Ikeh situation arises at inopportune time for Ateneo

MANILA, Philippines – In the second quarter against the UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, November 4, Kiefer Ravena took a few jab steps. You know, the ones he usually takes before elevating, arms up in the air, for a 3-pointer with the arc of the ball forming the shape of a rainbow.

Spoiler alert: he was going to take a 3-ball. He did. It went in. There was a hand in his face as he attempted it. Heck, I don’t think he even saw the rim. Didn’t matter. That’s Kiefer Ravena for you. Swish. 

Ateneo was up by double digits. Later on, I saw Arvin Tolentino looking like last year’s Arvin Tolentino: shooting jumpers, attacking the rim, confident cockiness and swagger on display. And then, I saw Adrian Wong hit every 3-pointer he took.

Scratch that – he actually missed one, going 3-of-4 – but with the way he was shooting, you would have thought the rookie was the second coming of Larry Fonacier. 

Later, I saw Chibueze Ikeh catch a pass, turn around, and hit a hook shot. Seriously, Ikeh – the same guy pundits said couldn’t even catch a basketball if his life depended on it prior to the season. He finished with 6 points, 8 rebounds, and a +15. Ask any Ateneo fan, and they’ll admit to you the big man has far exceeded all expectations entering UAAP Season 78.

It didn’t even matter that Von Pessumal, the second best player of the team this season – in some games, THE best player – scored just 5 points on 2-of-7 shooting.

Here’s my point: Ateneo looked good. Very good, in fact, against UP. Save for that sloppy third period, they were perfect. Truth be told, they’ve been close to perfect since they lost their second round opener to FEU. 

Adamson, UST, NU, UP. That’s 4 straight wins and a current 8-4 record. From talks of Bo Perasol’s impending departure and John Apacible’s stupid mistake, the discussion centered on the Blue Eagles have turned to “will they catch UST for the second seed?”

UST currently stands at 9-3. The Blue Eagles have split their season series with the Growling Tiger. I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I’d take the guys in blue in a virtual best of 3 series against UST right now. 

The Growling Tigers are slumping.

The Blue Eagles? Well, they now belong in the same conversation when you mention FEU and UST as the class of the UAAP. Frankly, that was supposed to be the original title of this column. Something like, “Ateneo now belongs in conversation of UAAP’s best.”

It’s funny how one night can change a lot.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think Ateneo, with the level they’re playing in right now, is right there at the top. 

The question is, can they stay there after what has just transpired?

Let me recap how crazy the past 24 hours have been:

Policemen from the Quezon City Police District trooped to the Araneta Coliseum locker room section after Ateneo’s game against UP. There, they talked to officials of the Blue Eagles and Ateneo’e big men, Ikeh, who got in a white Starex van with an unidentified woman following two hours of discussion.

Apparently, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Ikeh, who was detained at the warrants section of the CIDU in Camp Karingal. The Cameroonian is facing a criminal case for violation of Section 5 (h) of the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act (RA No. 9262). 

He was released at 12:30 pm on Thursday, November 6, after his bail of 24,000 pesos was posted.

Wait, here’s where it gets pretty intense:

According to a report by Inquirer, the complaint was filed by Elsa Payumo-Ulloa, reportedly Ikeh’s ex-girlfriend in 2014. The article indicates Ikeh met her through “professional dealings” (Ulloa was a coordinator and representative for Guam basketball). The woman said Ikeh asked her for money and it summed up to more than $1,000. 

Ulloa also says that Ikeh “borrowed” her smartphone and threw it on the floor when she asked for its return. He did that after calling her a “bitch.” According to a report by the Tiebreakertimes, the incident happened in Ikeh’s dormitory, with many spectators witnessing what transpired.

Like I said, pretty crazy.

Will Ikeh play in his team’s next game against La Salle on Sunday? It looks like he will.

“I don’t see any reason why he will be barred because this has nothing to do with the UAAP or even Ateneo,” the university’s athletics director Em Fernandez told reporters outside the Quezon City Police District Headquarters on Thursday.

That’s fine with me. It makes sense. After all, I still believe in one of the oldest sayings in the court of law: “innocent until proven guilty.” 

We’ve heard about the accusations of Ulloa, who according to this report by Spin.ph, filed a charge against Ikeh for domestic violence. 

Was it emotional or physical abuse? I’m not sure, but sources have told Rappler that there was no physical harm done to the woman. 

But, here’s where it gets tricky for me:

“Ikeh will not be making a statement regarding the matter,” Fernandez told the reporters.

Is it a private matter, like what Fernandez said to the media repeatedly at the Big Dome the night policemen approached Ikeh? Absolutely. However, almost everyone now knows the reason why RTC Branch 104 Judge Catherine T. Manodon issued a warrant for the big man’s arrest. In one day, specific incidents involving the personalities involved have been made public, and I’m going to assume more will come to light sooner than later.

Ikeh should give his version of the truth and defend himself from the accusations thrown his way if he’s innocent. His own words, answering questions on the spot. No statements. No e-mails. Face the music. 

If you asked me honestly, I believe he’s innocent, but there’s a better shot of him proving that to the public if he gets up on a microphone and articulates his side. 

How does this affect the team? Will it be a distraction? It’s hard to tell. Basketball’s usually an escape for many players from the harsh realities of every day life. Maybe that will be the case for Ikeh, who even takes his game a notch higher as the Blue Eagles fight for a title in their upcoming games.

Or, it could be the other way around as well. Will the situation serve as a distraction and affect his game? He’s turned into such a vital component for this roster – the third most important piece of the team, in my opinion. His offense is starting to come together. His rim protection is second to none. Before the season, he told Ravena he wanted to be Ateneo’s Dennis Rodman. So far, he’s playing like it. Do you recall how many offensive rebounds he had against NU? Must have been something like a hundred.

Remember, the Apacible issue also served as a bad distraction for the Blue Eagles, but they were able to use it as fuel to win the game against UST (“For John,” Pessumal said in the post-game media session) that gave them the momentum to turn in a 4-game winning streak. 

How was that possible? First of all, Pessumal started playing like a top-10 player in the UAAP, Ateneo players not named Kiefer Ravena started hitting more shots, Wong turned out to be a revelation in the point guard position as Jerie Pingoy rehabilitates an ankle injury, the reigning rookie of the year has an extra spring to his step, and the overall defense has improved.

Here’s the most important aspect though: leadership. It starts with the team captain. Kiefer Ravena.

I remember watching a game this UAAP season and seeing the UAAP MVP talking to each of his teammate in the bench, giving them pointers, from the sixth man up to the farthest bench warmer, as the Blue Eagles rallied from a deficit. 

When you talk to his teammates, their sentiments are consistent: Ravena is the captain they love going to battle with. Whether it’s a fifth-year teammate or a rookie new to the university, it always seems like he has a unique bond with each of them. His play might be the most impressive part of his resume to the public, but it’s how he’s served as the guiding voice of the team that’s been most integral. 

Now, Ikeh, Ateneo head coach Bo Perasol, and the rest of the Blue Eagles will need him to display even more leadership. This Ikeh situation might die down as the UAAP hits its stretch run and basketball becomes the focal point, or it could get even noisier. Media will ask questions. Spectators, most likely on social media, will surely harp more on the issue.

Here’s another thing: the woman in pursuit may not just drop the issue. 

After appearing to be left for the wolves at 4-4 weeks ago, the Blue Eagles now look like a legitimate championship contender. Make no mistake about it: they have a chance to hoist that UAAP trophy over the next few weeks, even if FEU or UST stands in their way. 

But to do that, they have to keep their focus steadfast on the goal at hand, against even more outside noise – likely worse than what they dealt with in Apacible’s drunk driving incident. 

“What we have right now is just [a] chance,” Perasol told the media after the UP game about his team’s aspirations for a twice-to-beat advantage. 

“It doesn’t really matter who gets the points. As long as we get the win, that’s what really matters with us. We’re trying to go all the way as our goal,” said Wong.

The next step is to overtake UST for the number two seed. They can get closer to doing that with a win against La Salle on Sunday, November 8.

Opposing fans will heckle. The pressure will be on. The Green Archers, with Jeron Teng leading the way, are better than their 5-6 record suggests, and rest assured they will be a team desperate to keep their Final Four aspirations alive.

“Pag sinabi mong La Salle-Ateneo, walang lamang… talagang bakbakan sila,” said Perasol.

(When you say Ateneo-La Salle, no one leads… it’s really a battle.)

“La Salle is La Salle. When they face Ateneo, all stats aside, all standings aside. It’s going to be a grind-it-out ball game. It’s going to be a war,” said Ravena.

As Perasol said, Sunday will potentially be the final Ateneo-La Salle war for both him and Ravena. Pessumal, too. 

Ateneo has improved to the point where they now have a great shot at winning the championship in 2015.

It would be a shame if Ikeh’s current ordeal derails that chance at glory. – Rappler.com