The Green Archers regaining championship form

MANILA, Philippines – Last UAAP season, the De La Salle Green Archers’ first round campaign in the senior’s basketball tournament was anything but spectacular.

At 3-4 and out of the Final Four picture, La Salle became a forgotten entity entering the second round. Rookie head coach Juno Sauler was placed on the hot seat with criticism flooding in as the talented but underperforming Green Archers slumped against the best of the UAAP.

But then the second round took place, and La Salle flipped the switch. From looking like a team en route to another no-show in the playoffs, DLSU swept their final seven games in the eliminations, winning multiple close matches in the process thanks to clutch heroics from different contributors.

The team carried their momentum to the finals, where after surrendering Game 1, they beat UST in games 2 and 3 to bring home the school’s first senior’s basketball title in six years.

In Season 77, La Salle was the favorite entering the UAAP campaign. Compared to the other teams, Juno Sauler’s club had the least questions entering the tournament, with the biggest problem being how he would find minutes and a proper rotation for a roster so deep.

However, DLSU lost their first game against FEU and then was defeated by rival Ateneo the following week.

It’s another slow start for the defending champions, though the difference between 2013 and 2014 was that DLSU could no longer take their UAAP rivals by surprise in the current season, considering the rest of the competition knew exactly how dangerous the team could be.

Nonetheless, it didn’t matter, as La Salle made sure to not procrastinate until the second round to show their full potential. Rather, the team flipped the switch against NU, relying on Jason Perkins’ late heroics to pull out the W. And then the team suffocated UE’s offense in the fourth quarter of their game to come out with a two-point win. And then against Adamson and UP, La Salle barely broke a sweat, pulling out easy victories.

Just in the blink of an eye, the 0-2 start of the Green Archers seems to be long gone. At 4-2 and owners of the longest winning streak in the league right now, La Salle is silently, but surely, going back into the form they need to be as they bid for a repeat.

“We’re actually thinking about the day-to-day basis. We need to improve on everything per day. Hindi namin iniisip yung we win, or we lose, kailangan lang namin mag improve (We’re not thinking about whether we win or we lose, we need to focus on improving) and to work on our game so we can be a better team in the future,” DLSU rookie Prince Rivero said after his team’s win against the Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, August 6.

Rivero averaged 22.7PPG on 68% shooting, 16.3RPG, 2.5APG, 1SPG, and 1BPG during his senior year at La Salle Greenhills, winning the Jr. NCAA MVP award in the process. Along with Ateneo freshman Arvin Tolentino, he was heralded as one of the top recruits coming out of high school in 2014.

RELATED: High school standout Prince Rivero ready for DLSU college ball

In Rivero’s first three games, the rookie totaled only 8 points in limited action. But when his team needed a spark in their game against UE, the newcomer had his breakout performance after Coach Sauler turned to him with Arnold Van Opstal fouling out, scoring as many points as he had in his first three games in the fourth quarter against the Red Warriors.

DLSU wound up winning the game, 60-58, and thus Rivero’s era with the Green Archers officially came to a start.

If Jeron Teng was the “King Archer” of La Salle, Rivero was the “Prince Archer,” according to some of the team’s fans.

“Sabi lang nang coaches ko saakin, kung gagamitin nila ako, I have to be ready all the time. If ever napasok ako, ready ako. Kung hindi ako ipasok, okay lang din kasi I’m cheering for them. If they win, I also win,” Rivero said about his current role with the Green Archers.

(My coaches just told me that I have to be ready all the time. If I would be inserted in the game, I’ll be ready. If I’m not subbed in, it’s okay because I’ll still be cheering for the team. If they win, I also win.)

Winning is something DLSU has done a lot lately, the latest being their strong triumph over UP, who had no chance to begin with as Teng was locked and loaded from the opening tip. Currently, the Green Archers are in third place in the league standings.

“I think we’re playing better not because of the streak. I’m not looking at the wins. But generally, how we’re playing, we’re playing better compared to how we started the season – it’s not because of the four-game winning streak,” Coach Sauler stated following his team’s win against UP.

DLSU has managed to pile up the victories despite the absence of Thomas Torres, who was lost after fracturing his foot against Ateneo. Van Opstal, the team’s best post player, has also missed the last two games as he recuperates from injuries he suffered dating back to the preseason.

“Arnold hasn’t been practicing yet. We’ll check again Friday (today, August 8) then Saturday (August 9),” said Sauler.

In spite of Van Opstal’s absence, La Salle’s deep collection of talented big men has made up for the absence of last year’s Most Improved Player. Norbert Torres has been playing well lately, while rookie big Abu Tratter has also made his presence felt with his added playing time.

“With the minutes they’re getting, I hope we can get their confidence,” Sauler said about his freshmen.

But the guy who’s really had to alter his game the most with all the injuries is Almond Vosotros.

Dating back to his high school days, Vosotros has been a marksman. He’s a scorer by heart, one whose job on the court is to shoot whenever he gets an open look, or at least when he feels he has a good chance of making a shot. Pundits have criticized Vosotros for his high-volume shooting over the past few weeks, though transitioning from being the team’s designated shooter to the point guard who has to set up his teammates isn’t exactly an easy change for the veteran who’s in his fifth and final playing year.

“Hangang ngayon, slowly, talaga nag aadjust parin ako. Kasi (instead) na naseset ako nang point, ngayon ako yung nag seset up,” Vosotros said on Wednesday. “Winowork ko talaga sa practice – yung 1 and 2 positions.”

(Until now, I’m slowly adjusting to my new role. Instead of being set-up for baskets, now I have to set my teammates up. I’ve really been practicing and working on being a point guard and shooting guard during practices.)

With his added responsibilities, Vosotros’ shooting percentage has taken a dip. In Season 77, he’s converting just 35% from the field and 28% from long range.

But against UP, Coach Sauler’s sniper was on target – 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-4 from downtown, to go with 6 rebounds and 5 dimes.

Whether or not Vosotros has fully adjusted to his new role and has re-gained his shooting touch will be decided as the rest of the season goes on. Though one thing that won’t change is the veteran’s confidence.

If he’s open, critics can be rest assured he will take the shot.

“Yung (confidence) ko hindi naman nag bago since nung first game pa eh. Same parin. Nag focus lang talaga ako every game. Ngayon hindi ko na iniisip na kailangan makashoot ako nang three-points or ganun.”

(My confidence really hasn’t changed since the first game. It’s still the same. I’m just focusing on every game and not thinking that I have to make a three-pointer or anything else.)

“Basta panalo yung team, okay na sa akin.”

(As long as the team wins, I’m good with that.)

Vosotros will get an opportunity to lead his team to another victory on Sunday, August 10, when La Salle looks to beat the same university who surely has revenge on their mind.

RELATED: Once again, UST will look to get past the heartbreak

Though Jeric Teng no longer sports the stripes of the Growling Tigers and Coach Pido Jarencio no longer calls the shots, University of Sto. Tomas still has the capability to be a threat against any school in the UAAP, as proven by their performance against the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday, August 6.

“Tingin ko, UST, sobrang nandoon parin sila. Same as last year,” Vosotros said about the team who he helped beat with his clutch jumper in the finals. “Kasi yung mga naiwan sa kanila, mga veterans pa like Abdul, Ferrer, and Mariano. Then yung mga off the bench nila, sobrang matured na rin this season. Maghahanda kami sa practice.”

(I still think UST is still there and still the same team from last season. Their veterans are still around, and their guys off the bench have matured. We’ll prepare for them during practice.)

Rivero also chimed in: “We’ll treat it as every game as linalaro namin (how we play).”

UST, currently 3-2, has always been a tough test for the Green Archers dating back to the late 90s, when Cyrus Baguio’s Growling Tigers put up unforgettable duels against Renren Ritualo’s Green Archers. Over the past few years, it’s been the same case, and there’s no reason to believe both teams can’t put up another classic on Sunday, at the same arena where last year’s Game 3 – which will always be remembered by Philippine sports history books – took place.

But UST will definitely have their work cut out for themselves as well. The Green Archers are looking ferocious as of late, looking more and more like the team that reigned over the UAAP last season after their slow start off the gates. Teng has also been a monster in the past few games, minus against Adamson. But versus the Fighting Maroons, last year’s Finals MVP put up 25 points and 11 rebounds without even playing a second in the fourth quarter.

With Vosotros seemingly having rediscovered his stroke (at least for now), Teng currently playing in MVP form, the rookies contributing to victories, and a Coach who demands nothing but his club’s best effort at the helm, it looks like DLSU is getting back into the championship form they need to be in to win a second straight title. – Rappler.com