GREEN and BLUE. La Salle and Ateneo.
Who among of you don’t know those giants? well, they are not really giants that we know, but analogically speaking, the are the kings of the court when it comes to UAAP.
The unequalled rivalry between the De La Salle Green Archers and the Ateneo Blue Eagles really never ceases to amaze me.
The passion that these two institutions have going up against each other has not waned through the years, and in fact, some will argue that it has even grown.
Save for for the post-fight melees that used to occur outside the playing venue immediately after, I would have to agree.
Tickets to the game are still the hottest commodity in town. The scalpers are still making more from this game than they would for an international artist’s concert. And phones are continuously left unanswered by school officials, coaches, and players who have access to these prized possessions.
The Green Archers are well aware of the fact that they have not won a regular season game since 2005, which is very long ago.
The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, are looking to continue their domination of the match-up as long as they possibly can.
Obviously, something’s got to give.
Leading up to their previous classic encounters, you would have an inkling as to who had the upper hand, especially on paper.
Many would argue that this isn’t important because a DLSU-ADMU clash throws all that out the window.
The players perform like in no other situation when faced against each other, and I agree.
But still, let’s look at who should have an advantage, at least on paper.
Being the defending champions, Ateneo should have the edge, but because they lost their top three players in Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, and Jai Reyes, this team is definitely not as potent.
Their holdovers are good, but not overpowering.
Nico Salva is now their best weapon in the post, with Ryan Buenafe a factor, too, while their strength in the guard core is formidable.
Eric Salamat should be lording it over, but he seems to be struggling in the leadership role, but Kirk Long, Emman Monfort, and Bacon Austria have been doing quite well.
The Eagles are also excited now that they feel that Justin Chua is starting to come into his own, after his breakthrough performance against University of Santo Tomas, topscoring with 17 points, but more importantly eight of them coming in the crucial fourth quarter.
The only blemish on Ateneo’s card is their loss to title favorite Far Eastern University so it’s not a concern.
La Salle totes the same record, 2-1, but the Green Archers have blown hot and cold.
They had a rousing debut, blasting highly touted University of the Philippines on opening day but succumbing to the souped-up National University squad in their second game.
Then they demolished last year’s finalist University of the East, who really aren’t that potent to begin with anymore, leading up to the much awaited game this Saturday.
The key for the Archers at the start of the season were to get their veterans to blend properly with their seven freshmen and four sophomores, and when they were successful, it translated into wins. When they struggled, it showed.
What will be interesting is to see how La Salle’s talented guard core of Simon Atkins, Nico Elorde, Joshua Webb, and Joseph Marata compare to their counterparts.
The big men should also play a big role since Yutien Andrada, Maui Villanueva and Ferdinand will play major minutes.
A plus is it looks like Philip Paredes, like Chua, is getting comfortable so it’s shaping up to be another battle royale.
Ateneo should have the edge but they will have to prove that they can handle La Salle’s relentless pressure.
At the end of the games, will the Ateneo continue to reign as the king of the court? As what I always say, We’ll see!
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The UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) will not be complete without its annual cheerleading competition just like any collegiate basketball league.
