UAAP Season 77 Juniors Basketball Finals Preview: Freaky Friday (Ateneo Blue Eaglets vs. NU Bullpups)

The unstoppable force meets the immovable object once again.
Mike Nieto vs. Mark Dyke, ladies and gentlemen.
(Photo Credit: Mon Rubio, UAAP)

Season 76.

Last year, the Finals of the UAAP Juniors Basketball season also had Ateneo and NU as its main protagonists. Ateneo had standouts Thirdy Ravena, Jme Escaler and Aaron Black to lead the Katipunan based High School, while NU had (ironically) current Atenean Hubert Cani and JP Cauilan to lead the charge of the Bullpups. For that Finals series, NU possessed a thrice to beat advantage after sweeping the competition, while Ateneo had to go through the rigorous step ladder format in order to reach the Finals. To cut it short, Ateneo fell short in the end for both games. and ultimately. NU became champions. 

Shift to Season 77.

This year, the Finals of the UAAP Juniors Basketball season has Ateneo and NU as its main protagonists. Ateneo has standouts Mike Nieto, Matt Nieto and Jolo Mendoza to lead the Katipunan based High School, while NU has Mark Dyke, Jordan Sta. Ana, Philip Manalang and Justine Baltazar to lead the charge of the Bullpups. For this Finals series, Ateneo possesses a thrice to beat advantage after sweeping its competition, while NU recently had to go through the rigorous step ladder format in order to reach the Finals. To cut it short...... Well, that's for another article.

Same protagonists.

Same situation.

The only difference? The roles have suddenly been changed. Ateneo is now the one holding the thrice to beat advantage, while NU now holds the thrice to win disadvantage. Pretty freaky huh, how the roles have suddenly reversed after a year. Only question now is that..

Will the championship also change hands? 

Looking at the Keys of the Series for Each Team

Ateneo Blue Eaglets 

Ateneo's chances at a championship will increase if all around point guard Matt Nieto
is able to push the pace for the Eaglets. (Photo Credit: Rivals.ph)

Pushing the Pace

Ateneo DEMOLISHED the NU Bullpups in the last day of eliminations 76 - 49. Why, you ask? Them pushing the pace is definitely one of the reasons for this. Why push the pace when you can slow the game down instead? Well..

• Ateneo is an undersized team by any means. They're tallest player is Jossier Hassan who stands at around 6'5", while the rest are severely undersized (or for one player's case, over sized) for their position. Mike Nieto and Shaun Ildefonso (who both stand at around 6'1" or 6'2") play center, while Brix Ramos (who stands at around 6'2") plays point guard. At the same time this also helps when....
• Everyone in the team can run. Despite Big Mike and Lakay Jr.both playing the slot position, both of them can run pretty darned well. They're able to keep in pace when the team applies a full court press against the opposing team, and at the same time, when they're the ones being victimized by the press, they're able to bring the ball down. Same goes for the other players, as they are able to run fast breaks with such grace, which then usually results to a deuce for the Katipunan based squad. Lastly..
• This is how the team can stop Mark Dyke. If I were Coach Joe Silva, I would probably write three words on the drawing board right now. STOP. MARK. DYKE. He's the guy who gave Ateneans so much nightmares (Well other than Hubert Cani) in last year's Finals. He's the ultra strong slot man who's simply unstoppable when he gets going inside the paint. The (probable) only way to shut him down? By running the floor.

Getting Everyone in the Team to Contribute

Undoubtedly, the Season 77 iteration of the Ateneo Blue Eaglets is one of the deepest squads in recent memory. Production can be received from anyone in the roster; from the Nietos, Mendoza, Ildefonso, Mamuyac, Joson and even seldom used players like Termoso, Gatmaytan and Moreno. That's exactly what happened in the most recent game that Ateneo played. Sure Mike fired in 29 points, but the whole team was able to contribute; whether it be in scoring, setting good screens, throwing good outlet passes, and hustling for the ball in loose ball situations. If the whole team is clicking, the Eaglets are close to impossible to stop.

NU Bulldogs 

Jordan Sta. Ana's presence will have to be felt if NU wants a chance
at a sweep of the championships for the UAAP Season 77 Basketball Tournament.
(Photo Credit: UBL)

Making their three point shots

This NU Bulldogs team is undoubtedly a grit and grind type of team. One can even compare them to the Memphis Grizzlies, with their ability to make life a living hell for the opposing team by killing them slowly and methodically. Because of this, the offense of NU isn't exactly on par with that of teams like Ateneo and La Salle. Opposing squads end up clogging the lane, which then results to Mark Dyke having a difficult time getting up for his shots. This is where three point shooting becomes a factor for the Bullpups. When guys like Calma, Sta. Ana and Manalang make their shots from rainbow country, this stretches the floor for the Sampaloc based squad, which can eventually result to easier shots for their bigs (Dyke, Baltazar).

Shutting down the three point shooters of the Blue Eaglets

This is pretty much what killed the Bullpups in their last game against the Blue Eaglets. 

Ateneo made 10 three point baskets to only 2 for National U. Those three point makes proved to be momentum shifting shots for the Blue Eaglets, as they shut the door every time NU attempted to make a run. This was climaxed when MVP Mike Nieto made 3 STRAIGHT (!!) three point baskets in the fourth quarter, which pretty much proved to be the nail in the coffin for that game. Mike isn't the only guy who can burn a team from Caidic territory. There's also his twin brother Matt Nieto, Batang Gilas super scorer Jolo Mendoza, lanky Grade 11 student Gian Mamuyac, and the Ray Allen - esque senior, Marc Salandanan. It definitely won't be an easy task for the Bullpups, but with their length and defensive pedigree, they can surely have a shot in succeeding.

X Factors for Both Teams

Ateneo Blue Eaglets and NU Bulldogs: The (back up) bigs

Shaun Ildefonso will be key for Ateneo's attempt at redemption.
(Photo Credit: JC Lapuz, Fabilioh) 

No doubt about it, the Nietos, Mendoza and Dyke will be key contributors for both squads. However, if both teams really need guys who change the complexity of the game, they should look at their bigs. It's pretty evident that Mike Nieto and Mark Dyke will be going to war in an instant when they become matched up against each other. However, one has to consider that one, or maybe even both of them, can get fouled out. 

This is where the back up bigs come into play. NU has big man Justine Baltazar as their main back up. He provides length, some speed and experience, something that is key for the defensive game plan of NU. On the other side of the fence. Ateneo has big man Shaun Ildefonso as their main back up. He provides CRAZY STRENGTH (Have you seen this guy face to face? Jeez he is scary) down low, plus, he is a very smart player when it comes to scoring down low and when it comes to defending taller and for some, heftier players. Both can provide so much for their team, and it will ultimately be up to them if they will respond to that challenge or not. 

(Bold) Prediction for the Championship

I'll be honest, I really don't want to predict who will win this match up because, for one, this is the Finals, so whatever happened in the regular season pretty much doesn't matter anymore (Read: The San Antonio Spurs in the NBA, the Season 73 Ateneo Blue Eagles). Second, this is pretty much a battle of two contrasting styles, and it will be difficult to predict what pace their games will be. But, alright for the sake of making a (bold) prediction, I predict that the Ateneo Blue Eaglets will finish this series in two games. 

Why? Well, the firepower of the Eaglets may prove to be too much for the Bullpups to handle, and the lack of depth of the Bullpups (which may then result to tired bodies inside the paint) could be exposed by the well rested Blue Eaglets. Whatever happens though, I can assure one thing; nothing will come easy for these two teams no matter what happens. 

The first game of the UAAP Season 77 Juniors Basketball Finals will be on February 13, 2015, 2pm at the San Juan Arena. The game will also be telecast at ABS CBN Sports and Action.