DEAD BLOG TALKING

Its been quite a while since I decided to post on my blog. I have had a rough hell week and quarterly test week so that pretty much explains it. Don't worry, I'll update the blog once I get to "interview" my brother regarding his FIBA Asia experience. 

Temporarily, I would like to share my desktop wallpaper for the past several months until I decided to change it today. It gives a lot of meaning and hope. 

Hope you enjoy it! 

"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."
                                                                                              - Joshua J. Marine

Beasts From Asia

Today, as the Energen RP Youth U-16 National Team departed for Nha Trang, Vietnam, I remember telling my brother something, "Remember, your playing against 7-footers possibly headed to the NBA". Yes, potential NBA prospects are very much present in this competition but I will be highlighting two centers who could and can potentially post problems for us presently and for the years to come (since we are most definitely rooting for the Philippines). 

Zhou Qi - China 

Height: 215 cm (Approx: 7'1") 

Age: 15

Birthday: 16/01/1996 (Day/Month/Year)

Already dubbed "The Next Yao Ming", a lot of weight lies on the shoulders of Zhou Qi to lead China to its "rightful" place in Asian basketball, the top. Zhou is most known for his dominating performances in the semi-final and championship game in an U-16 tournament where he became an overnight sensation. He posted a dominating triple-double performance of 41 points, 28 rebounds, and 15 blocks against Germany and followed it up with  30 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 blocks in the finals against Turkey where he led China to the Gold and earning the MVP in the process. In NBADraft.net, they already have Zhou as the #1 ranked prospect in the class of 2015 or 2016 and some scouts even consider him to be better than Yao Ming at his age. As you can see in the video above, Zhou is a fundamentally sound player who can finish with both hands. He has a very lanky frame which makes him a longer player but a much weaker player (he is only listed 190 pounds). He also has the ability to step-away from the basket and shoot mid-range jumpers. He still has to develop his athleticism and his strength but he has the quickness to make up for it as of the moment. Zhou also has the ability to block shots but he swats in-play and allows his teammates to get it and start a fastbreak. His listed birth year is 1996 and has not changed since. (But we all assume he is older than that)

Satnam Singh Bhamara - India

Height: 204 cm 

Age: 15

Birthday: 12/10/1995 (Day/Month/Year)

If Zhou Qi is "The Next Yao Ming", then Satnam Singh Bhamara is "India's Yao Ming". Hailing from a small town in Northern India, Satnam Singh is a young kid trapped in a structured and chiseled body of a man. Satnam is a legitimate post player with a feathery outside touch. For the past year, he has been attending the IMF Basketball Academy in Florida, where he was given a 4-year scholarship. I remembered Satnam as a very slow player but played with a lot of intensity. He had weak legs but made up for it with his wide and broad body. Based on the video, we can see that Satnam has continued to develop his low post game. He can now finish comfortably with both his left and right hand. He also is now comfortable dunking the ball rather than shooting very awkward scoop shots. Satnam already now knows how to run down the floor and does it with a purpose. His outside shot is still silky smooth allowing the opposing bigs to step away from the shaded area. He is also a force to be reckoned with on defense and he swats away a ton of shots while altering a lot more in the process. 

 Article on Satnam Singh Bhamara

On a side note, China and India will play against each other on October 18, 2011 at 2100 in the 2nd FIBA Asia U-16 tournament held in Nha Trang, Vietnam. We'll see who has a better game when the giants clash. 

3,000 Views: Josh Selby Biggest Steal in the Draft

In celebration of my 3,000 blog views, I will try to rank 3,000 of the best basketball players of all-time-just kidding. I don't even think that is feasible. Instead, let me tell you about my pick for the biggest steal in this year's NBA Draft. Rivals #1 ranked prospect 2 years ago (last year being #MainMan Austin Rivers), Josh Selby is one heck of a player. A 6'2 combo guard, he can blow by you for an emphatic dunk, finish strong with both hands, and he can shoot the lights out from downtown. One thing that probably hurt Selby's stock (He was projected a first round pick but slided all the way down to 49) is probably that he didn't play a lot of games for the Kansas Jayhawks. He missed a ton of games during the start of the season because of an NCAA probation. In Selby's first game, his was clearly out of shape, but that didn't stop him from dominating the game. Selby toyed with his opponents and even nailed the game-winning 3. That would only be Selby's high point in his stint with Kansas as he struggled with injuries after.

The Grizzlies took a chance with this player and I believe Selby will be a great asset to their team. He can add another dimension in their point guard rotation bringing in an athletic and score-first mentality. No offense to Mike Conley and Grievis Vasquez but its about time someone great runs the point for the Grizzlies.

A video on Selby's dominating summer. Biggest steal in the NBA Draft.

P.S. Thanks for all the support. I appreciate it! Please spread the word and view my blog site morning, noon, and night like clockwork!

Craziest Game of the Summer

Nuff said...

You Are Bano If You...

 A great magazine article on how to be "bano" in the game of basketball. Credits to John So for the pictures, I had no camera a while ago. 

UAAP Season 74

Great things always have their conclusions and that's what happened today as the UAAP Seniors Basketball season officially closed with the Game 2 victory of the Ateneo Blue Eagles over the FEU Tamaraws. Sad as it may seem, we must reflect on the great season that has been. 

Ateneo's Dominance... AGAIN 

The Blue Eagles again proved that they are the best team in College basketball as they trashed every University they faced from Morayta to Katipunan to Espana. The Blue Eagles are a loaded team with talented players from rookies to their reliable veterans but what makes them a much tougher team next year is that their core players are coming back to Loyola Heights for one more shot. As many of you might be forgetting, Ryan Buenafe will be playing next year (hopefully) and that's a positive sign. Ryan only makes their team stronger and deeper especially if Slaughter does play again next year. 

Young Blood 

This season's rookies are arguably the best batch in UAAP history. Led by the first so-called "Rookie-MVP" Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. and this year's Rookie of the Year in Kiefer Ravena, these players bring in added talent and intensity to the game. Most of these talented rookies came from the RP U-16 and U-18 National Teams of Coach Eric Altamirano. This goes to show that the future looks bright for Philippine basketball and of course our beloved UAAP. 

Competitive Games 

Gone were the days wherein teams occasionally get blown out by 30 or 40 points at the collegiate level. Yes, blowouts still happen but not anymore those types of games wherein you know that they have no chance of winning. This season's UAAP had very intense down to the wire games and as basketball fanatics, we love that. We love intense games wherein one minor mistake makes a big difference and sways the outcome of the game because its breathtaking and heart stopping. We love it when a team shows great passion and heart to do anything humanly possible to get that victory that cannot be found in our pro league (just sayin'). 

No more wasted time... (LOL!) 

Now that the UAAP is gone, we have less time to waste staying in front of the TV because we have to see Ray Ray Parks, Kiefer Ravena, Jeric Teng, or Greg Slaughter dominate the opposition? Most certainly, they complete our Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons but don't we have better things to do? Basketball for most of us is a medium for entertainment and it is through the UAAP that our passion for the game is exemplified. I'm most definitely going to miss those afternoons where I disregard my homeworks because I get to see these players masterfully play the game of basketball. Now, I'm forced to use the extra time to hit the books; not a good feeling. LOL! 

With the season officially over, we look ahead to next year's season. National University is going to be next year's host and the state of the art Mall of Asia Arena is going to open next season bringing the games to a whole new level. Very little college superstars are leaving making next season just as competitive as this. Undoubtedly, the UAAP will continue to be parts of our lives, even if it only lasts for less than 4 months a year.