Quick Hits: Batang Gilas U16 after their loss against the DLSU Green Archers

(Photo Credit: SPIN.ph)

Last April 23, the Batang Gilas U16 team was pit up against the defending UAAP champions La Salle Green Archers. The National Team had plenty of reason to feel good about themselves entering this upcoming clash against La Salle, as they gave Lyceum and Ateneo a heck of a hard time in the respective games that they had the week previous.

But as Kai Sotto's dad, Ervin Sotto, told his son, this wasn't just any team they were about to go up against. This was arguably the best collegiate team in the country, who also happened to have on board the best foreign-student athlete in Philippine collegiate basketball history.

As a result, the Youth Team got trampled, losing against the Green Archers 124-73.

It was a demoralizing loss, that's for sure, but we were able to pick up some things from the loss of Batang Gilas. Here are some quick hits.

KAI SOTTO BLOCKED A BEN MBALA DUNK ATTEMPT

It really happened. I swear to God. Asking Big Ben about it, he just shrugged it off and gave Kai credit. That blocked dunk was on him, but he knows it wasn't the end of the world.

He has a point. But hey, might as well give Sotto credit right? Let's start things a little easy because the rest of the hits are going to get worse from here on out.

Rence Padrigao deserves some love

Against the Green Archers, Padrigao did not look like a Batang Gilas member. Instead, he looked like a seasoned guard who was about to enter college, giving guys like Aljun Melecio and Kib Montalbo a ton of trouble defensively. The La Salle press did not stifle him that much, and he was able to show off his range despite the chock-full of perimeter defense which La Salle sent to him. 

With Batang Gilas still without a clear identity of how they will play and who they are exactly as a team, Padrigao establishing himself as arguably this team's best player will only do them good. Kai Sotto is the most valuable and most popular, but Rence Padrigao deserves just as much love as the wunderkind.

Pressure is something Batang Gilas is having trouble with

Batang Gilas committed a ton of turnovers against the Mayhem press of the Green Archers. That isn't surprising by any means. Even collegiate teams have trouble breaking that press. What more a bunch of 16-year-olds?

The issue is how the players handled trying to break the press. There were two prevailing emotions every time La Salle pressured: panic (understandable), and loss of hope (yikes). After La Salle would come up with the steal, Batang Gilas did not even bother to run back to the other side of the floor any more. Any time somehow, they would manage to get an open look, the players would fumble the ball trying to pass it. They didn't look like a National Team out there. Getting exposed to that kind of pressure will only do this team good in the long run, but Coach Mike Oliver and staff have work to do if they wish for that exposure to truly be beneficial.

The big men need more touches

During the third quarter, Kai Sotto shouted while waving his arms up, clearly signaling his guards to get him the ball. This was weird to see, given how calm and collected Kai normally is. Sadly, the fact of the matter was that Sotto was not getting much touches.

This is something that needs to be fixed, fast. The guards are clearly trying to do too much for the team, opting to do things on their own rather than by working with their teammates. Coach Mike Oliver has preached time and time again that their offense is predicated upon their bigs getting touches down low. The big men don't necessarily have to dominate down low and isolate. Kai Sotto and company just need touches and opportunities to create for the team. 

Much work is needed in running the system

As mentioned, the system of Coach Mike will start with the big men. It isn't necessarily a matter of the bigs dominating touches. It's the guards using the bigs so that they'll get easier baskets and vice-versa. All that Coach Oliver wants is some team basketball.

Against La Salle, that wasn't the case. Batang Gilas veered away from the system, opting to go their own way. Sure, the guards could easily create their own shots which can be considered good shots. But the goal is to get GREAT shots. And the only way for that to happen is if every player in the team is involved. That just so happens to include the huge Batang Gilas front line.

Coach Mike said so himself: he thanks La Salle for giving it their 100 percent against their team. They needed it. Instead of having the players thinking that everything is fine, the loss served as a wake up loss for Batang Gilas. They won't survive international competition by going their own way. They have a system, and key for their success is to follow it by involving everybody in the team.