Which of these two taft-based teams will crash in to the U-Belt Final Four party? Ralph Samson | FCF
After the first seven games of the UAAP Season 76 hoop wars, we are seeing a tight race for three other spots in the circle of four.
We have a surprise leader in Far Eastern University, and witnessing a potential U-Belt Final Four showdown in the works. Perennial powers Ateneo de Manila and De La Salle are in unfamilar territory by finishing in the bottom four after seven games.
In this edition of The Midterm Grades, we take a look at the two neighboring squads from Taft Avenue, Adamson University and De La Salle University.
ADAMSON: (Bad) Luck of the draw
Diego de la Paz | FCF INFOGRAPHICS
Best in…
OFFENSE:
- Field goal percentage (42.5% – first)
- 2-point field goals made (50.0% – first)
- Blocks (4.6 per game – second)
- Points in the paint (33.7 per game – first)
DEFENSE:
- Perimeter points allowed (24.4 per game – second)
- Opponent free throw attempts (14.7 per game – third)
- Rebounds allowed (39.0 – first)
- Second chance points allowed (8.4 per game – first)
- Turnover points allowed (11.7 per game – second)
Worst in…
OFFENSE:
- Scoring (69.1 per game – sixth)
- Free throws (51.7% – eighth)
- Turnovers (17.6 per game – eighth)
- Fastbreak points (7.4 per game – seventh)
- Second chance points (9.1 per game – seventh)
DEFENSE:
- Opponent’s bench scoring (23.6 per game – seventh)
- Opponent’s turnovers (14.1 per game – eighth)
The turning point
Tough four-game stretch to end first round
What happened?
The Falcons’ flight this season has been topsy-turvy.
Entering this season, Adamson added size with the inclusion of foreign reinforcement Ingrid Sewa to lighten the burden for veteran forward Rodney Brondial. Guard Jericho Cruz has completely filled the void left by Alex Nuyles. Finally, Roider Cabrera decided that he would finally drain those open threes he loved so much.
But why the 3-4 card?
Simply put, they had to survive a tough late first round schedule for the hosts where they had to face Ateneo, NU, DLSU, and FEU in succession resulted in a 1-3 mark in those games, which included a controversial loss to the Green Archers.
However, against the current top four, they have managed to rack up wins over NU and UE, which bodes well for their campaign in their final seven games.
Second round outlook
As with Ateneo, health is a big issue, most especially Ingrid Sewa, who was ailing in their match against a flailing Blue Eagles where JP Erram made a living as they beat the Falcons for their first win of the tournament.
Should they find a way to stay healthy and get the breaks of the game, they stand to make their return to the Final Four after a one-year absence.
The Grade: B+
The troops of coach Leo Austria should play tougher against top opponents should they expect to win it all this season.
Related Story: UAAP Midterm Grades Part 1: Katipunan Blues
DE LA SALLE: Heartbreak kids
Diego de la Paz | FCF INFOGRAPHICS
Best in…
OFFENSE:
- Scoring (74.3 per game – second)
- Field goal percentage (39.6% – third)
- 3-point field goals (28.0% – third)
- Perimeter points (28.6 per game – third)
- Rebounds (46.4 per game – second)
- Steals (4.7 per game – third)
- Blocks (3.4 per game – third)
- Fastbreak points (9.6 per game – second)
- Points off Turnovers (16.0 per game – second)
- Points in the paint (33.4 per game – second)
DEFENSE:
- 3-point FGs allowed (26.7% – second)
- Rebounds allowed (41.1 per game – second)
- Second chance points allowed (8.7 per game – second)
Worst in…
OFFENSE:
- Free throws (61.0% – sixth)
- Bench scoring (22.0 per game – sixth)
- Turnovers (16.9 per game – seventh)
- Fouls (18.4 per game – seventh)
DEFENSE:
- Points allowed (74.0 per game – sixth)
- Total FG% allowed (40.8% – seventh)
- 2-point FGs allowed (46.0% – eighth)
- Fastbreak points allowed (12.3 – seventh)
- Turnover points allowed (14.1 per game – sixth)
- Points in the paint allowed (34.0 – seventh)
The turning point
Back-to-back come-from-behind losses against FEU and UE
What happened?
It’s not only their sister school, Benilde, that has been getting a case of the heartbreaks. The Green Archers should have easily garnered at least a 5-2 record by now.
It’s neither the coaches nor the abbreviated 13-man lineup that should be blamed for the current result, but the consistency of their performances that has been haunting the boys in Green and White
To wit, near-victories against two top four teams FEU and UE were a result of the undoing of double-digit leads.
Despite the sudden adjustment under coach Juno Sauler and suffering all of their losses against the teams above them in the standings, the Green Archers still have a clear shot at making it all the way to the title round with a potent lineup in a tight rotation of players.
Second round outlook
DLSU needs to win all of their games against the top four squads in order to see themselves head over shoulders against the competition. Should they falter yet again in the endgame in suceeding matches, the once-mighty Green Archers should say au revoir to their title chances.
The Grade: B
As FEU head coach Nash Racela kept on reiterating in post-game press conferences: “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.”
Maybe the boys in green and white should have this tattooed on their bodies to avoid yet another monumental collapse.
Coming up in part three, we’ll review the performances of the neighboring U-Belt squads National University and University of the East.
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Follow the author on Twitter: @fcf_diego
