My Sports: I'm back!

Lucky 14

My students did well in Wednesday's competition. Our small school (which is really small compared to our "opponents") copped 14 awards - almost double from the eight we got last year in individual writing contests.


We did not fully accomplish what we set out to do (win the overall championship) but I'm more than satisfied with the way the kids performed in this annual writing joust.


Now, we have a month to prepare for the next level, the Quezon City-wide Division Secondary Schools Press Conference, where at least 1, 600 students will compete for honors.

My Sports: A Short Break

I'm taking a short break from posting here at Bilog Ang Bola. Would have to prepare my students for our first competition this school year, the 2010 District III Secondary Schools Press Conference on Wednesday at Carlos P. Garcia High School.

So please bear with me and please pray for my students. We are aiming for a top three slot in this year's tilt.

When I go back online on Thursday, I would shower you with posts. :)

I'm working on the following stories:
* Our varsity team's dismal stint at the QCAA
* My NBA August experience
* A Draft Report Card for each PBA Team
* My UAAP Final Four placing predictions
* A story on two UAAP courtside reporters

Please keep visiting! Thanks!

NBA: Ano raw? #4

Ano raw?

(Over) heard by Josiah Israel Albelda

28 August 2010

The Triggerman put on a shooting clinic last night, connecting on 14 of his 26 triples en route to 54 points and his Red team's 177 - 167 victory over White. The entire Araneta Coliseum crowd was on its feet every time Allan Caidic launched his trifecta attempts. And NBA legends Glen Rice and Gary Payton were major major fans themselves.


#3 "Parang may sakit yung mascot ng KFC. Dapat lutuin na yan." - a fan behind me chuckled when a lethargic Chuckie was drubbed by Burnie, the Miami Heat mascot, in their dance showdown.


#2 "Di na makayuko e. Haha. Ayan parang hihimatayin na." - another fan after Atoy Co missed his fifth consecutive shot. He finished with 10 points on five-of-21 shooting. At 59, the Fortune Cookie was able to run up and down for 13 minutes.


#1 "Trigger! I'm all about Trigger right now!" - Glen Rice proclaimed after seeing Caidic show the devastating form that made him the greatest shooter in Philippine basketball history.


#0.5 "But there's only one thing I could say now: Trigger! Trigger! Trigger!" - Rice, obviously enamoured, told reporters.


#0.25 "He's the truth." - Gary Payton said on Caidic's reputation of being a deadly long-range bomber.


#0 "Ayun maghahagis ng sapatos! Takbo! Takbo!" - a fan screamed when former PBA import and retiring D-Leaguer Richie Frahm threw his shoes to the stands.

Video #3: John Wall got served

Served

By Josiah Israel Albelda

Video from Balls is Life

Top high school prospect Austin Rivers blew by NBA #1 Draft Pick John Wall for an easy layup then stole off him in the next play - a preview of what could be one of the fiercest backcourt battles in the near future.

Find more videos like this on BALL IS LIFE

Blog Survey #2: Al-Hussaini, Espiritu, Baclao to be taken first three in PBA draft

Rabeh to be PBA's top draft pick

By Josiah Israel Albelda

Photos from Google Images

27 August 2010

With Air21 sorely lacking in ceiling in the coming PBA wars, Bilog ang Bola readers say that the Express will take the three best big men from college in Sunday's Draft at the Market! Market!


Former UAAP MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini of Ateneo collected 23 out of 24 votes (95%) to top the week-long survey posted here. 


The six-foot-six slotman is also expected by pundits to be the top pick in the annual selection of rookies.


His Season 72 finals foe, the high-flying Elmer Espiritu, came in second with 14 votes (58%) while Al-Hussaini's frontcourt partner, Nonoy Baclao was third with 13 votes (54%).


While three ex-UAAP stars rounded up the top three vote-getters, former NCAA stalwarts occupied slots four to six.


San Sebastian's prolific scorer Jimbo Aquino got six votes (25%), last season's MVP John Wilson of Jose Rizal University had five (20%) and Letran's sharpshooting RJ Jazul finished with three (12%).


Borgie Hermida (San Beda), Pari Llagas (UE) and Rey Guevarra (Letran) had one vote (4%) each. Arellano's Gio Ciriacruz did not get any vote.


This week's survey would be on which team will top the elimination round of the UAAP.

NBA: Trigger, trigger, trigger

Triggerman Explosion

By Josiah Israel Albelda

27 August 2010

Legendary PBA marksman Allan Caidic left the visiting NBA stars in awe after draining 14 three-point shots to power the Red Team to a 177 - 167 trimming of the White Team in the 2010 NBA Asia Challenge tonight at the Araneta Coliseum.

The 47-year-old "Triggerman" led all scorers with 54 points in only 24 minutes as he and former NBA All-Stars Glen Rice and Gary Payton broke away early in the final quarter to post the victory over the quintet of Chris Webber and Mitch Richmond.

Ex-Crispa Redmanizer Atoy Co also stole the show with his on-court antics. He finished with 10 points on five-of-21 shooting.

(Full game story tomorrow)

The scores:

Red (177) - Caidic 54, Lazare 22, Rice 19, Santos 16, Meneses 16, Maierhofer 15, McCray 11, Co 10, Tenorio 7, Payton 7

White (167) - Frahm 24, Webber 24, Tyndale 22, Hontiveros 20, Paras 18, Magsanoc 16, Patrimonio 16, Richmond 16, Tubid 13

Quarterscores: 38 - 44; 92 - 94; 124 - 124; 177 - 167

UAAP: Easter Thursday

Easter Thursday
Warriors ground out-of-sync Eagles

By Josiah Israel Albelda

26 August 2010

Given up for dead after a dismal start, University of the East breathed life into its sagging campaign, slaying another giant in Ateneo de Manila University, 62 - 60, at the Araneta Coliseum Thursday.


Sharpshooting guard James Martinez connected on four three-pointers in the fourth quarter - including a dagger with under two minutes left - to send the Red Warriors to their second straight victory in the 73rd UAAP men's basketball tournament.


The Recto-based squad thus improved to four wins in 11 matches, only a week after stunning second-running Adamson University last Saturday.


Likewise, the victory kept UE alive in its bid to snatch the last Final Four spot from idle De La Salle University.


"I can compare this game to Easter Sunday," Coach Lawrence Chongson told reporters. "This is like a resurrection for us."


"We are playing like there's no tomorrow."


The Red Warriors kept the game close all throughout before hitting the baskets when they mattered most to send the Blue Eagles crashing back to earth following a demolition of their rivals last Sunday.


Martinez, Adrian Santos and Paul Lee conspired as UE dropped a 7 - 0 blast to start the final period and tie the game at 45 apiece.


Both squads traded baskets before the six-foot Martinez drained back-to-back treys to push the Red Warriors up, 56 - 50.


"Hinahanap talaga ako ng mga kakampi ko kaya naging open ako," the guard, coming back from an ACL injury that derailed him last season, said.


UE seemed to break away but the Blue Eagles came back, delivering their own 7 - 0 run capped by an Erik Salamat triple with a little over two minutes remaining.


Lee, who struggled for nine points on three-of-15 shooting, then sank two free throws before Martinez finished the Katipunan-based squad off with a desperation heave.


"Wala ng nangyayari nun, so tinira ko na," he added. "Buti pumasok."


Ateneo played without the vim and vigor it showed when it dismantled De La Salle, 74 - 57, last weekend and was held to an atrocious 27.7% shooting.


The Blue Eagles and Coach Norman Black complained a million times about what they saw as bum calls and were obviously out of focus the whole match.


On the other hand, Chongson viewed this game as their biggest of the season - and his boys were up to the task.


"Right now, we can still enter the Final Four," he shared. "We have to take care of what we can take of and God will do the rest."


Martinez finished with 22 points on six-of-10 three-point shooting while improving center Ezer Rosopa added 12 markers, eight boards and a career-high four blocked shots.


Meanwhile, Salamat led the Blue and White with 16 points while burly slotman Jumbo Escueta had his best game with 10 points, all in the first half.


The scores:


UE (62) - Martinez 22, Rosopa 12, Lee 9, Acibar 7, Reyes 6, Santos 2, Casajeros 2, Tagarda 2, Enguio 0, Zamar 0, Sumido 0, Duran 0


Ateneo (60) - Salamat 16, Escueta 10, Monfort 9, Chua 9, Buenafe 5, Long 4, Dela Cruz 3, Tiongson 2, Golla 2, Salva 0, Gonzaga 0, Austria 0


Quarterscores: 10 - 8; 27 - 27; 38 - 45; 62 - 60