2011 UAAP: DLSU- Wasted Potential

While I am glad that the DLSU team is struggling, I also find myself thinking about how such a lineup should actually be doing much better than it is right now.  The team has tremendous depth at the center and power forward positions, which can feature any two from among Arnold Van Opstal, Norbert Torres, Papot Paredes, Yutien Andrada, Ponso Gotladera, and Jovet Mendoza.  With undersized Maoi Villanueva allowing them to go small and quick, this is a team that I would love to have at my disposal as a coach.  Add to that frontline depth the guard corps led by comebacking LA Revilla and promising sophomore Luigi Dela Paz, a suddenly adept outside shooter in Simon Atkins (presuming he can continue this year what he started last year), designated scorer Jarelan Tampus, and the so far disappointing Almond Vosotros, who should have the pressure eased on him as a third point guard which may improve his development.

Following DLSU's defensive formula, I would likely start with their conventional lineup featuring Van Opstal as the defensive anchor and Torres on offense.  Team them up with Joshua Webb, Dela Paz and Revilla.  If you want to increase the defensive tempo, you can switch in Atkins for either Dela Paz or Revilla and Papot Paredes for Torres.  This would give you twin shotblockers (Paredes and Van Opstal) to anchor an aggressive pressing backcourt.  You can further increase the pressure by putting in Villanueva or Andrada for Van Opstal to give the team a mobile power forward and have four players aggressively pressing backed up by Paredes as the defensive anchor.

For an offensive look, you can swap in Joseph Marata for Webb, which gives the team three outside threats together with Dela Paz and Revilla, which will give big men Van Opstal and Torres more room to operate inside.  For additional scoring punch, they can insert one of their designated scorers.  Mendoza can come in for one of the big guys, and Tampus can come in on the wings.  Gotladera provides an additional big body, while Vosotros gives them a third point guard behind Revilla and Atkins.

My take so far on DLSU is that it is a team that is underperforming, and the main reason for this is that they do not have a coaching staff that develops players.  During the time of Franz Pumaren, you could see the development/improvement of the guards and the wingmen (with the exception of future Hall of Fame Ateneo sixth man Bader Malabes).  And while their big men did not develop/improve much (i.e. Ferdinand, Mike Galinato), the small men more than made up for it.

Unfortunately for DLSU, Dindo seems to be a coach who works with developed players.  He doesn't improve them but rather plays them based on the skills they already have.  Take a look at Webb, Marata, Andrada, and even Vosotros.  They have not improved since they joined DLSU.  That is also what lies ahead for promising talents in Van Opstal, Torres, and Paredes.  And while Luigi Dela Paz seems to be improving, imagine how much more deadly he probably would be under the wings of Franz instead of Dindo.  As for the big men, there is not much hope.  How good can you be if your ceiling is your big man coach, who is none other than a marginal talent in Tonichi Yturri.

If you need further proof of this, take a look at the dark ages of arch rival Ateneo.  While recent years are full of developmental success stories:  Greg Slaughter, Rabah Al Husseini, Nonoy Baclao, Ford Arao, Doug Kramer, JC Intal, etc., there was a time when Ateneo had no Norman Black and had to rely on their own set of marginal talents in Sandy Arespacochaga and Mark Molina as coaches.

It seems that DLSU will not be a team to fear for as long as Dindo and Yturri remain their primary tacticians.  And that may be for quite a while since the Pumaren mafia will not allow for Dindo to be replaced any time soon.  Which I guess shouldn't bother me, since I am rooting against them anyway.  I just can't get over the waste of talent and potential.

2011 UAAP: Ateneo Clear Favorites

Three weekends into the 2011 UAAP season and it seems that anything other than an Ateneo championship would be a surprise.  With today's win over winless UE, Ateneo leads the pack with a 4-0 record.  Based on what I have seen so far, I would cluster the teams as follows:

Title Contenders:  Ateneo, Adamson
Final Four Contenders:  FEU, NU, UST
Pretenders:  UP, DLSU
UP of Season 74:  UE

This year's Ateneo team is potentially the most dominant.  They have three legitimate Mythical 5/MVP contenders in rookies Greg Slaughter and Kiefer Ravena, as well as 4th year man Nico Salva.  They are surrounded by solid role players in defensive stopper Kirk Long and veteran point guard Emman Monfort.  They also feature a deep bench with frontcourt reserves featuring part time starters in Justin Chua and Frank Golla, and comebacking forward Oping Sumalinog.  Their backcourt crew makes up in depth what they lack in individual talent with Juami Tiongson providing shooting and playmaking while Bacon Austria and Tonino Gonzaga can be counted on for scrappy defense if nothing else.  Last year's rookie JP Erram is out of the regular rotation but can be counted on as a spot player to give the bench a shotblocking presence.

The Adamson Falcons may have edged past FEU with the latter's loss of big men Riehl Cervantes and Pippo Noundou.  They have solid big men in Jan Colina and Eric Camson, who can score on anyone.  While they are both best at the power forward slot, finding a way to play them together will make the team that much more dangerous.  Completing the frontline rotation is defensive minded center Lionel Manyara, who gives the team a shot blocking dimension, albeit being limited offensively.  Their size is complemented by perhaps the best point guard tandem in the league this year in their version of twin Speedy Gonzaleses in Lester Alvarez and Jerick Canada.  On the wings they have a slasher in Alex Nuyles and long ball shooters in Roider Cabrera and Janus Lozada.  All three are long and athletic.

FEU may have dropped to third with their depleted frontline.  They still have a solid duo in RR Garcia and Aldrech Ramos, a potential trio if JR Cawaling wakes up and performs to his talent level, or even a foursome if Terrence Romeo continues to develop.  Beyond them, however, their lineup will be stretched.  Mark Bringas and Carl Cruz would have been excellent as the back-up big men, but one of them will have to start at power forward.  The other rotation players are also all quite limited.  Jens Knuttel makes up for his lack of talent with hustle and spunk, as does Christopher Exciminiano.  Rookie Christopher Tolomia might be the only source of offense beyond their top 4 players.

Rookie Bobby Ray Parks makes NU a team to watch for in the future, but they may actually have enough to take advantage of the weakened FEU roster to become the second challenger to Ateneo's 4-peat bid.  Parks and center Emmanuel Mbe might be the best one-two punch outside of Ateneo (choose any two from Slaughter, Ravena, and Salva), and while they may not have much more after last year's rookie Glenn Khobuntin and veteran point guard Joseph Terso, it may be enough to get them past FEU.

UST could be this year's darkhorse.  They have a solid core with the Jerics (Teng and Fortuna), supported by a frontline of Chris Camus and rookie Kevin Ferrer.  There isn't much beyond them though other than solid but nothing more than bench players in Melo Afuang, Paolo Pe, and rookie Karim Abdul.

I have to say that DLSU has been a disappointment, with the biggest bust being non other than coach Dindo Pumaren.  Since he has taken over, there has been no player development -  players have not improved since they joined the team.  Joshua Webb, Yutien Andrada, and Joseph Marata have been pretty much the same players that they were when they first came into the UAAP three years ago, which would be fine as rookies but below expectations as third year men.  While they have continued to be a good defensive pressing team, their offense has been very limited beyond the scoring of guards LA Revilla and Luigi Dela Paz.  Their big men have not developed any reliable offense, which is what you can expect if the best they can be is a modern version of their big man coach Tonichi Yturri, who wasn't much himself.  That would waste the potential of Arnold Van Opstal, Norbert Torres, and Papot Paredes among others.  Unless one of the big men steps up, and either Webb or Marata find their groove, there isn't much to be expected from DLSU this year, and perhaps next year also unless they replace Dindo as coach.

UP managed to break its 18 game winning streak by winning their first game, but they may not have many more wins in them.  While they have climbed out of the cellar, it is not by much, since they will likely end up as the second worst team in the league this year.  Mike Silungan is still a potential star, but any team that features Ateneo discard Mike Gamboa in a major role is in a lot of trouble.  They do have some bright spots for the future in newcomers Alinko Mbah and Jelo Montecastro.  They seem to be on their way out of the cellar this year, but its still not a lock.

As for UE, if they finish out of last place it will be an accomplishment.  Maybe they will go 0-14 also like UP.  In any case, there doesn't seem to be anything or any one worth writing about on this year's team.