A lot of basketball fans equate good players through their offense and not their all around game. In his forgettable debut against the Adamson Falcons, Kiefer Ravena gave way to 7 foot rookie Greg Slaughter as the big difference in that game was a head above the rest as he willed his way for an Ateneo victory with co-rookie Kiefer shooting only the ball once and missing. The kid understands that his offense was not yet needed against Adamson since it was not Ateneo’s game plan for the guards to score but for the big boys to muscle their way in. Unfortunately because of that decision he was castigated and branded as all hype and no bite since almost all the other highly touted rookies debuted impressively. In his second game in the UAAP Kiefer Ravena showed what he can do when given the chance to score as he jump-started the Ateneo’s offense by scoring 14 first quarter points enroute to a 22 point first half explosion to help the Blue Eagles win over the Dela Salle Green Archers 81-72.
Ravena who came off the bench in his first game started this time around and scored six straight points in the opening minute to give the Blue Eagles a 6 – 0 lead and then torched the Green Archers with an array of shots that no rookie has ever done before. Its just like telling the league that this is what you are up to if he wants to score. Ravena ended up with a double double as he eventually scored 24 points added ten rebounds, five steals and two assists which shows his all around game and the great thing here is that he is only in his second college game. Ravena also showed how good his defense is as he tapped the ball off five year veteran Simon Atkins’ hands and scored on an unmolested lay up. At the end of the first half and the Blue Eagles ahead 41 - 30, the Green Archers never knew what hit them as they never found the formula that made them beat the Blue Eagles twice in the off-season.
If Kiefer Ravena owned the first half, the third quarter saw fourth year forward Nico Salva deliver the points and his defensive tenacity sparked the defensive intensity of the Blue Eagles . Salva continued where Ravena left off scoring on drives and jumpers. The Blue Eagles eventually got their biggest lead after Ravena stole the ball once again and fed off a sprinting Kirk Long to score on a fastbreak and take a 58 -39 lead with 2 minutes and 46 seconds left. At this point Coach Dindo Pumaren has had enough and sued for time. The Green Archers then regrouped and went back to their patented full court defense that produced two consecutive turnovers that sparked another De La Salle comeback. The Green Archers eventually closed out the quarter with a strong 10 – 4 run to cut the Blue Eagle lead to 13, 62 – 49 which gave the Green Archers more breathing room.
In the fourth quarter , comebacking guard LA Revilla singlehandedly willed the Green Archers comeback as he led the DLSU attack by scoring 12 fourth quarter points to cut the lead of the Blue Eagles to five 70 – 75 with 1:03 left.Revilla scored on lay ups, short jumpers and went 4 of 6 from the line as the Blue Eagles had a hard time stopping the comebacking point guard who led the Archers with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals but could not get enough support from the rest of the Green archers the way Kiefer had with the Blue Eagles.
Emman Monfort closed out the Green Archers as he sank six consecutive free throws to give the Blue Eagles their second win in as many games. In the Blue Eagles first game rookie Greg Slaughter shined and now its another rookie leading the way. The thing that excites me the most is that this is just the second game of the Blue Eagles and is clearly an idication of finer things to come for the Hail Mary team.
The scores:
Ateneo 81
Ravena 24, Salva 18, Monfort 10, Long 10, Slaughter 7, Golla 6, Tiongson 2, Gonzaga 2, Chua 2, Capacio 0, Sumalinog 0, Austria 0
De La Salle 72
Revilla 22, Tampus 10, Torres 9, de la Paz 9, Marata 9, Van Opstal 5, Villanueva 4, Mendoza 2, Atkins 2, Sara 0, Gotladera 0, Vosotros 0, Paredes 0, Webb 0
Quarter scoring: 23-16, 41-30, 62-49, 81-72
thanks to diana moraleda for the pictures
ENJOYING THE CABLE CAR RIDE
LET'S SWIM
PRETENDING TO BE A MANNEQUIN
Opening day jitters. Yes it still happens to veterans as the three time defending champion Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles were able to regain their composure in the fourth quarter just in time to squeak past the Adamson Falcons with an ugly 55 – 51 win. It was the 29th straight win of the Blue Eagles against the Falcons who last beat them in 1997. Rookie slotman Greg Slaughter was just what the doctor ordered for the Blue Eagles as the Smart Gilas center scored 23 points pulled down 8 rebounds, had 2 assists and 2 blocked shots as he literally stood head above the others.
The Blue Eagles opened the first quarter like a house on fire as Slaughter scored the first four points while forward Nico Salva and Emman Monfort joined the frey as the Blue Eagles got an early 8 Р2 lead in the first 6:50 of the quarter. Fifth year guard Kirk Long helped put the Blue Eagles up 16 - 5 as they had their way with the San Marcelino five but after a time out the Falcons regrouped, tightened their defense and unleashed a 7-0 run which was sparked by Jeric Ca̱ada to end the first quarter and have the Falcons within striking distance of the Blue Eagles as the quarter ended with the Falcons down 12 - 16.
Former Blue Eaglet Kiefer Ravena came off the bench to play but unfortunately, the leech like defense of the Falcons prevented him to shoot the ball as the Blue Eagles went exclusively to Slaughter with the big man responding with 8 second quarter points. As a result, the Falcons once again tightened their defense as the Blue Eagle’s second team suddenly couldn’t buy a basket. The second quarter ended witht the Blue Eagles still on top 33 – 27.
The start of the second half saw the Blue Eagles fire blanks and their shooting turned cold as their shots were not falling and their lay ups were rimming out. The Soaring Falcons eventually took advantage in this chink in the armor of the Blue Eagles as the Falcons opened the quarter with an 8 – 0 run to take the upperhand 34 – 33 with 6:50 left in the quarter. Alex Nuyles and Lester Alvarez waxed hot as they sank three three – pointers between them to put the Falcons ahead 44 -39. The Eagles eventually countered by going to Slaughter once more and their defense kept them in the game and kept Adamson from breaking away as the Falcons ended the quarter on top 44 -43.
The fourth quarter was like a chess match with both teams calculating each team’s move and both teams found it hard to puncture the hoop. The Falcons raced to a 51 – 44 lead with 6:58 left as the hot shooting of the Falcons gave them the lead and an upset was in the making. Unfortunately for the Falcons the Blue Eagles showed the stuff that they are made off by shutting down the Falcons the rest of the way. The Falcons were forced to two 24 second violations and their top playmaker Lester Alvarez who was expected to explode in the fourth quarter came up short in the face of the Ateneo defense and was even blocked by Slaughter in a crucial stretch of the game. Kirk Long and Emman Monfort closed out the game with Kirk scoring off a lay up and Monfort putting the game away with his free throws.
The Blue Eagles shot a woeful 17 of 44 from the field with a 38.6 % but they limited the Falcons to 26.2 % shooting. The Falcons were 6 of 22 from beyond the arc while the Eagles were only 1 of 10 from the three point area. Also, the Falcons were 11 of 11 from the Free throw line while the Blue Eagles missed 9 shots, 18 of 27. The Blue Eagles outrebounded the Falcons 42-34 while most of the statistics were somewhat all the same. It was an ugly win for the Ateneo but as they say we can take it.
The scores
Ateneo 55 – Slaughter 23, Long 10, Salva 8, Monfort 6, Erram 3,Gonzaga 3, Austria 2, Ravena 0, Tiongson 0, Sumalinog 0, Golla 0, Chua 0
Adamson 51 – Nuyles 11, Alvarez 8, Canada 6, Camson 6, Cabrera 6, Manyara 5, Lozada 3, Etrone 2, Brondial 2, Colina 2
Quarters: 16-12, 33-27 43-44, 55-51
Coach Norman Black was very excited when he was interviewed after winning his third UAAP Title and he said “We have a good recruiting class and if 2008 was good then this one will definitely be better!” He can see the excitement in his eyes but was a little reluctant to elaborate because it took time for top prospect Kiefer Ravena to finalize his college plans. Eventually the Phenom stayed home to the delight of the Blue and White.
As proven by their stellar play in the Flying V Filoil Tournament the Phenom Kiefer Ravena is not your average 17 year old rookie for he is years beyond his age in terms of basketball IQ. In his first game in the Filoil-Tourney his claws proved mightier than San Beda Red Lion’s paws as he scored 25 points to seal the deal. With him in the team, SHOWTIME will always be a part of the team’s play because everytime he holds the ball you are bound to see an amazing display of ball wizardry which will eventually translate into a great play.
Add to that a hulking 6-11 center who has played against the best international talents then you can forget who graduated and who did not make it to the team this year. Greg Slaughter gives the Blue Eagles another inside presence that can be the answer to the skyscrapers that entered the UAAP this year namely the 6-7 duo of DLSU and the 6-11 center of FEU. Greg’s international experience will usher well for the Blue Eagles and his shot blocking will be a big plus for the interior defense of the Blue Eagles.
Not only that, add to the mix former De La Salle Zobel Junior Archer hotshot Gwynne Capacio who also sat out last year to play for the National Youth team in Yemen. Capacio has recently been very fragile as various injuries kept him from a lot of training but will definitely be ready to play once called by Coach Norman.
If Ravena is the Michael Jordan of the Blue Eaglets last year then Von Pessumal can be his Scottie Pippen. Offensively sound when needed but defense flows in his blood as evidenced in his masterful shut down of Gwyne when they played for the 2009 UAAP Juniors Championship.
Last among the rookies is unknown to most but a gem in the making if handled well. In the 2007 NCAA Juniors Ryan Buenafe was the topscorer with 32 ppg and Nico Salva followed suit with a 29 ppg average and the third topscorer then was a JRU Light Bomber guard who averaged 28 ppg, he is non other than Bon Jovi Cipriano. He entered the Ateneo quitely at the same year that Salva and Buenafe’s rookie year but was sidelined with an ACL injury that more than hampered the way he scores. He was one of the more prolific shooters of the Ateneo Team B and finally we can see his true value.
Recruitment has always been a problem of the Blue Eagles in the dark ages but now it seems like we have been getting quality student athletes that will eventually help out in Ateneo’s quest to be the best team in the UAAP. Stay tuned!
The Blue Eagles will be led by three guards who will be playing their last year of eligibility namely Bacon Austria, Emman Monfort and Kirk Long. Ably supporting the trio are the big boys who are on their fourth year on the team namely bullstrong forward Nico Salva, sweet shooting center Justin Chua and former youth campaigner Frank Golla. Two exciting veterans who I believe will make major contributions is fourth year forward Tonino Gonzaga and the comebacking Oping Sumalinog. Improving third year guard Juami Tiongson will be in the thick of the fight as are second year centers JP Erram and Jeric Estrada.
The big story about the Blue Eagles are the new players they have acquired namely the best freshman in one of the best crop of big named High school graduates – Kiefer Ravena. The other big name who is joining the Phenom is RP SMART GILAS team center Greg Slaughter who has finished his residency requirements together with former Dela salle Zobel forward Gwynne Capacio. The last two roster spots were given to two other rookies who will hopefully make a name for themselves specially with Kiefer’s sparring partner in the juniors division Von Pessumal and former JRU gunner Bon Jovi Cipriano.
Eric Salamat and Jumbo Escueta were the only two players who finished their eligibility requirements from last year’s team. On the other hand, Last year’s Finals Hero Ryan Buenafe together with Art dela Cruz, Chris de Chavez and Carlo Balmaceda are not returning this season for various reasons. Ryan's abscence will certainly hurt but the Blue Eagles have other weapons that they can utilize to be able to come out on top.
The Ateneo de Manila is the host for Season 74 and the Blue Eagles open their campaign against the Adamson Falcons and a week after that the Blue Eagles will face their archrivals – the De La Salle Green Archers with whom they have not yet beaten this year. The season looks very promising for the Blue Eagles and we hope to be there once again in the games and eventually partake of the ANNUAL BONFIRE. See you in the games.
An old bible passage once said “that my son was dead and is now alive, he was lost and is now found..” That familiar adage proved to be true to the Jet Jason Terry who has risen from the dead to help out the german Assasin and NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki and the never say die Dallas Mavericks to a convincing 105 – 95 win over the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. The win not only gave them the all important fourth win but it avenged their 2006 finals meltdown against the same team.
The Mavs served notice when they dispatched the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in four games, even blowing them out int he fourth one. The Mavs showed the best player in the planet Kobe Bryant that its their time to shine. The potent offensive weapons of the Mavericks were no match to the rising stars of the West as they matched every offensive flurry of the NBA’s leading scorer Kevin Durant in which they came back from the dead twice on the road to win the West.TO make matters worse the Mavericks had the answer to the dreaded threesome from Florida as they shut down Lebron James, survived Dwayne Wade and tamed Chris Bosh. The Mavericks found ways to win and deserved every inch of the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Redemption might also be another subplot in this NBA Finals as another Jason, the Kidd who started his career in the same city will hopefully end it with a ring. Jason Kidd who twice fell short in the 2003 and 2004 finals has been the guidinglight of the Mavericks as he showed the way for his ward JJ Barea who was inserted to the starting line up in game 4 and everything went well for the Mavericks. Coach Rick Carlisle was also an assistant coach of the Indiana team that lost to the Lakers in 2000 and has transformed all that bad experiences into something worth rallying for. From a band of misfits, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic can now ride on the momentum of their win and have something taht a lot of NBA Superstars would trade anytihgn for - that elusive NBA ring.
The Mavericks opened strong and had their first double digit lead 40 – 28 on a three point shot by De Shawn Stevenson with 9:42 left in the second quarter. The Heat sued for time and unleashed another patented 14 -0 run capped by the second three pointer of Eddie House that had them lead by two 42 -40 with 6:25 remaining. Unfortunately for the Heat, the Mavericks offense was in full force as they sank 11 of 26 three point shots taht fueled the Dallas team to another 100 point scoring night. The story of the Dallas Maverick’s resiliency, determination and never say die attitude will be a topic that will long be told in for many years to come. Congratulations to Mark Cuban and the 2011 NBA Champs, the Dallas Mavericks.
Land of Bondage, Land of the Free
By Raul Manglapus
And yet gentlemen, the tao is constitutionally free. No wonder, then that the tao, being a slave, has acquired the habits of a slave. No wonder that after three centuries in chains, without freedom, without hope, he should lose the erect and fearless posture of the freeman, and become the bent, misshapen, indolent, vicious, pitiful thing that he is! Who dares accuse him, who dares rise up in judgment against this man, reduced to this sub-human level by three centuries of oppression. The tao does not come here tonight to be judged — but to judge! Hear then his accusation and his sentence:
I indict the Spanish encomendero for inventing taxes impossible to bear.
I indict the usurer for saddling me with debts impossible to pay.
I indict the irresponsible radical leaders who undermine, with insidious eloquence, the confidence of my kind in our government.
You accuse me of not supporting my family. Free me from bondage, and I shall prove you false.
You accuse me of ignorance. But I am ignorant because my master finds it profitable to keep me ignorant. Free me from bondage, and I shall prove you false.
You accuse me of indolence. But I am indolent not because I have no will, but because I have no hope. Why should I labor, if all the fruits of my labor go to pay an unpayable debt. Free me from bondage, and I shall prove you false.
Give me land. Land to own. Land unbeholden to any tyrant. Land that will be free. Give me land for I am starving. Give me land that my children may not die. Sell it to me, sell it to me at a fair price, as one freeman sells to another and not as a usurer sells to a slave. I am poor, but I will pay it! I will work, work until I fall from weariness for my privilege, for my inalienable right to be free!
BUT IF YOU WILL NOT GRANT ME THIS … If you will not grant me this last request, this ultimate demand, then build a wall around your home … build it high! … build it strong! Place a sentry on every parapet! … for I who have been silent these three hundred years will come in the night when you are feasting, with my cry and my bolo at your door. And may God have mercy on your soul!
Note: When I was a teen-ager at the Ateneo this was one of the most popular elocution pieces that we delivered during auditions. Until now i recite lines of this essay written by one of the most eloquent Atenistas I know, Senator Raul Manglapus.
