Gutsy Adamson, NU stamp class in UAAP Season 84 as teams on the rise

MANILA, Philippines – Until the last playdate of the UAAP Season 84 elimination round, three of the eight teams were scrapping and clawing for the last Final Four spot, and no one could have surely predicted how the final results would turn out.

When the dust settled, the FEU Tamaraws booked the final playoff ticket off a 44-point demolition of UST, while the Adamson Soaring Falcons and the NU Bulldogs just missed the bus by one win.

Although ultimately hampered by inconsistencies coming off inexperience, make no mistake, these two young teams are here to stay in the thick of playoff contention for years to come after falling short this season.

Adamson, now mentored by champion coach Nash Racela, just secured the main star of its blossoming roster for the long haul after King Falcon Jerom Lastimosa – also the league’s leading scorer for Season 84 – committed to play out his remaining two years.

The 23-year-old lead guard spearheaded the Falcons’ ferocious second-round run, where they rose from a pitiful 1-6 record by rattling off four straight wins before ultimately settling for a 6-8 slate.

“I always said before the start of the tournament that I didn’t really know as a coach what to expect from our team given the very minimal time of preparation,” Racela said. “But I was really surprised with how the team developed, and with how we progressed over parts of the tournament.”

As Lastimosa led by example, other Adamson youngsters also found their groove like guards Joem Sabandal and Didat Hanapi, while forward Cedrick Manzano finished as the top local shot blocker with a 1.21 blocks average in under 15 minutes per game.

From San Marcelino to Sampaloc, NU likewise made a lot of noise by ending the first round with a 4-3 record off the abundant energy of the new Bulldogs breed.

Despite having veterans like John Lloyd Clemente, Shaun Ildefonso, Enzo Joson, and Issa Gaye, NU instead got consistent contributions from rookie guard Janjan Felicilda, third-year forward Michael Malonzo, and former juniors rookie-MVP Jake Figueroa.

Although as expected from a squad getting heavy involvement from the young guns, the Bulldogs fell off a cliff in the second round with four straight losses before getting back to their winning ways.

By then, their momentum was long gone as La Salle put them out of their misery on the last day of eliminations to also settle with a 6-8 record like Adamson.

While first-year UAAP seniors head coach Jeff Napa was admittedly disappointed after losing steam in the crucial stretch, he is still excited for the new heights his boys can reach in the near future.

“It’s not only Jake who’s playing well. Steve Nash (Enriquez) is playing great, and Janjan and Mike are playing great as well. It just so happened that these guys aren’t robots, and they also get tired,” he said in Filipino after the tough season-ending loss to La Salle.

“We will carry with us this defeat. It’s heartbreaking, but we have to move forward. It’s also a learning experience for me as a rookie coach against veterans,” the multi-time juniors champion coach added. “Maybe it’s a challenge for me to still get better.”

As more teams lose veteran firepower starting next season, the outlook of fringe Final Four aspirants like Adamson and NU are only bound to get better.

Dealing with multiple contenders can only spell more headaches for coaches and scouts, but for UAAP fans, all they need to worry about is getting their school chants right, as more competitive basketball is headed their way soon enough. – Rappler.com