10 Takeaways From the UP-Ateneo Season Opener
Photo source: UAAP Media Team
This much is clear, folks: There’s no proxy for the pomp and circumstance of the UAAP.
Hours after the iconic Eraserheads rocked the Big Dome in the Season 87 opening ceremonies, the UP Fighting Maroons went into overdrive with a decisive 77-61 win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles. To the delight of frenzied spectators, it was a glorious, bitterly fought affair: one booming basket after another, wild excursions for loose balls, and a flurry of mind games among players and coaches alike.
We expected nothing less from the Battle of Katipunan, and this opening salvo delivered all the goods. Here are our takeaways from the first UP-Ateneo clash of the season.
The UP crowd really, really doesn’t like Jared Bahay
Remember when news broke of Jared Bahay’s commitment to the Fighting Maroons? UP fans remember all too well, and they made sure that the Ateneo rookie wouldn’t forget their sentiments in his UAAP debut.
Case in point: When Bahay was first shown on the big screen inside the Araneta Coliseum, the UP faithful showered him with unrelenting boos. No other Blue Eagle drew that ire from the UP crowd—and, for that matter, no other player in an Ateneo jersey had as many Fighting Maroons switching onto him off ball screens. Credit the former Batang Gilas stalwart for finishing with 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in spite of the noise barrage that he endured in his UAAP debut.
It should be mentioned, of course, that Bahay’s one-time mentor was none too pleased with the jeering. In the post-game press conference, JD Cagulangan had this to say: “Sa fans na nag-boo kay Jared, sana itigil na natin ‘yun kasi ang sama talaga eh. Ang sama ng pasok niya sa UAAP, ganun kaagad.”
The 2-3 Zone Is Never Out of Style
Apparently, there’s an unwritten rule that the 2-3 zone has to be employed in every league played on Philippine soil. Such was the case in the opening game of UAAP Season 87, when one team looked over their shoulder and said, “Hey, that 2-3 thing still works.”
From their first defensive possession after tip-off, Ateneo used this zone defense almost exclusively. Fully cognizant of UP’s size advantage, the Blue Eagles packed the paint and forced UP to tiptoe on the perimeter. Then, with less than four minutes to go in the opening quarter, the Fighting Maroons went into a zone as well, daring Ateneo to shoot from the outside.
In the end, it was UP who found more ways to solve the 2-3 zone—and one of these solutions was a dude who could get from the three-point line to the hoop in two easy steps.
Francis Lopez Is A One-Man Zone Breaker
If you can get one guy to do things assigned to five people, why not? When coach Goldwin Monteverde brought in Francis Lopez midway through the first quarter, his objective was simple: break through Ateneo’s tough wall of defenders and create opportunities for his teammates.
While Lopez did draw multiple defenders and get shooters open, he opted to go to business for himself. It wasn’t a bad decision, as Lopez’s aggression earned him several trips to the free throw line. The UP crowd, of course, went bananas for his two rim-rattling dunks late in the fourth quarter—a resounding way to cap off a 14-point, 6-rebound performance.
“Like coach Goldwin is saying to us, if the game’s not over, don’t stop playing,” Lopez told reporters after the UP victory.
Josh Lazaro and Shawn Tuano Will Be Key Pieces of Ateneo’s Rotation
The Blue Eagles’ roster never runs out of promising young talents, and in this game, two Ateneo players stepped up to the plate after Chris Koon’s early exit due to injury.
On the one hand, there’s Josh Lazaro, who chipped in 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists with no turnovers. On the other hand, there’s Shawn Tuano, whose hard work on the defensive end helped to stifle UP’s rhythm at certain points of the game. The hustle of Lazaro and Tuano (who finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds) is a delight to watch, and their growth on and off the court will be critical to Ateneo’s performance this season.
Quentin-Millora Brown Is Living Up to the Hype
Out of nowhere, a 6-foot-10 seasoned big man from the US NCAA committed to the already stacked Fighting Maroons late in the offseason. The vast majority of UP fans knew precious little about Quentin Millora-Brown prior to the opening of Season 87, but after the first game, they got to know some nice tidbits about him.
The UP faithful can call him a handful of names—QMB or simply Q sounds good—but a pretty nice label would be rebounding machine. Before the first half came to a close, the former Vanderbilt stalwart already had 10 boards across his name. Millora-Brown, who finished with a whopping 17 rebounds to go along with 7 points and 2 blocks, allowed UP to get their running game going while also giving his teammates extra chances to score off misses.
Another Floor General Has to Step Up for Ateneo
With Chris Koon on the bench, Jared Bahay admirably rose to the challenge of powering the Blue Eagles’ offense. Sensing that Bahay was about to get hot, the UP coaching staff made a key adjustment in the second quarter: switch on the sweet-shooting rookie instead of employing drop coverage or going under the screen.
This ploy worked, as UP’s switching defense kept Bahay from getting too many wide-open looks. Bahay would then swing the ball to his teammates, but none of them were the ball handler, playmaker, or offensive threat that he was. Moving forward, Ateneo needs to empower another floor general in case opposing teams try to put the clamps on Bahay again. Co-captain Sean Quitevis and gifted scorer Ian Espinosa are more than capable of helping in this regard.
If the Blue Eagles’ facilitators can get things going, Ateneo’s offense can become even more dynamic.
For-Three-A Is Back…And He’s Still Valuable
Season 86 is the least memorable chapter of Terrence Fortea’s college stint, as he dealt with the injury bug that prevented him from making significant contributions to his team. But now, For-Three-A appears to have dusted that off after maximizing his minutes in the opening game of Season 87.
Fortea played just 13 minutes, but he made sure to remind the UAAP of his impeccable shooting form by knocking down two triples early in the second quarter. He was even tasked to face-guard Jared Bahay for a brief spell; though he ended up fouling Bahay in that sequence, it would appear that “hard-nosed defender” is a title that Fortea could considerably pursue.
This Ateneo Squad Can Be Very, Very Scrappy
The two teams that went to the Finals last season—La Salle and UP—remain the most stacked rosters in the entire league. While Ateneo is perhaps a step behind in terms of star power in their lineup, their performance in the first game points to a distinct style of play: hustle all day, every day.
With the aforementioned double-double of Lazaro leading the way, the Blue Eagles won a number of blue-collar battles in the stats sheet. They outrebounded the Fighting Maroons on the offensive glass (18-11, to be precise); they secured seven steals compared to UP’s two; and they capitalized on the Maroons’ miscues by scoring 16 points off turnovers. This hard work can lay the groundwork for a string of hard-fought Ateneo wins.
“We fought [and] we did as well as we could, given the mental mistakes that we made on defense and free throw shooting,” said coach Tab Baldwin after the game. Looking ahead to their next playdate, he added, “We’ve gotta get ready now, bounce back for UST.”
Both Teams Are Still Rusty—And The Free Throw Numbers Are Hard Evidence
This isn’t exactly breaking news, but there were multiple tell-tale signs of hardcourt rust throughout the game. Certain offensive sets weren’t flowing smoothly, blown defensive coverages were glaring, and a number of rotations were experimental in nature.
The most striking indicator of rust for Ateneo and UP was free throw percentage. Both teams shot dismally from the charity stripe—the Blue Eagles missed 21 of their 40 free throws while the Fighting Maroons bricked 10 of their 24 attempts. If you’re the skills coach of a UAAP team and your players put up either 47.5% or 54.5% from the foul line, you definitely have your work cut out for you.
On the flipside, the Katipunan neighbors are both top-tier programs, and it’s a safe bet that they’ll shake off the rust pretty soon.
JD Cagulangan Is Gunning for MVP (Maybe)
In life, there are times when you have to be a wee bit selfish to get things done. While UP folk hero JD Cagulangan doesn’t fit the traditional mold of buwakaw, he’s clearly made up his mind to take—and make—several shots to keep UP’s offense humming.
The result: a near-triple double outing that includes 17 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. While a player as humble as Cagulangan would probably never admit to aspiring for MVP, his desire to end his UAAP career with a bang will likely lead him to stuff the stat sheet repeatedly this season. Whether opposing teams like it or not, this is the best version of Cagulangan, whose individual greatness might just pave the way for the highest form of team glory on his way out.
