CHICAGO - In front of an enthusiastic crowd of about one thousand, UAAP men's basketball rivals La Salle and Ateneo played a friendly match in Asia Basket's College Campus Tour last Sunday.
If that dogfight at the Moro Lorenzo Gym is a sign of things to come, we'd better brace ourselves for an upcoming Season 88 that will be bursting with calamitous fun.
The Green Archers looked awesome in their 95-92 win. Now without superstar Kevin Quiambao, La Salle remains a spitting image, no pun intended, of the 2023 team that won all the marbles.
READ Intimidating force on the court, Mike Phillips so gracious off it
After KQ took his talents to the KBL at the end of Season 87, Mike Phillips inherited the throne as the undisputed King Archer.
And the 6-foot-9 dynamo looked comfortable in the throne, darting the Blue Eagles with 33 points, 26 rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes and 59 seconds of action.
Of the 26 boards Mike snatched, 11 were from the offensive end. Let that thought sink in for a moment.
DAMN.
La Salle rolled out their three new prized recruits in Mason Amos, Jacob Cortez and Kean Baclaan who combined for 38 points. The added arsenal obviously makes last year's runners-up more lethal.
But adding ball-dominant stars can also pose a threat to the smooth flow of the offense.
Cortez and Baclaan had a combined 30 field goal attempts between them. At that rate, other key contributors such as Vhoris Marasigan and JC Macalalag could be left just standing around and looking like chairmen of the bored.
But coach Topex Robinson has a history of being able to manage his roster. He needs to prove that dexterity once again.
As for Ateneo, well, they haven't looked this good in a long time.
The Blue Eagles barely scratched 80 in all of last season. They scored 92 last Sunday. We may differ in choice of words but to me, that's a feast.
THIS IS MY HOUSE.
Ian Espinosa came off the bench to score 17 points while Kyle Gamber pumped 18 also in relief play. Jared Bahay, the leader of the band, had nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
Having missed the Final Four in Season 87, Ateneo got pelted by both the competition and those who revel at the so-called demise of a once mighty dynasty.
But here they come, once again.
Tab Baldwin is still the best coach in the UAAP, bar none.
As long as he coaches at Ateneo, that team will always have a chance. With added talent and the growth of their players from last year, a Final Four hunt for the Blue Eagles is promising.
Season 88 is just around the bend and I'm never so eager for September to arrive.
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