Red Lions Seek Revenge Against Golden Stags

AFTER one year the San Beda Red Lions look to be back with a vengeance.

And how? With size (the most noticeable), quickness, depth, talent and a tantalizing mix of veterans and rookies. Even at their weakest, the Red Lions nearly won their fourth-straight title but were waylaid by an equally talented San Sebastian crew.

Now San Beda is back and hungry and with a mean streak in them. And it all starts out with their defense. They’ve got a huge frontline of stoppers beginning with the imposing Sudan Daniel (4.1 blocks last year), Dave Marcelo, Jake Pascual, Kyle Pascual and Anthony Semerad. And they aren’t exactly one-dimensional players because they can certainly put that ball in the hoop.

Save for Daniel who has suspect outside shooting, all have medium to long-range jump shots, can post up and either spin for a lay-in at close range or hit that turnaround jumper. These guys can put the hurt on opponents in so many ways.

And we even haven’t begun to talk about their guards and forwards.

Borgie Hermida returns for his final year as playmaker. Backing him up are Mar Villahermosa and Anjo Caram. Then there is Garvo Lanete, who could very well be the team’s go-to player. And lastly there’s Rome de la Rosa, who is a tough matchup at the small forward position.

The team is loaded in almost every position and is ready to take it to the Stags who topped them in last year’s finals.

The San Sebastian Stags are back but missing one vital cog who played a massive role in their title run—swingman Jimbo Aquino.

No one has filled his shoes as their clutch performer, although the ball will certainly be given to second-year player Calvin Abueva when they need some badly needed points.

Last year Abueva thrived on scavenging for offensive boards to putback as he made his name as a gritty and tough player. This year he’s added a lot of offense to his game, including a better outside shot, making him a legitimate Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate. Incredibly, he played center while filling out for Ian Sangalang who was briefly sidelined during the Filoil Invitationals. The Stags didn’t skip a beat as they got out on the break a whole lot faster with Abueva in the middle. And even more frightening, he averaged a double-double during the tournament; a feat that saw him rewarded with the MVP award.

The Stags won not simply because of Aquino but because they played as a team. Remember, more than half the squad last year were first-time players. And what a way to earn valuable experience for their title defense. This year they open the season as defending champs.

They have size up front, as well with Sangalang in the middle and Ronald Pascual at small forward. Off the bench, there’s Gilbert Bulawan, Dexter Maiquez, Dave Najorda and Rey Gorospe, a refugee from Adamson. On defense, they don’t play like stags but like a pack of wolves as they hound opponents until they turn over the ball. The boys from Baste feed off on Abueva’s frenetic pace. They love to gang rebound and pound foes quickly before any defense is set up.

Anthony del Rio slides into Aquino’s position alongside starting point guard Pamboy Raymundo. It’s a slick no-nonsense backcourt but for their frontline to thrive, they will need to open it up for their forwards and center. Jonathan Semira and Ray Maconocido will plug the holes by the starters. And Eric Gatchalian is an underrated point guard who can keep this team going.

Look for Abueva to continue to wreak havoc on opposing teams and lead his team to the finals for the second-straight year.

The old order changeth. No team has been harder hit in terms of manpower than the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers. They lost last year’s MVP JM Wilson who was disgruntled over the removal of former coach Ariel Vanguardia following their meltdown in the Final Four. Heady and tough quarterback Mark Cagoco is done, as is James Sena, whose underperformance all season long perhaps was the reason the Heavy Bombers did not win it at all.

New coach and former Heavy Bomber great and all-pro Vergel Meneses takes over from Vanguardia with his mentor Derek Pumaren behind the bench as consultant.

And that isn’t the only thing that is new. Raycon Kabigting and Nate Matute will start in the backcourt with John Njei at the small forward position. Jeckster Apinan and John Lopez play the center and power forward position, respectively.

Matute has speed and can hit those treys. If he has trouble nailing those shots, Alex Almario will slide to the point while Kabigting will swing over to shooting guard. It’s a combo that worked well for them because the two of them along with Njei can really push the ball for a quick bucket. Look to Lopez to also put points on the board for the starters. Although the problem with this starting unit is that they are wanting in defense.

If that’s the rub, then wait ‘til the second unit comes in. There’s Joe Etame who will be the Best Import for the National Collegiate Athletic Association this season unless Sudan Daniel decides to do something about it. What Etame has going for him are slick moves inside the paint where he can spin for a bank off the window or hit a midrange shot. And we haven’t even mentioned that he can block shots. Marvin Hayes, in his final year, will come off the bench, as will Jay-R Bulangis. Almario, former University of Santo Tomas guard Hector Badua, and forward-center Allen Montemayor will spell the 11-man rotation.

The problem with the Heavy Bombers is there is no one to strap this team on his back and carry them. Lopez most certainly can, but he needs to stay away from foul trouble. Almario is fearless but come crunch time, I’d say the ball should go to Etame who is a tough matchup down low because of his length and feathery touch. That they beat San Beda in the preseason will do wonders for their confidence.

Rick Olivarez, Business Mirror