Suerte, Bulanadi, Go naninibago
Bigating mga manlalaro man noong college sina Isaac Go, Rey Suerte at Allyn Bulanadi, hindi naging madali sa kanila ang training sa pro-league. The post Suerte, Bulanadi, Go naninibago first appeared on Abante......»»
Bulanadi, Suerte, Baltazar lift MPBL banner to FIBA Asia Cup
Point-pilers Allyn Bulanadi and Rey Suerte and board-crasher Justine Baltazar will show their mettle for Gilas Pilipinas this time......»»
PBA-bound MPBL stars face uncertainty once Lakan Cup resumes
The future for PBA-bound stars Mike Ayonayon and Allyn Bulanadi in the MPBL remains uncertain amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic......»»
For Mike Nieto, all roads lead to leading
Mike Nieto's leadership is not just for the basketball court. Apparently, his voice carries just as much weight inside the Nieto household in Cainta. "Hanggang bahay, umaabot yung pagli-lead ko," he shared with a laugh. "Rinig na rinig palagi boses ko sa bahay. Since I've proven to them na I can be a leader sa court, siyempre, I can also be a leader dito sa bahay." What does that mean exactly? Well, let's just say that whenever the Nieto family decides they want and need some quality time together, it's the 23-year-old who sets the time and the place where it would happen. "I think nasanay na rin kasi sila na ako ang palaging nagsasalita kahit sa ganyang bagay so most of the time, ako na talaga nagsasabi saan at anong oras kami pupunta," he said. This is not at all that surprising as when you talk about Mike Nieto, you talk about leadership. That has long been the calling card of the 6-foot-2 swingman - from his days as a Blue Eaglet to his time as a Blue Eagle and from his stint in Batang Gilas to his current run in the Gilas Pilipinas pool. But… Why do people say that in the first place? What is it with Mike Nieto that just speaks, leader? FTW: For The tWin To get the answer, we need to go back to the start. As in, the very, very start. Technically, Mike is the leader of the four Nieto siblings as he is the firstborn of Ateneo de Manila legend Jett and super mom and dentist Girlie. Matt is his brother, but is younger by two minutes. Make no mistake, though, the twins have always gotten along. "Kami ni Matt, ever since, close na talaga kami. We started playing basketball at the age of six and from then on, naging magkasama na kami sa lahat ng bagay," Mike said. He then continued, "Even course namin sa college, pareho kaya almost lahat ng classes namin, classmates kami. Ever since talaga, unusual na hindi kami magkasama." Indeed, the Nieto twins have always been some sort of a package deal. Hence, the reports of their commitment to Ateneo for college had headlines such as "Ateneo scores 'twin kill' as Nieto brothers commit to play for Blue Eagles." Through and through, however, Mike was thought to be the leader - even though Matt is the point guard. The reason for that? Because "Big Mike" is more vocal. And why is he more vocal" Well, because he had a two minute headstart on "Matty Ice" at letting his voice be heard. Seriously, though, Mike said it was just because he doesn't waste any time at all in being vocal - and that's why he's being heard first and more often. "Siguro, mas maingay lang kasi ako kay Matt. Ako kasi, kapag may nakita akong mali sa ginagawa ng teammates ko, siguradong makakarinig agad sila sa akin," he shared. He then continued, "Hindi ako papayag na lilipas ang isang bagay na alam kong makakasama sa team. Talagang maglalabas at maglalabas ako ng mga salita hanggang ma-solve ang problema." That doesn't mean that Matt doesn't lead, though. As his twin put it, "Matt is the leader on the court. That's the assignment Coach Tab [Baldwin] gave him and I think he has done well with that." Well, yeah, Matt has three rings as court general of the Blue Eagles' dynasty to show for that. LOL: Lead out Loud It was another court general altogether, however, who had made the biggest mark on Mike Nieto. While he never was a point guard due to his wide frame, he was always trying to emulate one of the best ball-handlers in the history of Philippine basketball. "Jimmy Alapag is my role model when it comes to leadership," he said. "I'm just very lucky that for a long time now, he would talk to me on how I can affect the team positively on and off the court." When Alapag was in his prime as captain of Gilas Pilipinas, Nieto was put on the pedestal as skipper of Batang Gilas. While he knew full well that was a tall task, he was also eager to prove himself worthy. "Sa Batang Gilas under coach Jamike [Jarin], he made me team captain kahit second year high school pa lang ako. But that made me realize na I have the capabilities of being a leader," he said. With that, Mike had the responsibility of making sure the likes of Paul Desiderio, Richard Escoto, Jollo Go, Jolo Mendoza, and Renzo Navarro were kept in line. And from then on, he just did not stop keeping at it. Whether it be as the Jrs. MVP as a Blue Eaglet or a rotation regular as a Blue Eagle, Nieto's biggest contribution has always been his leadership. "Being a leader is never easy. At the end of the day, you have to gain the trust of your teammates and your coaches - that's the hardest part," he said. Ask his teammates from high school, many of whom were still his teammates come college, and they would say they always have his back. "Buti na lang nakuha ko ang tiwala ng lahat ng tao na nakapaligid sa akin. Kaya rin ako nag-succeed being the team captain ng every team na nagiging part ako," he said. While he has always had the full faith of longtime teammates and good friends Thirdy Ravena, Gian Mamuyac, Mendoza, and of course, twin Matt, Mike could only acknowledge that it was another challenge altogether being the voice of the team that swept the season. "Ang malaking naging difference ngayong college from high school, kinailangan kong magsalita ng English mas madalas," he said, through chuckles. With foreigners such as Ange Kouame and Filipino-foreigners like Raffy Verano, Nieto, indeed, did have to make sure his communication lines were crystal clear. The thing about leaders, though, is that they give their all in anything and everything - whether that be giving a pep talk or passing the message to somebody like Kouame who only started learning English in 2017. IMO: In My Opinion And the thing about leaders? They do not necessarily care about themselves. Imagine Mike Nieto, a Jrs. MVP, a team captain for Batang Gilas, a literal blue-blood in Katipunan. Do you know his averages through their three-peat? In 47 games total, he saw 14.2 minutes of action and had 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Still, that did not matter at all. All that mattered for Mike are all those Ws. "To be a leader, you have to prove palagi that you can lead on and off the court," he said. "I think yun ang napatunayan ko kay coach Tab - na handa akong i-sacrifice ang personal goals ko para sa ikabubuti ng team. Wala akong pakialam sa sarili ko since ang nasa utak ko lang is kung ano ang makabubuti para sa team namin." But did he? Did Nieto prove himself to Coach Tab - a coach who has gone around the world and seen it all? The talented tactician's statement right after Ateneo completed its perfect run through UAAP 82 speaks volumes. “Look at all of us and think about where we’re gonna be in 10 or 15 years, you’ll forget most of us,” he said in the post-game conference where he sat alongside the Nieto twins, Ravena, Isaac Go, and Adrian Wong. “But you won’t forget Mike Nieto.” Coach Tab then went on to explain why he said so. As he put it, "Mike is a natural leader. Mike is a communicator. Mike is a thinker. In terms of touching people, making lives better, and making sure that everybody around him has a better chance than what he has, that’s our captain." High praise coming from the very mentor who has been getting nothing but high praise. Safe to say, though, Mike has proven himself to coach Tab. TBC: To Be Continued In doing so, Mike Nieto has also made it possible for the two of them to continue working together. Mike, twin Matt, fellow Blue Eagle Go, University of the East's Rey Suerte, and San Sebastian College-Recoletos' Allyn Bulanadi were the first five names listed for the Gilas pool. The likes of Ravena, Dwight Ramos of Ateneo, Justine Baltazar of De La Salle University, Dave Ildefonso then of National University, and the University of the Philippines foursome of Javi and Juan Gomez de Liano, Kobe Paras, and Jaydee Tungcab also made the list not long after. But the fact remains that "Big Mike" - he of zero starts, but three titles in a row in his last three years in blue and white - was one of the first names there. With that, he is now one of the few Batang Gilas players who have successfully gotten promoted to the Men's team. "Of course, sino bang ayaw i-represent ang bansa natin, 'di ba? That's why I'm very grateful for this opportunity to be part of the Gilas pool," he said. He then continued, "That's why I've been working on my game even harder so that I can provide whatever Gilas needs from me." Of course, what Gilas would need from Nieto is, first and foremost, his leadership. After all, that is still and would always be his greatest strength. To do so, though, the youngster would have to prove himself yet again - not only to Filipinos who are forever invested in their national team, but more importantly, his teammates, many of whom are already superstars in the PBA. For Mike, however, this is nothing new - nothing new at all. "Ever since I was in grade school, people have been doubting that I can progress my game to the next level. What we can't forget is that at the end of the day, it's in your hands if you want to prove them wrong or prove them right," he said. He then continued, "I actually enjoy these kinds of moments since dito talaga lalabas ang totoong pagkatao mo. Ang sigurado ko lang, I will fight for my spot in Gilas." And so, from a successful high school career and then an even more successful college career, Nieto is now seeking success as part of the Gilas pool. Does he deserve to be there? That's for the haters to hate, the doubters to doubt, and the bashers to bash. And that's for Mike Nieto to lead them out of the darkness. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
Suerte, Bulanadi, Go naninibago
Bigating mga manlalaro man noong college sina Isaac Go, Rey Suerte at Allyn Bulanadi, hindi naging madali sa kanila ang training sa pro-league. The post Suerte, Bulanadi, Go naninibago first appeared on Abante......»»
Current Gilas model 'not sustainable' says Coach Yeng
Creating the most ideal format for the Philippine national team remains a fiercely-discussed topic. The latest to offer his two cents is NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao, the one who had Gilas Pilipinas play in the FIBA World Cup last year. According to Coach Yeng, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas should have a working partnership with the PBA in order to keep the Gilas machine running. The SBP and the PBA have been working hand-in-hand, with a new cadet program in place even, but Guiao is not convinced that the current system can be sustainable in the long term. "To me, it's imperative that the federation should be able to work with the pro league, in our case it's the PBA. Because like the model we have right now, let's say you're taking players and you're looking forward to these players just playing for the national team and they're a separate group from the players playing in the pro league," Guiao said on Coaches Unfiltered. "I don't think that's sustainable. At a certain point, you have to break up that team and these players are going to play for the pro teams and you wait. You can do it one year or two years but after that you’re still going to break up and those guys will still wanna play a regular pro league team," coach Yeng added. As it stands, the current Gilas Pilipinas core is made up of five players led by Isaac Go. Go, together with the Nieto twins, Allyn Bulanadi, and Rey Suerte were the five picks in the special Gilas Draft last year. They all have their separate PBA mother teams but the agreement is that they're loaned to the national team through the 2023 FIBA World Cup. However, they do not have guaranteed slots in the final lineup as the current head coach still has the freedom to create his own best team, with the option to add PBA players or other amateur stars. The last Gilas team to play, against Indonesia in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers earlier this year, only Go and Matt Nieto made the team from the Gilas special draftees. "There is no national team in the world that is just a national team. There is no model like that anywhere in the world. Maski ano pang sport, all of these [players] are playing pros and then they’re being called for the national team," Guiao argues. "There is no team na oh kayo lang ang national team ha, exclusive kayong national team. There is no model like that," he added. While drafting players to focus on the national team seems like a great idea to form the foundation of the program, professional players are still going to be needed at some point. It only makes sense as one country's best players naturally play in the premier professional league. For Gilas Pilipinas to truly be competitive abroad, it will need the Philippines' best players. And those players are most likely found in the PBA, already under a grueling professional schedule. Where the national team fits in is the question. "I think it’s imperative for the SBP or the federation to work hand in hand with the PBA or the professional league. If we’re not able to do that, we’re not going to be able to send the best players for the toughest tournaments," Guiao said. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
RK Ilagan, Baste plotting revenge on Letran in NCAA 96
RK Ilagan has one thing and one thing only in his mind come his last year for San Sebastian College-Recoletos. "Sa akin po talaga, gusto ko pong bumawi sa kanila," he said in last Friday's The Prospects Pod, referring to fellow guest Fran Yu. "Sila po (nagtanggal sa amin e) so sana mabigyan po kami ng chance talagang makabawi sa kanila." In NCAA 95, Colegio de San Juan de Letran got the better of Ilagan and the Golden Stags in the first rung of the stepladder playoffs. The Knights would go on to boot out Lyceum of the Philippines University and best San Beda University en route to the championship. Through that charge, they left in their wake several tantalizing talents such as Season MVP Calvin Oftana, "Bandana Bros." James Canlas and Evan Nelle, and Marcelino twins Jaycee and Jayvee. Among all them, however, it's apparently Ilagan who's still hurting the worst. And why wouldn't he as he turned in a career game only to be eliminated. "Lahat po yun, tsamba. Shumu-shoot kahit hagis-hagis lang," he said, recalling his 36-point outburst in that loss. He then continued, "Samin lang po doon, parang ayaw ko lang po talaga magpatalo kasi siyempre, last year na ni [Allyn] Bulanadi at [Aljon] Capobres." And that is exactly why come Season 95, RK Ilagan and the rest of Baste will be running and gunning for Letran - what a great game that will be. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
Gilas goal in 2023 is second round of FIBA World Cup
Tab Baldwin is not resting on his laurels as Gilas Pilipinas program director even during the continuing COVID-19 crisis. Despite the pause in play in all of the Philippines, the seasoned mentor reiterated that plans remain in place for the future of the national team. "First of all, we have decided, as the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas), on the direction we're going to go to," he said in the inaugural episode of Coaches Unfiltered. He then continued, "That is to build this program with an injection of youth looking forward to 2023 and ultimately, to 2027." Earlier in the year, the Gilas pool was announced and it had young stars such as Nieto twins Mike and Matt, Gomez de Liano brothers Javi and Juan, Allyn Bulanadi, Isaac Go, Dwight Ramos, Thirdy Ravena, Rey Suerte, and Jaydee Tungcab. The 2019 PBA Draft even had the Nietos, Bulanadi, Go, and Suerte be part of a so-called "special" selection process after which, in essence, they have been loaned by their mother teams to Gilas. The national team's close ties with the PBA would remain under Coach Tab's watch as program director. At the same time, though, the goal is for Gilas to not have to depend on the PBA too much. "Maybe in the early days, we'll be looking for the younger players to complement the PBA player injection, but as time goes by, the roles will reverse," he said. He then continued, "We'll be looking for PBA players to complement what we're trying to do with the young players that we're bringing in to be, basically, full-time Gilas players." The architect of Ateneo de Manila University's three-peat then said further that in the same light, change must come as well in terms of the national team's style of play and preparation. As he put it, "The other big umbrella that will govern what we will do is the philosophy that a smaller nation in basketball terms, an underdog nation, a nation that doesn't compete in the elite (level), but wants to compete in the elite (level), in my opinion, must develop a playing point of difference." For Coach Tab, Philippine basketball just could not do anymore what it had been doing since time immemorial. "What is insanity? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result so insanity in terms of trying to compete at the elite level is trying to do what your opponents do with them having superior talent and experience and expecting to be able to beat them," he shared. He then continued, "With that, it means we're truly trying to look for something that will be a point of difference in terms of how we play." All things considered, the brilliant tactician remains upbeat about the Filipinos chances in the 2023 FIBA World Cup - and even in the 2027 edition of the world meet. "I think that in 2023, we want to be a team that will make a very, very strong run at the second round and, I think, even achieves that. Then by 2027, I think we want to be a team that has aspirations to be in the medal round," he said. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»