WEEK two of the UAAP Season 87 have come and gone and the only thing that remains constant is the dominance of top teams La Salle and University of the Philippines.
In the middle of the pack is where it becomes more interesting.
National University needed Janrey Pasaol to miss all three of his free throws to survive the young Far Eastern University, while Adamson ruffled some feathers – or whiskers, in this case – in upsetting University of Santo Tomas.
Take a look at some of our takeaways after Week Two of UAAP basketball.
UST NEEDS TO GET ITS BACKCOURT GOING
The Growling Tigers certainly look a lot better this year, but their shock loss to the Soaring Falcons also sent a clear message – they’re gonna have to get more scoring options other than Nic Cabanero.
Forthsky Padrigao has been brilliant as a distributor through three games, but he needs to contribute in scoring as well, having only averaged 4.3 points on a paltry 17.2 percent shooting in that stretch. He averaged more than 11.0 points a game for Ateneo before transferring.
Same goes with Kyle Paranada, a player who’s shown the ability to light up the scoresheet in the past but that scoring has been sorely missing after averaging just five a game in three games. In his sophomore year for UE, he averaged 11.6 points.
Surely these two can bounce back given their capabilities, and if UST wants to rebound, these two will have to rediscover their shooting touch fast.
NATIONAL U HAS A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE IT NEEDS TO ADDRESS
Before the season began, the Bulldogs were considered as the team with the highest possibility of breaking a La Salle-UP rematch in the UAAP Finals given their depth, size, and an intact core.
But losing Mo Diassana, their hulking 6’10 foreign student athlete, to an ACL injury in their very first game against the Green Archers certainly hurt them.
And it was exposed in NU's game against FEU, with Mo Konateh dropping a 17-point, 16-rebound night and almost pushing the Tamaraws to an early season stunner over the Bulldogs.
While crisis was averted and the Bulldogs still took the win, they still needed a huge fourth quarter and more importantly, for the young Pasaol to miss three crucial free throws to escape the Tams. The fact that the rookie even had the chance to steal the game late only shows the need for the burly Bulldogs to shape up in the paint.
ADAMSON MAKING THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK INTERESTING
Adamson may have been blown out by 30 points at the hands of La Salle, but that's just one game lost in the standings.
The Soaring Falcons are currently 2-0 against teams that could potentially be their rivals for a playoff spot in the Final Four, including a shocking win over the retooled UST Growling Tigers to rebound from that said rout.
While Adamson's preseason was nothing special compared to its peers who’ve gone on to train abroad and got to flex their new recruits this season, what it does have is a solid mix of veterans led by Mathew Montebon, Cedrick Manzano, and Matty Erolon, alongside great transferee pick-ups in Royce Mantua and AJ Fransman.
And oh, let’s not forget that Nash Racela remains one of the brightest tacticians in the league – a coach who’s known to get the best of his players with a coaching staff that’s been with him since their championship days with FEU.
TIME FOR UE’S GUARDS TO SHAPE UP
Moving on from a brilliant guard like Noy Remogat is going to be a lot harder if the Red Warriors' backcourt continue to struggle they way they have in the first two games.
As a team, UE is only averaging 10.5 assists per game against 16.5 turnovers. It is ranked seventh in field goal percentage at 33 percent, even despite heavily relying on Precious Momowei – a guy who makes a living in the paint.
It’s not even about the lack of talent. Guards like Jack Cruz-Dumont and Gjerard Wilson have shown in the preseason they can fill the gap that Remogat left. Now it’s all about finding their footing in the season. Thankfully, it’s only two games.
MOTOR MIKE’S DEFENSIVE PRESENCE IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR LA SALLE
All eyes are on Kevin Quiambao, and rightfully so with the reigning MVP once again filling the stat sheet for the Green Archers this season.
But on the defensive end, equally as valuable for the Green Archers is Mike Phillips – a guy whose boundless energy in the paint has made the defending champions basically invincible this season.
Despite averaging only 19 minutes a game this season, Phillips ranks third in total rebounds (10.6) and offensive rebounds (3.6) while being a net-positive of +11.3 each time he’s on the floor, all while having to share the frontcourt with Quiambao, Henry Agunanne, and Raven Gonzales.
The only two guys above Phillips in the rebounding department are Momowei and Konateh -- and both foreign student-athletes are logging in over 30 minutes a game, which makes the Fil-Am banger's numbers all the more impressive.
Just imagine what more he could do with longer minutes.
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