PREVIEW: Will UP Close Out La Salle in Game 2?
On Sunday night, the UP Fighting Maroons accomplished a lot of things. They also accomplished nothing.
Talk about versatility!
Kidding aside, the boys from Diliman once again find themselves on the brink of winning the UAAP men’s basketball crown. As explained by ALL-STAR senior editor (and burgeoning Kendrick Lamar fan) Naveen Ganglani, the Maroons did it by figuring out how to limit Kevin Quiambao, while also unlocking next-level performances from Quentin Millora-Brown and their veteran backcourt.
By virtue of their Game 1 win, the Fighting Maroons can lay claim to—wait for it—no hardware. Not a single medal, trophy, or banner. There are, to be precise, zero championship rings to be handed out for winning one Finals game. If any UP player loses sight of that fact, their coaching staff should play this clip. And this clip.
For good measure, the Fighting Maroons’ next film session should end with all eyes being glued to this:
The DLSU Green Archers are still in this thing. When it comes to tying up a Finals series, Topex Robinson, Mike Phillips, and their two-time UAAP MVP have been there, done that.
Can UP finally play an excellent Game 2 in the Goldwyn Monteverde era? Or will DLSU find a way to force Game 3 this weekend?
In my opinion, the Wednesday showdown at the Mall of Asia Arena will pretty much hinge on three points.
When will coach Gold put Jacob Bayla on KQ?
Last night, there was a platoon of defenders who got the Kevin Quiambao assignment. Most of them didn’t do so well, but one dude earned the moniker of magic bunot: Jacob Bayla. In his first UAAP Finals game, Bayla stayed body-to-body on Quiambao, fought through screens that usually led to pick-and-pop opportunities, and prevented open looks through his impeccable single coverage.
In Game 2, keep your eyes peeled on this 6-foot-6 rookie and, more importantly, when he’ll be assigned to defend KQ. One school of thought would have Bayla on Quiambao right from tip-off. That, however, would give the back-to-back MVP—an extremely intelligent player, I might add—a huge chunk of game time to figure out the Bayla problem on the floor. Another approach would be to go with other options (like, say, that guy who doesn’t like to be called LeBron) before turning to Bayla.
Which approach will Monteverde and defensive coordinator Tom Chua go with? I haven’t the faintest idea.
Who will step up on the Green Archers’ side?
Throughout this season, the DLSU Green Archers were at their deadliest when their exceptional pool of shot-makers were humming simultaneously. In Game 1, EJ Gollena was able to provide a spark on offense through well-timed cuts and effective finishes at the rim. Outside of Gollena, though, no other La Salle player provided consistent scoring to help KQ and Motor Mike.
For DLSU to extend this series, they’ll need to unlock solid performances from their key rotation players. Each of them has an ongoing story from Game 1:
- Josh David (2 points, 1-for-5 from the field) will try to shake free from his good buddy JD Cagulangan.
- JC Macalalag (0 points) needs to figure out how to score against UP’s tweaked defense off high screens.
- Raven Gonzales (0 points) has to prove that he’s worthy of minutes against the Maroons’ frontcourt.
- CJ Austria (a -10 when he was on the floor) will look to find more high-quality looks instead of looking, well, lost on offense.
Which team will find a home on the charity stripe?
There are two absolutely insane stats in the box score last night. When all was said and done, UP and DLSU scored 22 perimeter points apiece. As for points in the paint, the Maroons logged 34. And the Archers? 34.
What, then, was the difference in this game? Free throws. In the first half, DLSU took eight free throw attempts (including six from Quiambao) and made all of them. UP, meanwhile, went eight-for-11 before halftime. Then, in the second half, tenacious play from QMB and Francis Lopez resulted in even more foul line trips for the Maroons. The last 20 minutes of game time saw UP go nine-for-12 while La Salle made just one out of three attempts.
As such, expect Monteverde and Robinson to emphasize paint touches and aggressive drives as both teams gear up for Wednesday.
So, what can UAAP fans glean from Game 1? Simoun says: It means something. It also means nothing.
By the Numbers
33
The number of years that Mapua fans waited before their men’s basketball team finally reclaimed the NCAA championship. After a heartbreaking Game 3 loss last year, the Cardinals reached the mountaintop anew by defeating the College of Saint Benilde Blazers 94-82 in Game 2 of the NCAA Season 100 Finals. So, no need to worry about that schedule overlap, huh?
51
The collective scoring production of Marc Cuenco (19 points on 47.1% shooting), Lawrence Mangubat (17 points, four rebounds, three assists), and Chris Hubilla (15 points, eight rebounds) in Mapua’s title-clinching victory. It was fun to see the confidence of this trio on the hardcourt, but what I really want to say here is: Go pro, Clint. Do it now—the Cardinals’ nest is in good hands.
Tweet of the Week
Thea Gagate is a brave young woman. That much, I can tell.
