Code Green, Yellow, and Blue

By Joel Orellana
Business Mirror
September 22, 2007

University of the East (UE) said it is ready for any eventuality that would come out of the stepladder Final-Four.

On the other side of the fence, De La Salle is keeping an eye on the sudden-death match on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum between Ateneo and defending champion University of Santo Tomas (UST), two teams fighting for survival in Season 70 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

The Red Warriors are safely through the best-of-three finals after sweeping the preliminaries, 14-0, beating the rest of the field by an average of 16.1 points.

While UE took care of things in perfection, the Blue Eagles and the Growling Tigers blundered all their chances to get a crack at No. 2 and the twice-to-beat advantage that goes with it.

The incentive went to the Green Archers, opening the possibility of a (Dindo) Pumaren versus (Franz) Pumaren finale.



Staying Red Hot

THE Red Warriors are in the finals for the first time since 1990 and coach Dindo Pumaren’s main concern right now is how to keep the squad motivated and healthy in time for the title series.

It seems Pumaren’s concern isn’t valid, as the players are playing intensely during practice as they await their finals opponent.

“In the last four or five days, very intense and training namin. Talagang nagkakasakitan sila,” said Pumaren. “But of course, we’re also checking at the boys’ health and right now, wala pa akong nakikitang problema.”

Even the team’s top players are leading their teammates in keeping their focus in the finals.

“Practice pa lang, focus na kami. Hindi na kami puwedeng magkamali,” said Mark Borboran, the team’s leading scorer at 10.7 points per game. “Mas nag-uusap-usap kami ngayon at nagtutulungan.”

Team captain Marcy Arellano also took notice of the team’s initiative to prepare extra hard and continue improving their individual skills.

“Right after our classes, pumupunta kami sa gym for extra shooting and extra workout. Ginagawa na namin ’yun kahit hindi sabihin ni coach,” said Arellano, the 2004 Rookie of the Year. “Lastly, proper diet para sa lahat then take complete rest and sleep.”

Pumaren is also conscious of his coaching staff’s intensity.

“Kapag nakita nila na ’yung coach nagre-relax, pati sila magre-relax. Wala kaming pinalulusot up to the smallest detail ng training,” Pumaren commented.

UE has three possible opponents in the finals in De La Salle, Ateneo and UST, and it might take at most two more weeks before the Red Warriors know which among them they will face

That’s why the game plan of the Red Warriors is coded in three colors, green, blue and yellow.

“UST has big wingmen and has Jervy Cruz as their main man kaya doon naka-focus ang preparation namin,” said Pumaren. “Sa Ateneo naman, parang PBA [Philippine Basketball Association] ang style, poposte kay [Ford] Arao. La Salle’s strength is its backcourt kaya we have drills for our small players.”

The last time the Red Warriors won a UAAP crown was in 1985, the year when Pumaren was about to play for the Green Archers under coach Joaqui Trillo.



Green, grasp of hope

WHEN De La Salle lost to Ateneo for the second time in the eliminations, reaching the UAAP finals appeared bleak as its archrivals were poised to grab the No. 2 spot and the incentive.

But Ateneo was foiled by also-ran National U, 96-88, that paved the way for a playoff between the Eagles and the Archers. De La Salle won, 70-69, to get the second seed and the twice-to-beat bonus.

“I think it’s really our destiny to get the No. 2 spot,” said Franz Pumaren, the winningest active head coach in college.

“I thought it’s no longer in our hands and suddenly, NU beat Ateneo,” added Pumaren, who narrated he was in a meeting when the Bulldogs upset the Eagles.

Pumaren and the Green Archers will face the winner of the Ateneo-UST match.

“You can’t really say which team we prefer facing because UST and Ateneo play differently and it’s a different ballgame in the [Final Four],” he said.

The Green Archers will enter the game with a little handicap as Brian Ilad was suspended for the rest of the season for punching UE’s Mark Pamfulme in their showdown on September 13.

“Brian is a big part of our rotation. Now he’s gone, we’re forced to play, for example OJ Cua, in the big man position,” said Pumaren.

The Green Archers won’t be playing until September 27 and the break will give Rico Maierhofer the time to heal the foot he sprained in the playoff against Ateneo.



No more blunder

ATENEO was supposed to be in La Salle’s position if only the Eagles beat the Bulldogs in the final game of the elimination. Same with Santo Tomas, which could have gained the No. 2 spot if it passed through the Tamaraws in its last assignment in the preliminaries.

But now, Ateneo and UST—the finalists last year—are in a must-win situation to keep their respective campaigns alive.

The Tigers avenged their 84-73 loss to FEU by routing the Tamaraws in the playoff, 80-69, to stay in the hunt for a back-to-back feat.

“Ayaw pa ng players magpahinga,” said UST head coach Pido Jarencio. “Sabi ko sa kanila, kung ayaw pa rin muna nilang magbakasyon, kailangang manalo muna ulit ng isa. One game at a time lang.”

UST is predicted to be a dangerous team, as Jervy Cruz is playing like the true MVP frontrunner that he is.

UST’s shooters Kazim Mirza, Dylan Ababou, Jun Cortez and Anthony Espiritu are starting to hit the mark lately, thus giving life to the defending champions’ repeat hopes.

Ateneo head coach Norman Black, a multititled coach in the pros but has yet to win elsewhere, acknowledged the contributions of UST’s Big J.

“We cannot allow Jervy to get so many offensive rebounds. And at the same time, we have to keep their shooters in check,” said Black. “It’s a must-win situation for both teams. It’s win or go home.”

Black added that the team is doing fine after losing the playoff to De La Salle earlier this week.

“We’re okay. We no longer dwell on the past. Our focus right now is the coming game because it’s our last chance to go back in the finals,” Black added.