Open season for pirates again

Traditional college basketball rivalry was revived when Ateneo and de LaSalle squared off for the league’s 79th season finale.  The men in green swept the blue boys in two games, with Finals MVP JeronTeng somewhat rushing to victory with 19 points in the first half.   Ateneo was a worthy opponent but they failed to solve the riddle called Ben Mbala, this season’s league MVP, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Ateneo-LaSalle rivalry is not limited to school leagues as they are also competitive in the corporate world, the performing arts and of course, the country’s favorite recreational pastime and scandal factory, politics.  As a result, any green versus blue game always pack the arena with students, alumni, entertainers, musicians, business people, high-ranking government officials and politicians who came from both schools.

Ateneo leads LaSalle in men’s basketball with a combined NCAA and UAAP 24 championships as to LaSalle’s 19 titles.  With their latest win over the Blue Eagles, the Green Archers now has 9 UAAP titles compared to Ateneo’s 8.

FEU holds the record as having the most number of UAAP titles, winning their 20th championship last season.  UST and UE each have 18, NU and UP have two each while Adamson had their one and only  title during the 1977-1978 season.

Teng ended his college playing eligibility on a good note with 2 championships, 2 Finals MVPs, a ROY award and 4 Mythical Team selections.  He most probably will turn pro and hopefully will not be following the footsteps of his elder brother Jeric who jumped into obscurity.

Together with Mbala,Teng and Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena, two Cebuanos were on the UAAP Mythical Team selection - FEU’s Raymar Jose and UP’s Paul Desiderio.  Jose, a power forward and the Tam’s team captain, played high school ball for Cebu Eastern Colleges while Desiderio, a combo guard, suited for the UV Baby Lancers.

Desiderio, a former Batang Gilas, along with UP teammate Jett Manuel are the only collegiate players named to the 21-man national men’s basketball team pool for the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) championships this coming March.  They join PBA vets Dondon Hontiveros, Ranidel de Ocampo, Sonny Thoss, Gabe Norwood, JC Intal and Terence Romeo plus Gilas cadet players Almond Vosotros, Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia, Roger Pogoy, Von Pesumal, Russell Escoto,Jio Jalalon, Kevin Ferrer, Matthew Wright, Ed Daquioag, Carl Bryan Cruz and Ponso Gotladera.

Other Cebuanos in the UAAP are Jose’s teammates at FEU namely Ron Dennison (UV), MonbertArong (USPF) and Kevin Ebona (CIT).  Products of SHS-Ateneo basketball program are UP’s Henry Asilum, Felix Jaboneta and Dominic Longa, Adamson’s Dawn Ochea, UST’s Zach Huang, NU’s Dave Yu and Joshua Sinclair.

 Likewise, the NCAA also have a sprinkling of Cebuano cagers in Arellano’s Julius Cadavis (SHS-Ateneo) and Brylle Meca (USPF), Mapua’s Darrell Menina (UC), Letran’s Jomari Sollano (USPF) and Lyceums’ EdcorMarata (UV).

With the end of Manila’s collegiate league, now starts the open season for the scouts to go hunting.  Top high school prospects from the provinces will be offered the moon and the stars for them to play in the UAAP and the NCAA.  As a result, talents are concentrated in the big city thereby depriving the provincial school leagues of quality players and interesting games.

The last time I went to CESAFI games was maybe five years ago when my daughter was still in high school and the UV – SHS-Ateneo rivalry peaked.  Their games were almost always followed by matches involving the senior teams of either SWU, UV or UC.   I miss those days at the coliseum.  The same cannot be said of the present.

As per reports and photos, the recent title series between UV and USC were wanting in spectators.  I don’t know the real reason behind the fan snob but league officials must do something about it to gain back the supporters’ attention and participation.

The league usually finishes in October and then the hunters swoop down on their targets and almost always, they get what they want.

 I mentioned this several columns back, so maybe to minimize player piracy is to have an extended league composed of the CESAFI’s top four with invited teams from neighboring provinces with the championships near the end of the school calendar.

CESAFI’s football and volleyball tournaments are doing well and had continuously gathered a good number of followers.  Probably people are getting fed up with basketball?  Or is it the way being handled?  Just asking.