Final 4 coaches pick Ateneo

By Jonas Terrado - Manila Bulletin - September 13, 2008

Coaches from three of the four teams in the Final Four of the 71st UAAP basketball tournament are in agreement: Ateneo is the team to beat this year.

And for Bong Ravena, an assistant coach at University of the East, which goes to Sunday’s semifinals against the Blue Eagles surrendering a twice-to-beat edge, having to beat Ateneo twice is a task almost Herculean in nature.

"They have the twice-to-beat advantage. That is the task we will try to overcome," Ravena said.
"And of course, they play smart basketball on every possession so kailangan talaga naming I-value pag nasa amin ang bola."

Far Eastern coach Glenn Capacio, De La Salle assistant Tonichi Yturri, and Ravena graced yesterday’s SCOOP sa Kamayan-Padre Faura and pointed to the imposing presence of center Raveh Al-Hussaini as Ateneo’s biggest asset.

"Siyempre yung advantage nila yung sa big man, lalo na si Rabeh," said Capacio. "Kasi kailangan mong siya i-double siya pero kailangan mo din bantayan ang mga shooters nila so may advantage talaga sila."

"Like what coach Glenn said, Rabeh has become a player that you have to think of," Yturri said. "I think they are playing the best basketball among the top four teams."

The object of the coaches’ high regard, Norman Black, their Ateneo counterpart, offered no contrasting view.

Black, who also attended the weekly forum, credited his team’s size for its 13-1 record during the elimination.

"I think the thing that we have been utilizing most over the course of the year has been our size and our ability to get the ball inside," Black said.

"Rabeh has improved a lot this season. In the beginning, I don’t think anybody took him seriously. But I think in the second round, teams started double-teaming him more, giving our shooters more good looks."

Regardless of their sparkling record and playoff advantage, Black said he isn’t looking beyond their semifinal encounter with UE.

"There’s always pressure, it’s part of the game,"said Black. "At this point of the season, we already played 14 games and we have a big game on Sunday so we’ll just concentrate on the game and not be too worried about the pressure because it’s always there."

Pressure is neither a factor for the defending champion Green Archers when they go up against the FEU Tamaraws, said Yturri.

"I think that from the start of this season, big things are expected from La Salle," he said. "I think there should not be any pressure on us. What we are more concerned of is our seeming inability to close out games resoundingly. It’s more mental than physical."

FEU’s 62-59 loss to La Salle, which blew a 15-point lead before regrouping, in the playoff Thursday was a huge disappointment for Capacio.

"Our backs are against the wall," Capacio said. "Siyempre mababa ang morale ng team pero para ma-extend namin ng isa pang game dapat magawa namin yung aming part."

Ravena, on the other hand, relishes their underdog label against Ateneo.

"Since the Nike Summer League championship, hindi pa namin tinatalo ang Ateneo," said Ravena. "But we will play hard and do whatever it takes to win."