(n)One for UST!

ZERO. TWO.

Damn. Reality check people!

I didn't expect this would happen. I expected something better, something champion-like.

But hey, this aint Kansas, Dorothy.

The fairytale story of our championship is no more. This season is a whole new show. A whole new story. And it seems that some players are still sauntering in pages of basketball lore.

Yes, Japs is making his charity trip worthwhile, and somehow made a trifecta in the second game. But Japs is still inconsistent with his outside shot. Teams can still live with him throwing bricks and prayers and actually making one go in once in a game.

Yeah, some players beefed up. (probably had some extra rice due to the championship! 4phl07 private language. hahaha) But Espiritu still has to make two threes in a row (i believe he's 0/4 in the first game). Canlas, who i told Kali will be the scorer of the team, though leaner now, still has to make a significant contribution on scoring.

Yeah, we're just unlucky coz we can't hit threes anymore. Oh come on! You can still score two points in basketball. Do a ball fake from the rainbow, drive, pull up and score two. And if somehow the lane is open, go stong and get fouled. It's easier to score from the free throw than score threes. Yeah, mas astig ang tres! But basketball isn't about flash, it's about efficiency (see Spurs-Cavs game).

Well, UST happens to be adjusting to Jojo Duncil's exodus to the pros. It takes 5, boy. Jojo might have been THE player for UST, but he's not THE team (nice diaz!). People need to learn to step up. Like what they did last year. In one game Jojo scores 20, the next game Espiritu drops 20, and following game Ababou  shot the lights out with another 20. This year? I guess Pido has to step up (hahaha.).

In my humble opinion as a basketball enthusiast, UST need to do a few things:

[1] Defense for Defense. "Defense wins championship," I remember reading from Bill Russell's blog. And defense is what we need in our journey for our championship's defense. The lack of defense makes it easier for opponents to score, and our lack of scorers makes it hard for us to fight a scoring battle. Defense is the way to go.

[2] Press Break. People have noticed this. UST has a hard time to break the press. The weaker (in comaprison to the DLSU version) Pumaren press killed us in the first game. And the Tams press humiliated us for more than a half. We've got to learn how to help the point guard cross the midway line. We have guys like Espiritu and Ababou who can act as another guard in case the point guard gets trapped. People need to communicate and people need to help if UST has plans to break the press.

[3] In and Out Game.This is the basketball philosophy of the ex-Rockets coach Van gundy. To establish the inside game first, to make the life of the shooters easier. We have the inside presence, c/o Cruz. to this kind of game. We have to make other teams commit double team against Jervy. Then we have to learn to swing  the ball, or to move without the ball better.Shooters better make open shots, or bettter learn to drive the ball and get that foul. 

Di dapat yung mga players nanonood lang, nakatanga, at naghihintay ng bola na dumating sa kamay nya. You have to want it, you have to get it!

[4] PUSO! This is what made us win last year. This is what we lack now. There might have been glimpses of this against FEU, but we can't fool ourselves. Di na ito ang dating UST team na may puso.

But no matter what happens.

Black Gold, Black White! GO FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

 

PS: WTF! What's up with Mirza, Pido?!

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Matagal ko nang pangarap makita ang pangalang PILIPINAS sa loob ng basketball court ng Olympics. Yung oras na makita ko ito sa telebisyon ay siguradong iiyak ako sa galak, iiyak ako dahil maipagmamalaki ko na ako ay Pilipino.

Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit madaming ayaw magtagumpay ang Team Pilipinas sa FIBA-Asia Tournanment. Pinapagana na ba nila ang pagiging alimasag nila? O baka inggit na naman sila kasi di sila sisikat pag nanalo ang bansa natin?

Malaki ang tiwala ko sa Team Plipinas. Malaki ang tiwala kong kaya nila maging numero uno sa atin kontinente. Kaya nila ito, kahit pa sabihin ng iba na ang larong ito ay para sa matatangkad lamang (marahil di na tumangkad at nasupalpalan sila noong bata pa lang sila).

Eto pangako ko sa sarili ko, pagnakapasok ang Pilipas sa Olympics sa 2008, magiipon ako para makapanood kahit isa lang laro nila.

*edit: shit. dyslexic*