By Jerome Lagunzad
Game Today
(Smart-Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs FEU
(Final Four, Blue Eagles with 2x-to-beat edge)
As far as Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin is concerned, the top-seeded Blue Eagles have no distinct advantage, except for the playoff bonus, when they take on the fourth-ranked Tamaraws of host Far Eastern University today in the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball tournament.
“FEU is an outstanding basketball team and they’re absolutely worthy semifinalists and we’re gonna have a tough game with them,” he said ahead of their 4 p.m. showdown that’s expected to draw a capacity crowd at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Blue Eagles initially had an easy time dispatching the Tamaraws, 94-82, in the first round but were pushed to their limit in their second meeting as they came from behind in pulling off a 70-59 win nearly a month ago.
That tough outing, coupled with how the Tamaraws, then handled by current TNT coach Nash Racela, gave them a big scare in last year’s semifinal round, should be enough for the Blue Eagles to be wary despite a twice-to-beat edge, admitted Baldwin.
“They are really tough. We played them last year and they took the first game from us,” he said, an observation echoed by ace wingman Thirdy Ravena.
“Tough team, always well-prepared, well-coached and they have great players,” he said of the Tamaraws. “We can’t slack off. We can’t think about anything forward, because the next important game is the next game.”
FEU coach Olsen Racela, the younger brother of Nash, will make his Final Four debut right on his first year and he will surely have his hands full against Baldwin, a former Gilas Pilipinas mentor.
But Racela is putting more premium on making sure that the Tamaraws are up to the daunting task against the high-flying Blue Eagles determined to bounce back following a tough loss to archrival and defending champion La Salle Green Archers last week that prevented them an outright berth to the best-of-three finals.
“Dadaan kami sa butas ng karayom,” he said. “Sa akin lang, iniisip ko, more than ‘yung kalaban namin is yung sarili namin going into the Final Four. Sabi nga ni Richard (Escoto), nasa Final Four na kami. We’re happy, but we’re not contented.”
Racela is expected to draw most of his strength from a veteran-laden FEU crew led by wingmen Ron Dennison and Ino Comboy, Cameroon big man Prince Orizu, forward Arvin Tolentino and a plethora of solid guards that include Fil-Am Jasper Parker, Hubert Cani and Axel Iñigo.
The 6-foot-3 Ravena, who made it to this year’s Mythical Team, is tipped to lead Ateneo’s potent attack alongside Cameroonian Chibueze Ikeh, Vince Tolentino, guards Matt Nieto, Anton Asistio and Aaron Black.
