After one round of men’s basketball action, here are our main takeaways for all eight UAAP teams.
And just like that, the first round of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament is over. And it was certainly one of the more eventful first rounds in recent memory, with epic overtime games, officiating rants, and hefty suspensions.
But beyond all that drama, the first round provided us with some perspective and gave us a glimpse into the make-up of each of the eight teams. Here’s our breakdown.
The Adamson Falcons are very dangerous
The Falcons are a strange team. They beat two of the top three teams in UP and UST, come painfully close to upending DLSU, and lose to seventh-place FEU. They’re dead last in points scored per game, managing only 62.29, but they’re also first in points allowed per game at 62.43. So basically, they score as many points as they allow.
But the Falcons have won their last two games by an average of 12.5 points, and in their last game held the offensive juggernaut that is UST to only 59 points after the Tigers averaged 91.7 in their first six games.
It’s this sort of unpredictability that other teams wish to avoid once the elimination round hits the homestretch and every game counts. Adamson still can’t be considered a top four team, but they have a style that takes you out of your rhythm and could disrupt your Final Four plans.
Jared Bahay could be the next great Ateneo guard
Admittedly, that statement is pretty bold, for among the names associated with that label are Jun Reyes, LA Tenorio, and Kiefer Ravena. And until Bahay leads the Blue Eagles to a UAAP title, he’ll be on the outside looking in. But the potential is there: against UST he showed his clutch gene, hitting three triples deep in the game to keep Ateneo in it.
Bahay already showed his potential as a rookie when he led the Blue Eagles in scoring, although the team finished last and he lost out to VJ Pre for Rookie of the Year. This season, he has shown he isn’t afraid of the moment and he wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line.
The downside, though, is his shoulder injury which could keep him out for who knows how long. The Blue Eagles are currently on a tailspin, losing their last three, so the sooner he can return the better for everyone in Katipunan.
Jacob Cortez is charting his own path
Being the son of Mike Cortez will always come with heavy expectations. After all, The Cool Cat was one of the most feared point guards in the UAAP in the early 2000s. He just had that look, that swagger about him that showed you he was in total control. It didn’t hurt that he was tall for his position (at that time), an excellent playmaker and shotmaker, and had the handles to embarrass you.
Now that his son is also playing for DLSU and wearing his jersey number, comparisons are inevitable. But Jacob Cortez doesn’t seem concerned. He’s doing things his way and not letting expectations bog him down. If you didn’t know that he was the son of Mike Cortez, you’d likely still walk away from a DLSU game thinking this kid can play.
Cortez leads his team in scoring and is shooting a remarkable 55% on 2-point shots, a number no doubt boosted by his ability to snake into the lane and get off his floater. He couldn’t look any more different than his father (the hair, the headband, the body type), but he is cool in his own way.
Janrey Pasaol might be the best Pasaol in UAAP history
Yes, there have only been two of them, but this statement still says a lot considering former Red Warrior Alvin once scored 49 points in a UAAP game and was a walking bucket.
But for overall court brilliance, FEU guard Janrey Pasaol has the potential to be better than his elder brother. Sure, Alvin has a Mythical Five citation to his name, and his 49 are the best ever in UE history, but Janrey has a higher ceiling.
After the first round, Janrey is second in scoring (18.3ppg) and first in assists (6.6apg), which means by himself he generates around 33 points per game for the Tamaraws. He gets it done on the other end, too, as he sits at second in steals with 2.1 heists per contest. He may never break his kuya’s 49-point mark, but ultimately it probably won’t matter.
The NU Bulldogs are a legitimate title favorite
Season 87 was a painful one for the Bulldogs. After a spirited Final Four run in UAAP Season 86, Coach Jeff Napa and his boys felt like they had all the tools to go one step further. But as everyone knows, those plans were derailed after FSA Mo Diassana tore his ACL in his first game.
Now, with the returning Omar John in harness, the Bulldogs are looking like a team that is taking care of unfinished business. They sit atop of the standings with a 6-1 record, their only loss dealt by the defending champions, and their confidence appears sky-high.
Jake Figueroa is playing like the veteran that he is and is undoubtedly their main man, but others have stepped up with the game on the line. Against DLSU it was Reinhard Jumamoy, while in their overtime win over Ateneo it was Paul Francisco. The Bulldogs aren’t just contenders — they’re now one of the favorites to win it all.
Chris Gavina has his team’s back
The UE Red Warriors may be winless so far, but they won’t have to worry about their coach not sticking up for them.
Gavina didn’t mince words after his team’s stinging one-point overtime loss to DLSU last October 15, dropping F bombs at the post-game press conference as frequently as his star guard Wello Lingolingo hoisted shots before he got ejected for that unsportsmanlike foul that knocked Kean Baclaan out of Season 88.
It was precisely that call that triggered Gavina and prompted him to call the referees all sorts of names. But if you’re a player, you have to admire his passion, even if it ultimately led to what some are calling a rather unfair four-game suspension. Lingolingo himself drew an equally harsh three-game ban, which is practically a knockout blow for a team still searching for its first win.
UP is sorely missing Francis Lopez
Sources told this writer that the Fighting Maroons team management was caught off-guard when Francis Lopez informed them that he wouldn’t be back for Season 88. The expectation was the talented forward would stick around for one more season and help UP win its first back-to-back men’s basketball championships in 100 years (the university was NCAA three-peat champion from 1924-26).
It’s apparent they could have used him. Last season, Lopez was the Maroons’ no. 2 scorer, no. 2 shot-blocker and no. 2 rebounder last season. He was also their most versatile defender and was unafraid to take the big shot. There are still loads of veterans on the Fighting Maroons this year, but none has the complete package that Lopez possesses.
A 4-3 record after the first round is considered a step back nowadays in Diliman; UP was either 5-2 or 6-1 in the previous four seasons. While it’s true that they’re now without JD Cagulangan and Quentin Millora-Brown, losing those two was expected. Losing Lopez wasn’t.
UST has the most potent Big Three
Although the Growling Tigers ended their first round on a down note, they ended long losing streaks to last year’s finalists that stretched back to UAAP Season 84. This is probably the strongest UST lineup since Season 82, the last time the Tigers made the finals. That team had a Big Three of CJ Cansino, Mark Nonoy and Rhenz Abando.
The Season 88 version of UST also has its Big Three of Collins Akowe, Nic Cabañero, and Forthsky Padrigao, all of whom are in the top 10 of the statistical race after Round 1. All three have made their marks on the stat sheets. Akowe is the runaway leader for Rookie of the Year and leads the Best FSA race, is first in blocks, second in rebounding and fourth in scoring. Cabañero is the scoring champ with a 19.8ppg average, while Padrigao is fourth in assists and tied for second in 3-point field goals converted.
The Big Three all have their areas of expertise and complement each other’s strengths. Akowe is the rebounder and paint defender who can also give you buckets, the veteran Cabañero can score and hurt you in a variety of ways, while Padrigao is a gifted passer and can also hit the big shot when needed. When all three are on, UST is virtually unbeatable: in their two losses at least one of them shot miserably and scored less than 10 points.
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