five that will give UP problems at varying degrees: DLSU, Ateneo, UST, FEU, and NU. Heck, even Adamson might be problematic (we will see on Wednesday). The bottom line is, UP’s path to the Final Four this season isn’t as clear and straightforward as it has been for the past four seasons.
How far can Kymani Ladi carry Ateneo?
Saturday’s win by the Blue Eagles was special for three reasons. First, it was Tab Baldwin’s 100th as Ateneo coach. He reached the milestone faster than anyone in the UAAP Final Four era except for Norman Black and Franz Pumaren. Second, it was their first win over FEU since Season 85. And third, it showed that the Blue Eagles finally have that dominant breakout star they haven’t had since Thirdy Ravena.
Kymani Ladi finished with 26 points to go along with 9 rebounds. He played a team-high 31 minutes, although it must also be noted that the Blue Eagles narrowly escaped defeat against FEU and had to be bailed out by Jared Bahay in overtime.
The six-seven wing provided much-needed scoring and shot creation for the Blue Eagles, something they sorely lacked last season when they finished last in field goal percentage and second-to-the-last in points per game, 2-point field goal percentage, and 3-point field goal percentage. He’s no doubt a talented player, and along with fellow one-and-done Dom Escobar has elevated the Blue Eagles’ level of play.
The Blue Eagles are off to a good start, and there’s reason to be optimistic if you’re an Ateneo fan. But their bench still seems a little thin: Ladi, Escobar and Bahay accounted for 55 of Ateneo’s 86 points. Andrew Bongo and Shawn Tuano combined to shoot 2-of-19. And they got hammered on the boards, getting outrebounded 59-45 and allowing Mo Konateh to grab 23. Still, simply watching Ladi play is worth the price of admission.
Did La Salle just have a bad day?
If DLSU had lost to Adamson last Saturday, it would have been a historic opening weekend with both finalists last season losing their opening game. The Falcons came very close to pulling off the upset despite scoring only 58 points and shooting 32% from the field. It was a classic case of the worse team losing, and not necessarily the better team winning.
The Green Archers may have lost Kevin Quiambao, but the addition of Mason Amos, Kean Baclaan, and Jacob Cortez, combined with consensus no. 1 player Mike Phillips, was supposed to more than compensate for that. Instead, they struggled against a Falcons team that couldn’t shoot very well. Their frontline also couldn’t stop Cedric Manzano, who jab-stepped his way to 19 points and 9 rebounds.
In the end, “Mike Cortez” bailed them out. That’s Mike Phillips + Jacob Cortez, who collectively shot 13 of 24 while the rest of the team managed only a combined 9 of 38. The Archers also brought in legend Renren Ritualo as shooting coach, but it appears that his lessons need a little more time to sink in as DLSU shot a miserable 11 of 26 from the free throw line. Also, whenever Phillips is not on the floor the team doesn’t have adequate rim protection.
There were lots of positive signs, though. Rookie Lebron Daep did well in his UAAP debut, plus Phillips still has that boundless energy on both ends. Cortez has shown he can get off his shot in traffic. Baclaan (0 for 6) and Amos (2 of 8) were both off the mark but they’re not expected to shoot this way the whole season.
How dangerous is NU?
Season 87 was supposed to be NU’s best chance at a title run. The Bulldogs were battling hard for one of the top two seeds in Season 86 before back-to-back losses to UP and DLSU relegated them to a 10-4 record and a twice-to-beat disadvantage. They were primed to go a step further the following season, but then Baclaan left for La Salle and FSA Mo Diassana injured his knee in their Season 87 opener. They limped home with a 5-9 record and a seventh-place finish.
Now, in UAAP Season 88, the Bulldogs have served notice early that they’ll be in the Final Four mix with an impressive 15-point win over the UE Red Warriors. Even though they lost top Bullpups Akowe and Miguel Palanca to rival schools, the Bulldogs still have veterans Jake Figueroa and Steve Enriquez to lean on, along with balik-FSA Omar John. Paul Francisco appears to have taken a big leap as well, hitting 10 points after averaging less than 3 last season.
Of course, the Red Warriors are hardly an acid test of championship readiness, but the Bulldogs may just have a big-enough chip on their shoulders to upset the apple cart this season.
Banner images from UAAP Media Bureau