(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. De La Salle Green Archers 88-86 Notable Players Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals): Thirdy Ravena, best local in the UAAP. HANDS. DOWN. Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo (12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks): The points are a huge bonus, but what truly mattered was the A+ defense on Ben Mbala, and the constant activity which he showed on both ends of the floor. An absolute masterpiece by Ikeh. GG2EZ4CHIBUEZE. Ben Mbala, La Salle (19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks): It wasn't easy for Ben, but we can't deny this: Even in his worst games, Ben Mbala is still the best player in college basketball BAR NONE. Quick Analysis: - That my friends, is how do or die basketball games should be play. There were jitters, but both teams played TERRIFIC basketball on both ends, and put their bodies on the line all for the sake of a championship. Last year, it felt like Ateneo was lucky to be t...

(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, SLAM Philippines) De La Salle Green Archers def. Ateneo Blue Eagles 92-83 Notable Players: Kib Montalbo (9 points, 5 assists and 3 steals) and Andrei Caracut (13 points, 3 rebounds), DLSU: These two were arguably the main reasons for La Salle's resurgence during the second half. Kib played some terrific defense, while Andrei was his usual steady self on offense. Most importantly, as cliche as it may be, they kept on fighting and didn't give up. Ben Mbala (20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 blocks) and Ricci Rivero (18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists), DLSU: They were on the verge of breaking down, but their captains (Kib and Prince) got them back on track to wreck havoc on Ateneo. Ben broke out of his slump and regained confidence, while Ricci ignored foul trouble to produce for La Salle. Thirdy Ravena (20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists) and Aaron Black (15 points, 6/8 FG), Ateneo: The former Blue Eaglets tried their best to ...

(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, The GUIDON) Game 1 is now history. All “What-if” questions and shoulda coulda woulda are now moot, as the Ateneo Blue Eagles pulled off a 76-70 win in a highly physical game against the De La Salle Green Archers to take a 1-0 lead. The game has been broken down in  Quick Fire , so let us briefly answer the questions laid out for the two teams prior to the finals , as well as ask some new questions heading into game 2. ATENEO BLUE EAGLES The big men did not exactly stay away from foul trouble, but they definitely have their fingerprints all over the game. Chibueze Ikeh fouled out in the fourth quarter with 4 points, 5 rebounds and a +/- of -3, but did an AMAZING job of being Ben Mbala's primary defender, holding the soon to be crowned Back-to back MVP to 8 points, with only a 3/7 FG%. ICE-aac Go (Thank you Pancho Badiola for the nickname idea) scored 5 points all game long, a stark contrast of what he did against FEU but hit the biggest shot...

(Photo Credit: Christopher Cancio, The GUIDON)  Ateneo Blue Eagles def. De La Salle Green Archers 76-70 Notable Players: Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists): What a way for Thirdy to start off his second Finals campaign. His stats may not pop-out, but this was one of Thirdy's best games yet. Controlled, smart play from the best local in the league. Mike (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Matt (11 points, 3 assists) Nieto, Ateneo: Matt was his usual steady self despite nursing a nasty cut in the left eyebrow, while Mike played some tough, smart basketball despite his lack of height to push Ateneo during the fourth quarter. These twins are special. Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo (4 points, 9 rebounds): Offensively, Ikeh was terrible. He showed us how NOT to run a hi-low play (seriously, a pass to Raffy Verano from the top with two defenders on Raffy) and missed a ton of gimmes. But defensively? He was INCREDIBLE. The very fact that he held his ground versus Mbal...

(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: John Oranga, Fabilioh) When Thirdy Ravena put Regie Boy Basibas on a poster (yes, it was a poster, he was part of the shot, carry on) yesterday, the internet immediately exploded. The dunk was life-changing. Maybe even more life-changing than the fast-break alley-oop dunk which Ben Mbala did last year versus Ateneo. But that's for another conversation. The first thing that came into people's minds regarding Thirdy's dunk was how athletic and explosive Thirdy is. The raw power he showed to get to shove that ball into the rim as if it was a piece of garbage he's been meaning to throw for quite some time now was an utter beauty to watch. Others even went as far as to compare it to dunks by LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. However, there were other notable things from that very sequence. And it is those very things which make the Ateneo Blue Eagles such a great basketball team. Before the dunk by Thirdy, the Blue Eagles ran some nifty mo...

(Photo Credit: Christopher Cancio, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. UST Growling Tigers 102-83 Notable Players Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (20 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, ONE MONSTER DUNK): I can't wait for the day Thirdy develops a jump shot. I'm running for dear life once he develops a jump shot. Or maybe he just dunks from the three-point line and it counts as three points. Matt Nieto, Ateneo (19 points, 5/7 3FG, 3 assists): Matt was noted for taking seven of his eight shots from rainbow country, but it was a result of the offense rather than him forcing it. Great decision making and steady play from Matt overall. Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo (5 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists): We can still joke about Ikeh all we want, but we should take him seriously as well. He's been so handy for Coach Tab. More than his size, his sheer composure and ability to pass has been huge for Ateneo. Oliver De Guzman, UST (19 points, 5 rebounds): De Guzman continues to ...

(Photo Credit: Janine Torre, The GUIDON) ADMU Blue Eagles def. UE Red Warriors 97-73 Notable Players: Thirdy Ravena, ADMU (17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block): Thirdy had an all around masterful game. He had it going on offense while also locking down UE’s top scoring threat Alvin Pasaol. Jolo Mendoza, ADMU (13 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 11 MINUTES): Jolo had real quality minutes for the game. He didn’t miss a shot   in 4 attempts, 3 of those from 3pts. Anton Asistio, ADMU (9 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists): Anton had it going for the first half of the game and had good facilitating through the game Mark Maloles, UE (20 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal):   Mark Maloles was efficient tonight and had his best outing for this season. Mark Olayon, UE (15 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals): Olayon continued his all-around contribution for UE as he steps up on both offense and defense Alvin Pasaol, UE (8 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 s...

(Photo Credit: Zach B. Garcia, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. NU Bulldogs 85-72 Notable Players: Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks): Best. Local. Player. In. The. UAAP. When it mattered, Thirdy turned it up and he did not look back. He still has work to do though (we'll talk about that more below). Gian Mamuyac, Ateneo (8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, a lot of great defense): I'll let this   feature do the talking.  JJay Alejandro, NU (22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists): He was hot in the first half, but he lost steam come the latter parts of the game. You can't fault the guy, he tried and he received barely any help from his teammates. Quick Analysis: - Credit to NU for taking away Ateneo's dribble hand-off action which game the Blue Eagles difficulty in finding open looks during the first half. At the same time, JJay Alejandro's aggressive play offensively was key in NU giving Ateneo trouble. - Other tha...

(Photo Credit: Zach Garcia, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. Adamson Soaring Falcons 71-59 Notable Players: Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists): We can argue about his clutch gene all day long, but there's no doubt about it: Thirdy Ravena is the second best player in the league. Bar none. Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo (7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block): Ikeh was respectable in his match-up versus Sarr, putting up solid number across the board. He still has moments where you're left scratching your head, but you can't deny his improvement.  Papi Sarr, Adamson (15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 turnovers): Adamson ran most of their sets around Sarr, which did not work as well as they hoped for. Sarr got his numbers, but the rest of his team could not get going. Quick Analysis: - Adamson is a team which uses the press to limit possessions rather than to increase them to their favor. They did a good job at doing that (76.08 Pace) versus Ateneo...

with contributions from Camille Cutler (Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. UST Growling Tigers 94-84 Notable Players: Matt Nieto, Ateneo (22 points, 4/6 3FG): Matt continues to impress, as he provided Ateneo the offensive punch it needed to beat UST. His new-found stroke from outside is going to be huge for the team moving forward, as defenses start to clamp down on well-known shooters such as Anton Asistio. Isaac Go, Ateneo (13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists): Isaac was solid for Ateneo, providing the team the ample support on both ends of the floor. His biggest contribution was on the offensive end, especially with some of the bail-out shots he made during the course of the game.  Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (12 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists): He simply continues to stake his claim as the UAAP's 2nd best player behind Ben Mbala. He wasn't as explosive as he usually is, but that's just nitpicking. Thirdy continues to play tremendou...

(Photo Credit: Zach Garcia, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. UE Red Warriors 83-65 Notable players: Thirdy Ravena (21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 turnovers): He just keeps on proving to everyone that he is more than capable of putting up consistent numbers and being an asset to this team. He was able to lessen on his turnovers which just shows that he’s constantly working on his game as each day progresses. Matt Nieto (11 points, 3 assists) : One half of the dynamic duo known as the Nieto brothers showed that he can play a steady game and facilitate all throughout as the playmaker of the team. He played good team basketball and went out there looking for good options for his teammates. Alvin Pasaol (22 points, 3/8 3pt FG, 4 TOs): He just went out there and was totally a knockdown scorer for the red warriors. He converted and contributed in several aspects whether it be slashing, scoring or shooting. Even if he knocked down 3 long bombs, he could have be...

(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...

Two (or three) games in, and I'm still astounded by the fact that only a few (I can count by my fingers) of the UAAP players actually made huge improvements to their game. In the United States, this is what college basketball analysts term as the "jump." It occurs when the roles are expanded for certain players due to the departure of prominent and key pieces to their school's basketball team. In the league, more than the TV hype, I'm just left...wanting. There's just not enough guys who actually wanted  to make the "jump." What is the offseason for? Is it to chow down (Mr. Bono, it's good to see you)? Catching up on academics to be eligible to play next season (Jobe knows)? Shoot commercials (Oh was that Jeron?)?  Is a player going to retool? What facet of his game will he improve on? Will he even improve at all or has he plateaued? Are we all agreeing this time that only Rabeh Al-Hussaini has enjoyed such a leap after all these years in the...