(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. FEU Tamaraws 88-84 Notable Players: Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists): We can talk about his lack of a clutch gene all we want but we cannot deny the game-long brilliance of Thirdy Ravena. He was aggressive all game long, taking it to the rim without any hesitation. Good things happen to Ateneo when Thirdy is locked in. Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo (16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals): We can joke about him all we want, but when it mattered, Ikeh actually delivered. His aggressiveness in the inside during the overtime period immediately set the tone for the Blue Eagles, as they immediately pounced on FEU's lack of an inside presence.  Matt Nieto (16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists) and Isaac Go (13 points, 9 rebounds), Ateneo: CLUTCH. BIG SHOTS. These two showed the epitome of having a good heart AND a sound mind. Jasper Parker, FEU (19 points, 4 rebounds): Absolutely ballsy performanc...

(Photo Credit: Joaqui Flores, Tiebreaker Times) FEU Tamaraws def. Ateneo Blue Eagles 80-67  Notable Players:  Ron Dennison, FEU (17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals): After a shitty second round, the Ron Dennison of the first round came to play. He was terrific on both ends of the floor, hounding both Thirdy Ravena and Matt Nieto, while bailing out the Tamaraws on multiple occasions as well. Great stuff. Arvin Tolentino, FEU (13 points, 3 rebounds): Arvin was aggressive to start off the game, and that's when you knew FEU was going to have a good time versus Ateneo. He shot more inside than from the outside (JUST THREE ATTEMPTS FROM DOWNTOWN), driving with no hesitation and posting up when need be. Locked in Arvin Tolentino is SCARY. Close to unstoppable. Richard Escoto, FEU (5 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists): Give this dude an award. Seriously. His hard work on both ends is absolutely insane. He's undersized, but with his blend of smarts and hard work he...

(Photo Credit: Marie Dobuyan, Tiebreaker Times) UP Fighting Maroons def. FEU Tamaraws 59-56 Notable Players: Paul Desiderio, UP (15 points, 5 rebounds): Paul is reminding us that "shooters shoot". Keep shooting, Paul. Ibrahim Ouattara, UP (10 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks): Ouattara was huge for the Fighting Maroons, thoroughly outplaying Prince Orizu in this match-up of theirs.  Jasper Parker, FEU (13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists): If not for Desiderio's game winner, we'd be talking about Jasper Parker and how he's starting to get a hang of the UAAP game. Not bad, rook. Arvin Tolentino, FEU (12 points, 6 rebounds): When Arvin gets going, we out of here. Now if only Arvin could replicate that third quarter more consistently.... Quick Analysis: - Man what a defensive slug fest! Both teams played some terrific defense on each other, and the percentages weren't pretty at all (30 percent FG% for both). At the end of the day, all it took w...

(Photo Credit: Danica T. Bibera, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. FEU Tamaraws 70-59 Notable Players: Matt Nieto, Ateneo (14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals): Matt was a steady force for Ateneo all throughout, as he managed to keep his cool versus the physical Tamaraws. Considering he did make two clutch free throws versus La Salle, a little physicality shouldn't hurt right? Raffy Verano, Ateneo (14 points, 2 steals): Raffy is one physical guy, so seeing him thrive in such an environment should come as no surprise. He isn't a go-to guy, but he's an effective piece teams would want. Ron Dennison, FEU (12 points, 8 rebounds): Ron Dennison three-point pamatay sunogs forever. He's been the most steady player for FEU this season, and it showed in this game. Arvin Tolentino, FEU (11 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists): It wasn't the revenge game people expected from him, but it was solid nonetheless. Once he tightens up his handle even more, he'll be ...

(Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports) FEU Tamaraws def. UST Growling Tigers 96-70  Notable Players: Kenneth Tuffin, FEU (14 points, 3/4 3FG): Tuffin continued his hot streak by hitting three bombs from rainbow country to help out the Tamaraws. This kind of production is key for FEU, as it allows Coach Olsen to play Tuffin and Tolentino at the same time with Tuffin playing the SF position. Arvin Tolentino, FEU (13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals): Hey Arvin played some defense! Aside from that, he did a good job of bouncing back for the Tamaraws by producing a lot with the limited minutes he was given. Oliver De Guzman, UST (17 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists): With no Jordan Sta. Ana due to injury, Olive De Guzman took on playmaking duties and he did a respectable job. Jeepy Faundo, UST (17 points, 13 rebounds): With no Steve Akomo due to a flu, Jeepy took charge for the Growling Tigers. Quick Analysis: - This game was very timely for FEU. They needed a con...

(Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports) FEU Tamaraws def. UP Fighting Maroons 78-59 Notable Players Ron Dennison, FEU (16 points, 2/4 3FG, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, one shut down Paul Desiderio): Dennison was the man responsible in averting any UP run. Not only did he hit some big buckets down the stretch, but he played some terrific defense on Paul Desiderio, hounding him to a season low 9 points. Best two-way player in the league? No doubt. Richard Escoto, FEU (12 points, 5/9 FG,  +28): There's a reason why Escoto had the highest +/- number in the game; No one in UP could stop him because of how he dominated UP's forwards in the post. Dennison closed the deal, while Escoto was the one who stayed steady for FEU all throughout. Ibrahim Ouattara, UP (17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks): Ouattara was key in UP's UPrising *ba dum tss* during the third quarter, aggressively grabbing rebounds and attacking the rim versus FEU's small front line. He turned Bark...

(Photo Credit: Joaqui Flores, Tiebreaker Times) FEU Tamaraws def. NU Bulldogs 90-83 Notable Players: Arvin Tolentino, FEU (23 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal): Arvin continues to breakout, managing to score 23 points in just 21 minutes. He’s definitely looking healthy and it won't be a surprise if he produces the same amount of stats in future games. Axel Inigo, FEU (12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists): Inigo looked a little more aggressive his usual game of facilitating, taking 11 attempts in this game. He managed to produce well with the minutes he was given. Jasper Parker, FEU (9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists): Parker also had facilitating duties for the Tamaraws; though there is more emphasis on his all around play as he’s a good defender and sets the pace for the team. JayJay Alejandro, NU (23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals): Perhaps one of the only few bright spots for NU this game. JayJay made his all-around contribution for the Bulldogs...

(Photo Credit: Alvin S. Go, Tiebreaker Times) Final Score: FEU Tamaraws def. UST Tigers 78-65 Notable Players: Arvin Tolentino, FEU (15 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block) : This sort of “break out” game by Arvin Tolentino was long overdue. Everybody saw his potential in the previous games, but had limited minutes and sidelined because of a minor hyperextended knee. Arvin looked really healthy and 100% in this game, filled up the stat sheet with a double double, and is expected to make bigger contributions in the coming games. Ron Dennison, FEU (15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal): Ron Dennison was his usual self for this game. Bringing toughness on both sides of the court. If there’s one thin that can be seen in the stat sheet, that would be his hustle and all the intangibles he bring to the court. Jasper Parker, FEU (8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block): Jasper Parker had an all around game and filled up the stat sheet. Getti...

(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. FEU Tamaraws 94-82 Notable Players: Thirdy Ravena, ADMU (18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 turnovers): If he cuts down on those turnovers, the scarier he'll be. He's everything Ateneo hoped CJ Perez would be for them. An absolute monster on both ends of the floor, using his ridiculous physical tools to the brim. Anton Asistio, ADMU (16 points, 3/6 3FG): Anton opened up the floor for Ateneo to start the game, scoring off catch and shoot with ease. Credit to him as he was able to put himself in good spots, and never forced the issue even though he was hot. Matt Nieto, ADMU (11 points, 3 assists, 2 blocks): After struggling with his offense for most of his UAAP Seniors career, Matt found his stroke against FEU making three three-pointers. If he manages to continue to hit his outside shots consistently, teams have themselves a problem versus the Ateneo back court. Wendell Comboy, FEU (12 points, 4/7...

(Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports) Final Score: FEU Tamaraws def. UE Red Warriors 90-83 Notable Players: Prince Orizu, FEU (15 points, 16 rebounds, 2 blocks) : UE simply could not match Orizu’s presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. Orizu had his 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the 1 st 7 minutes of the game alone, right before UE adjusted by sending more double teams. His mere presence was enough, however, to stifle the Red Warriors come the end game. Ron Dennisom, FEU (16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block) : Dennison stuffed the stat-sheet by doing work on both ends of the floor. What really impressed was how efficiently he performed. To produce this kind of output (54% FG) in just 20 minutes while being bothered by foul trouble is something special. Arvin Tolentino, FEU (11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 6 minutes) : Tolentino was a great spark off the bench and scored all of his points in the 2 nd  quarter. (3/4 3pt FGs...

(Photo Credit: Joaqui Flores, Tiebreaker Times) Final Score: De La Salle Green Archers def. FEU Tamaraws 95-90 Notable Players: Aljun Melecio, DLSU (29 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals): Melecio was out of his mind to start the game, scoring 20 in the first half alone. He isn't the stabilizer Jeron is just yet, but he may just be the primary scoring option DLSU is looking for. Andrei Caracut, DLSU (16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists): Just overall, steady play from the former Rookie of the Year. Aljun was the out of control flamethrower who at times hurt La Salle, while Caracut blew out the fires when the going got bad. (It was a treat to watch Caracut get heavy minutes again. - Ed) Abu Tratter, DLSU (11 points, 10 rebounds): Abu made a good account of himself, putting up a double-double to try and make-up for Big Ben's absence. He had great activity on both ends of the floor, making life so much easier for DLSU's guards. Ron Dennison, FEU (21 points, 7 rebounds, ...

The beat of the drums start to fill the ears of basketball fans, while Philippine Basketball Twitter is at its peak from 2pm up to 8pm. Students from different schools debate on who the best team is in the league. Players start to jaw at each other in order to get an edge on the basketball court. Of course, there's the sound of the alumni, with their finger pointed towards the referee as they shout "HOY REF, FOUL?!?!?!"  It's been a while, UAAP. We missed you. It's that time of the year again. To jump start the coverage for this season, we'll be previewing the eight teams by discussing a question that's of utmost importance for each one. This can be something that matters in the long-term or in the short-term. As long as it's something that can be a topic of discussion, we'll talk about it on this space.  Aside from the previews for each team, there might also be other companion pieces discussing the rookies and whatnot.  For the thir...

Chris Newsome's slam leads this weekend's heart racing set of games. (credits to Fabilioh)       Remember how UAAP's tagline last year was "Unbreakable"?   Well, after the results of the past few games, I thought of a proposition to the UAAP Board.   What about we change the tagline of this year's UAAP Season from "Greatness Never Ends" to "Unpredictable"? Why that? Well that's pretty much what the UAAP has been this season!   Unpredictable.   Not only does it fittingly describe the season, but it also sounds way better than "Greatness Never Ends". Seriously.   Kidding aside, the season really has been unpredictable. I honestly expected it to be unpredictable in a sense that anyone could make the Final Four, but I didn't expect it to be THIS unpredictable. It has indeed come to a point where every team can make the Final Four, and it could even come to a point where we find out the COMPLETE Final Four cast...

FEU Tamaraws (4 - 0) def. DLSU Green Archers (2 - 2) 83 - 79 in OT Terrence Romeo had to go all Super Saiyan in order for FEU to get this win. Get it? (credits to ph.sports.yahoo.com)   Wow. Just, wow.   Even though I'm an Atenean, I was looking forward to this game. It was a showdown between of the top teams in the league. One came from a come back victory against their arch rivals, and they had some revelations during that game as well. The other team was riding on a 3 - 0 winning streak, and slowly cemented their place as contenders despite a poor preseason.   It was a clash of opposites. One team relied heavily on their guards when it came to scoring. They had a poor interior game because of their lack of quality big men, but the hot shooting of their guards more than made up for this loss of their. One team relied on the inside game, as they had an imposing front line and a swing man who's virtually unstoppable when you play him one on one.   Peo...

  FEU Tamaraws (2 - 0) def. Ateneo Blue Eagles  (0 - 2) 79 - 75 in OT Even Ryan Buenafe's monster performance couldn't propel the Blue Eagles to a win. (credits to spin.ph)   Phew. What a game, to say the least.   In a game that was filled with drama despite the absence of star play maker Kiefer Ravena and ever so controversial Jerie Pingoy, only one could end up as the winner, and that title had to go to the FEU Tamaraws.    Fans of the Morayta based team went home happy, filled with confidence because of their two game winning streak. The fans from the blue side, however, went home sad, confused and filled with uncertainty for their future because of their two game losing streak.   Are the fans supposed to feel this way? Let's analyze the game and find out.

  Well, that was quite an opening weekend.   The UAAP has officially started, and the results for opening weekend were rather interesting. I won't be able to give out an extensive report of each game (probably the only game I could fully analyze was the Ateneo game, obviously), so I'll just present to you guys the summary of the games based from news reports and what I can get from these reports as well.

    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'll be analyzing the much controversial FEU Tamaraws.

  The UAAP season is a week away, and the excitement surrounding the season rises each day that we come closer to June 29, the opening of Season 76.  I will start my coverage for the season by generating what I think are the most important question/s that surround each team as of this writing. For the next few days, I will be writing a preview for each team, and I will base the previews from the questions that I will generate. Before the previews though, I will post my preview and prediction for the upcoming MVP race. Let's get it started!