Saturday, October 1, 2011

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. 

No comments:

Post a Comment