What a collegiate hoops season

Last week the men’s basketball season in the country’s biggest collegiate leagues — University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association — drew to a close, and, boy, what a season it was.

In the end, after months of classification play and playoffs, left standing were the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP, and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights over at the NCAA, two teams undeniably deserving of the crowns they hold for the way they carved their paths to the Promised Land.

Ateneo in UAAP Season 82 completed a rare perfect season, going undefeated in 16 matches, and completing a three-peat in the process, the second time it has achieved winning three straight league titles in its history.

To say that the Eagles dominated the competition is really an understatement for they had the competition right in their hands, nay, claws, right from the get-go.

Sure they were challenged and had their struggles here and there, but they did win convincingly and found ways to notch victories when things did not go seamless for them.

Such showing is a testament to the kind of program Ateneo has under current coach Tab Baldwin, who has done a solid job in developing the team’s attack on both ends of the court.

They were in top three in practically every statistic, including tops in points allowed — limiting opponents to just 61.81 points.

Their offense was not shabby either, averaging 78.32 points per game, good for second.

And the result was just staggering.

They swept the elimination round, rendering the semifinals a stepladder.

In the finals, they were just a handful for the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, who despite giving their all and gave Ateneo a scare, especially in Game Two, just could not go over the hump when the Eagles put their foot down on the way to the title.

No Ateneo player made it to the mythical team but it is anything but a knock on them, and instead is further proof of their team’s collective might, which no other team this season was able to stay par with.

Despite falling short in the finals, UST also had it solid in the second year of coach Aldin Ayo.

The Tigers were still a work in progress but it did not stop them from making things happen.

While they were the lowest seed entering the stepladder, the Tigers toppled teams that stand in their way and the finals — beating the Far Eastern University Tamaraws in the first step before overhauling the twice-to-beat advantage of the second seeds University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the next.

UST showed a firm grip of its identity as a team under Ayo, allowing it to put up, for the most part, a sustained fight all season long.

UP wound up third and showed promise but for all the talent it had in the team was proven to be not ready collectively the way the Maroons were in Season 81 when they barged into the finals after more than 30 years.

One-and-done players were featured this season and the likes of Jamie Malonzo of La Salle, Rey Suerte of University of the East and Val Chauca of Adamson surely did not disappoint with quality showing and highlight-reel moments.

NCAA
Over at the NCAA, the San Beda University Red Lions dominated the competition in the elimination round, sweeping the classification phase to directly make their way to the finals and, like in the UAAP, render the semifinals a step-ladder.

But while the Lions had most of the attention of the NCAA-dom, Letran had something special brewing as it turned out.

Had their rough moments in the eliminations on their way to finishing third heading into the playoffs, the Knights were just not to be stopped once they got their firm footing, which could not have come at a better time — the playoffs.

They eliminated the San Sebastian Stags first then upset the second-seeded Lyceum Pirates to book a spot in the championship series against San Beda.

In the finals, Letran had every answer and more against the Lions, who to be fair never gave up their title without a fight.

The Knights were just go-getting in their mission and it made a huge difference.

Season 95, too, was the last year that foreign student athletes get to play in men’s basketball in the NCAA, ending an era which many acknowledge to have helped grow the league further.

Indeed, collegiate hoops this year was to be remembered in more ways than one. We should deem ourselves lucky to have witnessed it. Till next year.