Dynasty in the making? An early look at La Salle’s threats to a repeat

MANILA, Philippines – The DLSU Green Archers met expectations by winning the UAAP Season 79 title, a run wherein La Salle lost only once in 17 games. Add De La Salle’s undefeated journey to winning the Filoil championship, and Coach Aldin Ayo’s team went a total 26-1 in 2016, which is obviously quite the feat.

La Salle’s title roster is losing only 4 graduating players, although each one is going to be felt by the team when they return in 2017 to defend their UAAP crown and aim to start a potential dynasty. 

Having league MVP Ben Mbala back is clearly a plus, while the development and improvement of the younger Archers will be integral for a repeat. Losing Jeron Teng, a true college basketball superstar and the safety net for La Salle, doesn’t need elaboration, while Thomas Torres, Jason Perkins, and Julian Sargent’s absence will also be felt to a degree.

Before looking at the opposition who can possibly unseat the Archers, here are some questions La Salle needs to figure out itself:

Can La Salle take teams by surprise again?

The arrival of Ayo’s “Mayhem”-themed defense and the presence of Mbala took a while for other UAAP teams to get used to, but close to the end of the second round, it looked as if the Green Archers’ rivals were beginning to figure out how to better defend them.

Next season will definitely be different, seeing as Ayo will have another year to better institute his philosophies, but the coaching staff will also have to come up with new methods to surprise the UAAP, just for the sake of unpredictability.

Will DLSU still have the same hunger?

It was clear from the beginning of Season 79 that La Salle was a team on a mission – one that included many blowout wins and relentless beatdowns. Entering as the defending champion, will Mbala and the Green Archers display the same desire for a repeat?

Ayo said it multiple times – he needs his players to completely surrender to his system for it to be totally effective. There was a point late in the elimination round when La Salle clearly went away from it, and it cost them their lone loss of 2016. With knowledge that they’re the reigning titleholders, will Ayo’s boys have the same commitment and not let arrogance get in the way?

Who will be the new safety net?

Mbala was the MVP, but Teng was La Salle’s go-to option. And it showed, especially during the Final Four, when Teng’s countless heroics saved the Green Archers against Adamson in the semis and then took down the Blue Eagles in the finals.

With Teng gone, Mbala seems like the obvious choice to take his place. But for as talented as the Cameroonian is in the post, it was clear that he’s not completely polished down the block, and the Green Archers still need a perimeter option to make something out of nothing during offensive droughts.

Enter Aljun Melecio, the 2016 Rookie of the Year. The standout from Zobel has already shown guts of steel multiple times, and his ability to get off and make jumpers with impeccable footwork is a skill advanced for his age. He’s the safe bet to become the next King Archer.

Now, taking a look at the challengers:

The ready-to-contend tier

Ateneo was easily the biggest surprise of the past UAAP season, rising against adversity numerous times before eventually falling to the more talented and superior Green Archers in the finals. The best part if you’re a Blue Eagles fan is that the team is composed of guys in their early playing years, with players like Mike Nieto, Matt Nieto, Isaac Go, Adrian Wong, Aaron Black, Thirdy Ravena, Raffy Verano, and more still seasons away from reaching their peak capabilities on the basketball court.

Tab Baldwin proved he’s a basketball mastermind by steering Ateneo to their finals run despite all the obstacles, and with a season of that much experience now under the Blue Eagles’ belt, there’s no reason to believe they won’t be even better when Season 80 comes around the corner.

One concern for Ateneo is the lack of a bonafide go-to option. Ravena displayed some of it, while Matt Nieto did hit that clutch turnaround in Game 1 of the finals. But as far as the person to turn to late in games, Ateneo doesn’t have a clear choice yet. The positive spin is that the team has many young talents who seem more than capable to take the mantle.

The Adamson Soaring Falcons’ performance this past season proved that, once again, Franz Pumaren is still a college basketball coaching virtuoso. This team is built to contend for the upcoming years, with MVP runner-up Papi Sarr expected to return along with the UAAP’s version of the Splash Brothers – Rob Manalang and Jerrick Ahanmisi.

The scary thing here is that Pumaren has said his Team B is better than his Team A, and some of those recruits are coming up next season to play in the UAAP already. Add in another year of Pumaren further implementing his patented system, and betting on the Falcons making the finals looks like a good wager.

Close, but questions remain

Nash Racela didn’t leave FEU with only a championship, two finals appearances, and 4 visits to the Final Four. He also turned around a basketball program which looks poised to remain successful over the next half decade.

With Racela going to the PBA to coach TNT, questions linger on who will take his spot. It makes sense for one of his deputies – Josh Reyes or Eric Gonzales are popular options – to take control, which would give the Tamaraws program continuity as FEU aims to make it to the finals once again.

But Racela, although not as celebrated as Baldwin or Ayo, was a top-flight head coach in the college ranks. His ability to improvise allowed FEU to keep coming back in games after going down big despite a disparity in talent against its opponents. Will his replacement display the same dependable decision-making?

One good thing FEU has coming is the arrival of former Ateneo high-profile recruits Hubert Cani and Arvin Tolentino, both of whom look in tremendous shape since making the move to Morayta. While Cani has yet to find his niche in the UAAP, there clearly is talent there. Tolentino, meanwhile, is a former UAAP Rookie of the Year whose potential screams “superstar.” 

Arguably the biggest college hoops off-season move so far has been Jamike Jarin’s decision to leave San Beda and take control of the NU Bulldogs. Winning the NCAA title with the Red Lions should give National U fans reason to be excited for Jarin’s arrival, but the challenge for him now is to make the most out of a roster which has question marks.

Despite looking hobbled in his final season, Alfred Aroga was still dependable for the Bulldogs, but will Issa Gaye provide the same steady presence? Can J-Jay Alejandro make the leap and become the consistent go-to option for NU? Jarin can expect another steady season from Matt Salem, but he’ll also need some of the younger guys – like JV Gallego and Josh Sinclair – to step up in order to contend for a championship.

It’s a long road back to championship contention for the NU program, but the good news is that Jarin is a great choice to lead that turnaround. 

There certainly was improvement from UP in the team’s first year under Bo Perasol, but the goal for the Maroons next season should be to first make the Final Four – something that will depend heavily on the improvement of guys like Diego Dario, Noah Webb, and Javi Gomez De Liano. Losing Jett Manuel is no easy challenge to overcome as well.

UST should be better with Cameroonian import Steve Akomo joining the fold, although before coming up with specific goals, the program will first have to debate whether Boy Sablan is the answer at head coach. UE, meanwhile, is tough to predict after the disappointing season it just had.

The 2017 UAAP season is a year away, but rest assured the preparations have already begun. La Salle will most likely enter as the favorite to repeat, although it’s safe to assume doing so will be even more difficult than winning their first title. – Rappler.com