It’s the clash between two teams who have shared some of the best basketball games for the past few years as the second-seeded Far Eastern University Tamaraws take on the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the semifinals of the UAAP basketball tournament.
It’s an intriguing match-up with some of the best and brightest stars in the collegiate ranks sharing the floor with reigning Most Valuable Player Kiefer Ravena leading the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles to take on the Mike Tolomia and Mac Belo-led Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
Will Smart Elite ambassadors Bo Perasol, Kiefer Ravena, and Von Pessumal end their collegiate careers with a championship? Or will Nash Racela and his six seniors win championship #20?
Why FEU will win
To simply put it, the Tamaraws have the most talented line-up on paper in collegiate basketball today. Their guard rotation is a murderer’s row that includes the likes of Mike Tolomia, Monbert Arong, Roger Pogoy, Achie Inigo, and AlFrancis Tamsi. Majority of those student-athletes are instant starters on other squads but are sharing the court with the Recto-based squad.
But it’s not finished there. Down low, they have an intimidating frontline that includes Smart Elite ambassador Mac Belo, Raymar Jose, Russel Escoto, and the backing of a 6’8 behemoth in Prince Orizu – easily the most intimidating frontline you’ll ever see.
Add that up to the brilliance of the Tamaraws’ coaching staff led by the national team-tested duo of Nash Racela and Josh Reys and this is a team that is built to go all the way.
The most critical thing for FEU right now is to get their shooters started to open up the floor for the likes of Belo and Escoto to operate.
If Tolomia, Arong, and Pogoy find their spots early, Ateneo is in deep deep trouble from the get-go.
Why Ateneo will win
Simply because games are won on the court, not on paper.
The Blue Eagles have shown great character after surviving a plethora of off-court issues starting from the uncertainty of coach Bo Perasol’s job, to John Apacible’s drunken outrage, to Chibueze Ikeh’s arrest. The Blue Eagles were eventually able to churn those negatives into positives as, according to their co-captains, it brought the team closer together.
After losing their second round opener against the FEU Tamaraws, they have won five of their past six games with their last loss being a good reminder for them that they need to be at their best heading into the semifinals.
It will also help them that they have the best player in the league in Kiefer Ravena, playing every game from now on as his last game if they lose. Expect Ravena to come out in pure desperation and that is a positive thing for the Blue Eagles.
Come to think of it, they have went through a lot, they’ve been tested. And here they are, still standing. They might be the underdogs on paper, but never ever count a team which has nothing to lose and has survived a whole lot of stuff heading into the match.
X-Factors
Raymar Jose for FEU
Jose’s presence has been sorely missed for the Tamaraws as they struggled heavily in their matches against NU and La Salle, particularly when it comes to energy.
He might not fill the statsheet like what Belo does but he’s a different animal altogether. He fires up his teammates with his hustle plays. He sacrifices his body to get that rebound.
In a team full of scorers, Jose’s style of play is what they need the most.
Adrian Wong for Ateneo
Steady guard play will be a critical thing for Ateneo granted that they won’t be winning the war on the interior anytime soon. A good game (or games) for Wong is the most critical factor for the Eagles just to unload some pressure off Ravena’s shoulders.
Moreover, another threat on the perimeter aside from Ravena and Von Pessumal is exactly what coach Bo Perasol needs and Wong has shown time and time again that he can deliver when needed.
If Wong becomes Ateneo’s consistent third-man then FEU might have a problem.
Prognosis
This is a match-up that’s really intriguing and anything can happen with these two teams playing. Smart money’s still on the Tamaraws taking the series in one game but if Ateneo wins the first game, I don’t see FEU storming back in game two.
