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Altas hang on to neutralize Bombers
The Perpetual Help Altas averted a collapse and stunned the JRU Heavy Bombers, 72-61, in their NCAA Season 99 collision Saturday afternoon at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City......»»
Scottie would have loved one more year with Bright and Prince
All those playoff exits at the hands of San Beda University still pains Scottie Thompson. “Lahat-lahat,” he answered when asked in The Prospects Pod which of University of Perpetual Help’s Final Four losses to the Red Lions hurt the most. “Nasira pangarap naming lahat eh.” Despite bowing out to the red and white in three of his five years as an Alta, however, the 6-foot-1 playmaker said his most painful defeat actually came from Colegio de San Juan de Letran. “Actually, hindi San Beda yung pinakamasakit,” he shared. “Yung pinakamasakit is yung last year ko. Non-bearing na sa Letran tapos may bearing sa amin, dapat papasok kami ng Final Four pag manalo kami.” Thompson was talking about the wine and gold’s last elimination round assignment in NCAA 91 - a closely contested season that saw six squads all have a shot at the Final Four. Before that game, Perps stood at joint third at 11-6 and a win would have staked claim to the fourth and final playoff berth, thereby closing the door on Mapua University, Jose Rizal University, and Arellano University. On the other hand, the Knights had already clinched a top two finish - though they were still in a dead heat for the top-seed with archrival San Beda. In the end, Letran triumphed. In the end, Perpetual stood on the outside looking into the playoff picture. And in the end, that was the former MVP’s last game in the NCAA. “Dahil dun sa talong yun, hindi kami nakapasok ng Final Four sa mismong last year ko pa. Hindi ko makakalimutan yun,” he said. Even more, that Altas team was fully loaded as aside from Thompson, it had future MVPs Bright Akhuetie and Prince Eze. If only he had one more go-round, the now-27-year-old has no doubt that he, Akhuetie, and Eze would be back with a vengeance come Season 92. “Siguro, kung nabigyan pa ako ng isang chance na makasama sila, may chance kaming makabawi. Isang year lang kaming nagkasabay eh,” he said. He then continued, “Kulang lang ng isang taon. Siguro, kung isang taon pa, baka sakali lang.” A Scottie Thompson completely comfortable with Bright Akhuetie and Prince Eze? That sounds like a recipe for success for Perpetual and a recipe for disaster for the rest of the league. —— Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
2020 king of recruiting crown remains on UP’s head
Who was our King of Recruiting in 2018? Find out here. Who was our King of Recruiting in 2019? Find out here. --- From 2007 to 2015, the University of the Philippines only had 13 wins to show in 126 games total. That time is self-deprecatingly called in Diliman as the dark days. Due to that disappointing standing, the Fighting Maroons had the toughest time bringing in recruits. And due to that lack of pieces to the puzzles, they lost even more. Safe to say, State U was stuck in a vicious cycle in the dark days. That’s not to say they didn’t have blue-chip recruits back then as in their time, all of Woody Co, Mark Juruena, Mike Gamboa, Kyles Lao, Jett Manuel, and Mikee Reyes were among the best high school players. Only, a blue-chip recruit or two does not make a team. Fast forward to now and oh, how things have changed. Last year, UP was hailed as ABS-CBN’s King of Recruiting alongside University of the East. “On the strength of the transfers of Kobe Paras and Ricci Rivero, the Fighting Maroons… are worthy of the title,” it said then. And the season before that, the maroon and green was also up there with the best of them in terms of recruitment, having brought in the likes of eventual Season MVP Bright Akhuetie, Will Gozum, and Jaydee Tungcab. Indeed, there was nowhere to go but up. That has only continued this year as UP has left no doubt that it is now a force to reckon with in terms of recruitment. Early on, they already had a solid haul in Joel Cagulangan, once the best point guard in high school, and tireless workhorse Malick Diouf. And then, the shock of shocks. As it turned out, Nazareth School of National University stalwarts Carl Tamayo and Gerry Abadiano were going to be Fighting Maroons. Meaning, for the first time in recent history, the most promising prospect coming out of high school is headed to Diliman. Not only that, State U also answered its biggest question heading into next season – the question at point guard, filling in for Jun Manzo. But as it turned out, they weren’t done just yet - no, our friends, they weren’t done just yet. Tamayo and Abadiano’s departure from National U was shocking, without a doubt, but CJ Cansino’s exit from University of Sto. Tomas was even more so. Cansino, against his will, decided to move on from his alma mater since 2015 due to personal reasons. Fortunately for him, he landed on his feet. Now, the Fighting Maroons have ready-made replacement for Rivero as well as a leader in the shades of Paul Desiderio for UAAP 84. And that, our friends, is why we have no choice but to put the 2020 King of Recruiting crown on UP’s head once more. Tamayo and Abadiano are the bluest of blue-chip recruits this year and Cagulangan, Cansino, and Diouf are among the most talented transferees, but also joining them in the maroon and green will be scoring machine RC Calimag from La Salle Green Hills, burly big Miguel Tan from Xavier High School, Filipino-American playmaker Sam Dowd, Filipino-Australian tower Ethan Kirkness, physical forward Jancork Cabahug from University of Visayas, and versatile wing CJ Catapusan from Adamson University. The former Bullpups are guaranteed ato be contributors even as rookies while Calimag, Tan, and Dowd are going to shore up a bench that had just lost Gomez de Liano brothers Javi and Juan. Of course, Diouf, Kirkness, Cansino, Cabahug, and Cagulangan are still serving residency, but when they will be eligible, they will get a shot at a squad that will look brand new. All of Bright Akhuetie, J-Boy Gob, David Murrell, Noah Webb, and Rivero are graduating players while Paras is only guaranteed to play one more year. That means that after Season 83, the Fighting Maroons may very well have to fill six spots. That means that UP is not only beefing up for UAAP 83, it is also securing its future. If not for the shock of shocks, though, the crown would have been claimed by De La Salle University which sent a statement that it is back and better than ever. Justine Baltazar and Aljun Melecio may be playing their fifth and final years in college, but the green and white’s future has only brightened following this prolonged preseason. First and foremost, Kevin Quiambao, the third leg in that National U tripod of talent out of high school, has the capability and confidence to follow in the footsteps of Baltazar. Hopefully, he will be eligible for Season 83, but if not, what’s certain is he will be playing in UAAP 84. Alongside him as pieces for the future are super scorers CJ Austria and Emman Galman, all-around swingman Joshua Ramirez, and Filipino-Americans Jeromy Hughes, Kameron Vales, and Philips bros. Benjamin and Michael. Among all those, Jonnel Policarpio, likened to a young Arwind Santos, has the highest upside, but the Fil-Ams have much potential as well. And don’t forget that Evan Nelle, the primetime playmaker from San Beda University, is just getting primed and prepped to take the reins when Melecio leaves. Of course, the caveat here is that we are all in uncharted territory due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis. And in that light, the next season of the UAAP remains far away and a lot could still happen until then. While majority of the local blue-chip recruits have already committed, talents from abroad and transferees from other schools could still come and change the game. With that being said, there remains no doubt that UP and La Salle have made the biggest noise in the offseason. However, it’s not actually the Fighting Maroons or the Green Archers who got the lion’s share of the best graduating players in the 2020 NBTC 24. Yes, that honor belongs to Lyceum of the Philippines University which is finally reaping the rewards of its rising Jrs. program with NCAA 95 Jrs. MVP John Barba and Batang Gilas playmaker Mac Guadana being promoted as full-fledged Pirates. Guadana could do it all and looks like the next great guard in the Grand Old League while fearless slasher is Barba is a perfect complement to him. Add another fiery guard in John Bravo and sweet-shooting big man Carlo Abadeza and LPU has restocked its coffers after losing Marcelino twins Jaycee and Jayvee and Cameroonian powerhouse Mike Nzeusseu. In all though, the 2020 NBTC 24 was dominated by UP… and San Beda. Of the annual rankings’ 15 graduating players, four would be Fighting Maroons and another four would be Red Lions. Yes, San Beda’s grassroots program is back on track with its Jrs. championship core all remaining in red and white. Rhayyan Amsali, ranked no. 1 in the 2020 NBTC 24, is the most college-ready high school player while Justine Sanchez is a long-limbed forward who could turn out to be the next Calvin Oftana, you know, the NCAA 95 MVP. Yukien Andrada, meanwhile, is only continuing to develop his two-way game and Tony Ynot is a 3-and-D weapon who had even left an impression on Jalen Green. And hey, as somebody said, don’t sleep on the UAAP’s three-time defending champions. Ateneo may already be missing Isaac Go, Thirdy Ravena, Adrian Wong, and Nieto twins Mike and Matt and they may not be making noise as of late, but they are still welcoming Dave Ildefonso and Dwight Ramos with open arms. Ildefonso will only be good to go come UAAP 84, but Ramos is already being seen by head coach Tab Baldwin as a difference-maker for the Blue Eagles in Season 83. Eli, Dwight’s younger brother, is also in the mix to backstop SJ Belangel and Tyler Tio. Note also that former blue-chip recruit Inand Fornilos may very well finally get his shot while both Jolo Mendoza and Raffy Verano are also back. Ateneo’s foe in the Finals last year also reloaded quite a bit as for the third year in a row, UST will be sending the Tiger Cubs’ best player to the Srs. squad. Following in the footsteps of Cansino and Mark Nonoy, post player Bismarck Lina will be a Growling Tiger next season. Alongside him to fortify the frontcourt are Christian Manaytay, Bryan Samudio, and Bryan Santos while bolstering the backcourt are Joshua Fontanilla and Paul Manalang. Speaking of fortifying the frontcourt, Far Eastern University is the team that got the biggest boost in terms of size. With 6-foot-7 Nigerian Emman Ojoula’s residency over and done with, the go-go guards of the Tamaraws have yet another weapon to burn opponents with. CESAFI MVP Kevin Guibao and transferee Simone Sandagon are no slouches either while Cholo Anonuevo has a roster spot waiting for him if and when he decides to come home after trying his luck in the US. RJ Abarrientos no longer appears here as he was already in FEU’s list last year. These are the new faces to see for the other teams: CSB Blazers LETRAN Knights JRU Heavy Bombers MAPUA Cardinals ADAMSON Soaring Falcons UE Red Warriors --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
Winds destroy houses in two Central Mindanao towns
Around 40 houses were destroyed by strong winds that pummeled lowlands in the adjoining towns of Montawal, Maguindanao del Sur and Kabacan, Cotabato amid heavy rains on Thursday afternoon......»»
Dovish Powell lifts markets to historic highs
Last week, US equities reached new all-time highs, thereby lifting global stock markets. This came on the back of Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell’s dovish policy statement. In that speech, Powell touted considerable progress in bringing down inflation, notwithstanding the bumps in the road toward the two percent target......»»
Sabalenka wins with heavy heart
World number two Aryna Sabalenka returned to the court for the first time since the death of her former boyfriend earlier this week and kept her emotions in check as she beat Spain’s Paula Badosa, 6-4 6-3 on Friday......»»
DA lifts ban on poultry imports from 2 US states
The Department of Agriculture has lifted the ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products from two states in the US after the outbreak of avian flu had already been addressed......»»
Silorio stars as Squires zoom past Junior Altas for back-to-back NCAA crowns
Letran’s June Silorio is being tipped as the new “Captain Marbel,” or the second coming of ex-pro star Kenneth Duremdes......»»
Last Dance for Squires, Junior Altas
Letran seeks to bury the ghost of Game Two while University of Perpetual Help hopes to relive its glory in today’s rubber match for the NCAA Season 99 junior basketball trophy at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Eumir faces ‘heavy’ test tonight
Olympic qualifier Eumir Marcial will take on a heavier opponent Thoedsak Sinam of Thailand in an eight-round bout at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium tonight as MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons said it’s a prelude to facing bigger bruisers in Paris......»»
Panghulan s Hail Mary shot lifts Top Flight past Arellano in NBTC Division 2 finals
Joey Panghulan’s last-gasp half-court heave towed Top Flight Sports Canada into the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Division 2 finals over the Arellano Braves, 87-84, Friday afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City......»»
Squires, Junior Altas play for all the marbles
Letran seeks to bury the ghost of Game 2 while University of Perpetual Help hopes to relive its glory as the two battle each other in Saturday’s rubber match at the Filoil EcoOil Arena that will determine who brings home the NCAA Season 99 junior basketball trophy......»»
Acido bags NCAA Jrs. MVP plum
Perpetual Junior Altas gained their share of individual awards in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 99 Juniors Basketball awards ceremony Wednesday at the FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan City......»»
Jr. Altas force winner-take-all vs Squires All heart.
That was how University of Perpetual Help coach Johp Cleopas described the Jr. Altas’ gut-wrenching 91-90 victory over Letran yesterday to force a rubber match in the NCAA Season 99 juniors basketball tournament at the packed Filoil EcoOil Arena yesterday......»»
Squires, Junior Altas begin title showdown
It will be championship experience versus hunger as Letran and University of Perpetual Help battle it out in Game 1 of the NCAA Season 99 junior basketball finals today at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Squires, Junior Altas begin NCAA title showdown
It will be championship experience versus hunger as Letran and University of Perpetual Help battle it out for the NCAA Season 99 junior basketball crown starting Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Junior Altas gain crack at first crown
Jan Roluna was a surprise package and unlikely hero as Perpetual Help downed Mapua, 96-91, to book a breakthrough finals appearance in the NCAA Season 99 juniors basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena yesterday......»»
Roluna surprises for Junior Altas in historic finals NCAA berth-clinching win
University of Perpetual Help hatched a massive surprise in unlikely hero Jan Roluna as it downed Mapua, 96-91, on Sunday and claimed a breakthrough finals appearance in NCAA Season 99 junior basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Junior Altas claim top spot, ‘win-once’ bonus
University of Perpetual Help unleashed a 45-point barrage in the third quarter as it came back to smash San Sebastian College, 111-80, yesterday and claim the top seed and twice-to-beat Final Four bonus in NCAA Season 99 junior basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena......»»
Junior Altas enter NCAA title conversation
For the first time ever, University of Perpetual Help has a clear shot at a breakthrough NCAA Season 99 junior basketball championship......»»