It's do or die time for the UST Growling Tigers
and the FEU Tamaraws. The Tigers
take on the defending champions Ateneo
Blue Eagles while the Tams sneak a finals seat against the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
Ever
since FEU had a lineup with Aldrech
Ramos, Jens Knuttel, and JR Cawaling
in tow, they have been title contenders. However, Adamson had an intact lineup
from the last season and they expect to peak to form especially with how their
season turned out.
POINT
GUARD:
This
is a matchup where a pass-first quarterback faces off against young scoring
machine. I’m going to give this to Lester Alvarez because he can score and at
the same time can administer authority to become the perfect extension of Leo
Austria inside the court. Besides, Romeo’s turnovers could cause him to move
out of the PG spot in favor of the more experienced Jens Knuttel.
ADAMSON / LESTER ALVAREZ
9.9RPG – 1.9RPG – 3.0APG – 1.6SPG
FEU / TERRENCE ROMEO
9.9PPG – 4.7RPG – 2.9APG
FAVOR: ADAMSON
SHOOTING
GUARD:
It’s
the battle of the team’s two aces. We all know how capable RR Garcia is. He is
a wunderkind that can spook defenses inside and outside the shaded area.
However, I am really happy with the way Nuyles is playing for the Falcons right
now. He has readily taken over the leadership position and he has improved in
all aspects of his game. It’s tough to rate this part.
ADAMSON / ALEX NUYLES
15.2PPG – 5.5RPG – 3.3APG
FEU / RR GARCIA
16.4PPG – 3.8RPG – 2.7APG
FAVOR: ADAMSON
SMALL
FORWARD:
With
the injuries to their key men, FEU is blowing hot and cold. Thankfully Cris
Tolomia is stepping up to cancel out the deficiency caused by the team’s lack
of vets. The rookie however will face tough opposition with Janus Lozada hoping
to win this small forward battle. Lozada is battle-tested especially during
do-or-die games which is trouble for the rookie.
ADAMSON / JANUS LOZADA
8.3PPG – 3.9RPG – 1.5APG
FEU / CRIS TOLOMIA
5.9PPG – 3.5RPG – 1.5APG
FAVOR: ADAMSON
POWER
FORWARD:
The
frontcourt is something you’d expect the Tamaraws would win but following the
loss of Pippo Noundou and Christian Sentcheu, and the inconsistencies of Cruz, Anton
Bringas, and Russel Escoto, Adamson can snag another win here. But it’s a thin
margin for the Falcons – with the defensive savvy Lionel Manyara, Jan Colina,
and Rodney Brondial leading the way.
ADAMSON / LIONEL MANYARA
4.2PPG – 5.9RPG – 2.2BPG
FEU / CARL BRYAN CRUZ
4.0PPG – 4.1RPG – 1.0APG
FAVOR: ADAMSON
CENTER:
Aldrech
Ramos will have to help RR Garcia in the team’s scoring load. Former
Smart-Gilas player JR Cawaling is day-to-day so Ramos needs to unleash his
almost-MVP form for the sake of a rubber match. Eric Camson is not a flash in
the pan. He is seen by many as a young Danny I and it will definitely boost his
stock if he can stop Ramos in a big match scenario.
ADAMSON / ERIC CAMSON
11.3PPG – 7.8RPG
FEU / ALDRECH RAMOS
11.8PPG – 9.4RPG – 1.5APG – 1.2BPG
FAVOR: FEU
SIXTH
MAN:
Again
this is something Adamson will feel comfortable in. The Falcons have in their
disposal Colina, a veteran performer looking to add a championship title to pad
his future. Adamson will also have Roider Cabrera and Jerick Canada to sink the
Tamaraws chances. Like I said, FEU needs the help they can get with Exciminiano
and Cawaling unsure on whether or not they can physically help their squad.
ADAMSON / JAN COLINA
3.2PPG – 3.7RPG
FEU / CHRIS EXCIMINIANO
5.0PPG – 3.8RPG – 1.3APG – 1.2SPG
FAVOR: ADAMSON
VERDICT:
I
believe that after a decade of tears and heartbreak, now is the time to see the
Falcons on top of the UAAP. Sure it’s going to be a challenge for them to
withstand the Tamaraws but unless they find it hard to fight off Garcia, Ramos,
and Romeo... and they let another player help the three in terms of scoring, I
think Adamson can deliver in crunch time.
Game
over.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment