UAAP Season 76: NU Bulldogs Preview and Predictions

 

   The season starts in a couple of days, and teams are surely preparing hard for the grand chase to the Championship. The parity for the league this year is practically unheard of, with nearly every team being contenders not only for a Final Four spot, but also for the championship. 

     For my preview and predictions for each team, I will predict the team's standing (meaning the place that they will be in), and the different developments that I expect to see from the team as the season rolls on. I will also list down the key players for the team's run to the Final Four, and the players who we should watch out for developmental wise (rookies and bench players fall under this category).

  Now, we will be analyzing the team tagged as favorites, the NU Bulldogs.

NU Bulldogs

Season 75 Record: 9 - 5

Head Coach: Eric Altamirano 

Lingering Question: Can they finally get over the hump and win a title?

Preseason analysis:

  NU looked very much solid during the preseason, albeit the runner up finish. I can't really say it was a complete mirror image of their preseason last year, but they look more convincing and ready heading into the season. Last year, they lacked back ups, and seemed lost and very much inexperienced with all the pressure. For this year's preseason though, the players looked more composed especially during pressure situations, and Ray Parks now has more back ups who he can rely on to.

Predictions for Season 76: 

  NU will not disappoint this year, and they will definitely emerge as top contenders. Unlike last year, they are now fueled with experience not only from the beating that they got as the season went by (media wise), but also with the Final Four exposure that they got against a rabid UST crowd. 

Ray Parks is on a mission to go out on top.
(credits to mcristino.lens.ph)

  Ray Parks is a man on a mission. He wants to prove people that he is worthy of being called that father of the legendary Bobby Parks. He wants to prove to his dad that he can win a championship. He's dedicating this season for one man, and that's his father. He's sick of having to watch from the stands when it's championship time. He wants to be able to reach the Finals. And this season is his perfect opportunity to do so. 

  Expect the NU Bulldogs to be kind of like the Miami Heat. Parks will try his best to get his team mates involved within the offense, and expect his team mates to respond as well. Unlike Miami though, their front line is very much potent with guys like Jeth Troy Rosario, Emmanuel Mbe and Alfred Aroga manning the middle. They will also play a fast breaking style with their offense since their big men aren't exactly post threats, and find success in the open court. Gelo Alolino will also provide great contributions with play making, thus reducing the load from Parks. 

Key players:

   Of course, Ray Parks will be the center of their offense. Helping his cause are Alfred Aroga, Emmanuel Mbe and up and coming big man Jeth Troy Rosario. Gelo Alolino will be key in the play making of NU, plus expect ample support from Dennice Villamor and Glenn Khobuntin.

Players to watch out for this season: 

  I was supposed to feature Gelo Alolino for this part of my analysis, but I stated that only bench players and rookies fall under this category, so I decided to include just one person in this list. That person is none other than Jay Jay Alejandro.

Lost within all the Jerie Pingoy fiasco, Alejandro will surely
look to make an impact in the UAAP early.
(credits to sports.inquirer.net)

  Alejandro was appointed captain of the Energen U - 16 team during the FIBA Asia U - 16 Championships a year ago. Despite not being as highly heralded as Pingoy, he was still a player who was a threat to any time. He has dangerous range, and when you try to stick to him, he can penetrate using a variety of ways. These tools can definitely help him in the senior ranks. He won't be getting as much burn as you'd expect from a blue chip recruit, but he will definitely play big when needed to.

Place by the end of the season: 1st (Final Four and Twice to Beat Advantage)

  This time, they end up on top. For the regular season, at least. On paper, they have the deepest in all positions, even edging out the line ups of UE and La Salle. Despite this though, it will all come down to how they perform in the Finals. Yes, I am predicting that they will make the Finals. But how will they respond to the pressures of being in the Finals, especially if they face a team that has 5 straight years of championship experience? We'll see.

The second to the last post of this series will be about the UST Growling Tigers.