The factors of consequence

Storming back with a vengeance after serving a one-year suspension, La Salle defied the odds and won the UAAP men’s basketball senior title last season. Now, the Green Archers are back in the finals, looking to make it two championships in a row, but this time, archrival Ateneo is in the way of a repeat.

On paper, the Blue Eagles are favored to beat La Salle in the best-of-three finals by virtue of their superior record (14-1 to 12-4) and two wins over the Archers in the eliminations. Coach Norman Black’s squad has been dominant throughout the campaign and is hungry to end the Loyola school’s six-year title drought.

But La Salle’s rich championship tradition is a factor. Archers coach Franz Pumaren has won six UAAP crowns and knows what it takes to win in the collegiate league. Black, on the other hand, has never won a UAAP title and while he has compiled 10 PBA championships (including a Grand Slam in 1986), the varsity jewel remains an elusive target.

Here are the 10 factors of consequence in the finals.

Offense. La Salle is ranked No. 2 in the league in average points (75.0) behind UST. Ateneo is No. 3 (73.4) but tops in field goal percentage (.424) and free throw percentage (.725). The Eagles’ starting five is the UAAP’s most explosive unit, scoring a combined 49.9 points. But when it comes to piling up points, the Archers are unbeatable, thanks to a solid bench. La Salle’s winning average is 11.8 points and the Archers have scored at least 80 points in five games. Advantage: La Salle.

Defense. Black has made it a distinct focus for Ateneo to concentrate on defense and the Eagles responded by limiting opponents to an average of only 61.5 points, No. 1 in the league. They’re also tops in field goal percentage allowed (.335) and three-point percentage allowed (.250). Nonoy Baclao (averaging 2.5 blocks) and Rabeh Al-Hussaini are the league’s most intimidating interior defenders while Eric Salamat is the overall leader in steals. Advantage: Ateneo.

Rebounding. With Al-Hussaini and Baclao controlling the boards, Ateneo has a major advantage. In the Eagles’ two wins over La Salle, they won the battle of the glass, 46-41 and 43-37. Ateneo is No. 4 and La Salle No. 6 in rebounding. Three Eagles are grabbing at least six boards a game – Al-Hussaini (9.1), Baclao (7.7) and Chris Tiu (6.0) while only La Salle’s Rico Maierhofer is over the hump (10.1). Advantage: Ateneo.

Experience. Nine players are back from La Salle ’s title squad last year. JV Casio, 22, has solid championship credentials and is used to finals pressure. Maierhofer, James Mangahas and Bader Malabes shine brightest when the going gets tough. Tiu, 23, is Ateneo’s heart and soul. Ryan Buenafe, a former juniors MVP, is a rookie but plays like a veteran. Advantage: La Salle.

Execution. This is all about poise. Ateneo’s precision is reflected in its high field goal percentage. Additionally, the Eagles are No. 1 in least turnovers, assists and fastbreak points. When it comes to getting the job done, Black counts on Ateneo guards Jai Reyes, Salamat and Tiu to execute. So far, so good. Advantage: Ateneo.

Depth. Ten players are logging at least 10 minutes a game for La Salle, compared to eight for Ateneo. Pumaren enjoys a slight edge in the rotation department with only Casio, Maierhofer and Mangahas averaging at least 20 minutes. In contrast, six Eagles are averaging at least 20 minutes, meaning Black’s nucleus is not as deep. Advantage: La Salle.

Resiliency. Making adjustments in the course of a game could spell the difference between winning and losing, especially in a tight contest. How players adjust to multiple roles is critical. The Archers appear to be a little more flexible in this respect with Maierhofer able to play three, four and five depending on the matchup situation. Casio’s versatility is another attribute. Ateneo’s system seems to be more structured and less adaptable. Advantage: La Salle.

Hunger. There isn’t a hungrier team in the league than Ateneo. Black is on his fourth year at the Eagles helm and wants the title badly, not for himself but for the school. In the UAAP, Ateneo has won three titles and La Salle, eight. Winning, of course, is a habit that’s hard to break but the Eagles are determined to dethrone the Archers. Advantage: Ateneo.

Teamwork. The coach on the floor is the glue that keeps the team together. That means whoever is in charge must be a true and tested leader. Tiu fits the bill for Ateneo. He’s the man who makes things happen, gets the ball moving and involves his teammates in the flow. For La Salle, Casio is Tiu’s counterpart. They’re both explosive scorers – their identical season high is 29 points. Tiu, however, averages less turnovers, 1.7 to Casio’s 2.6, and more rebounds, 6.0 to 4.1. Casio has a slight edge in assists, 3.8 to 3.7, and his scoring average is higher, 16.6 to 13.6. Advantage: Ateneo.

Coaching. This has to be a toss-up. Black was Pumaren’s mentor and has coached much longer. But Pumaren’s experience in the collegiate level is more extensive. Black is an expert in reading game situations and exploiting the mismatch while Pumaren is quick to adjust and has the benefit of a deeper rotation. Advantage: Even.

For both squads, the sense of urgency will be evident in Game 1 today because in a best-of-three series, drawing first blood means getting a foot in the door of claiming the championship. The team that takes the opener automatically gains a twice-to-beat advantage and in the UAAP finals, it could be the edge to settle the outcome.  – Joaquin Henson