UST plays Ateneo, UE faces UP today

Published: July 27, 2013
Head coach Pido Jarencio simply shrugged his shoulders when told about University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) clash with defending champion Ateneo, looking and sounding as though it will be just another ordinary day in the office for him in today’s hostilities in the 76th UAAP basketball wars at the Araneta Coliseum.

“We’ve already gotten back at them during the PCCL (Philippine Collegiate Champions League) last year,” said Jarencio, referring to the Tigers’ final victory over the Blue Eagles in the tournament that featured many of the country’s top teams.

But upon realizing that it had a different setting and the stakes were not as high as the UAAP, Jarencio assumed a more serious mood, making him all the more wary of what Ateneo is going to bring to the table in their 4 p.m. encounter.

“But, this is the UAAP so...,” added Jarencio without finishing his sentence and staring blankly across the Big Dome press room.

Yes, it’s the UAAP and strange things have happened many times before, something Jarencio knows all too well as his Tigers try to cap their first-round campaign on a winning note against an Ateneo squad that is not as lethal as the one that beat them for the 75th season crown.

While Ateneo doesn’t look as menacing as the squad that had Greg Slaughter and Nico Salva, coach Bo Perasol still has a few marquee names to show off.

Kiefer Ravena, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, will lead the wayfor the Katipunan-based dribblers as they aim to live up to their lofty status.

Ateneo is coming off a 72-64 win over its next-door neighbor, University of the Philippines (UP), and is aching to continue with its winning ways.

Providing solid backup for Ravena are old hand Ryan Buenafe and Chris Newsome.

Meeting them head-on are do-it-all Karim Abdul, Aljon Mariano and Kevin Ferrer, who posted 16 points and 10 rebounds the last time against the winless UP.

In the opener at 2 p.m., University of the East deals with UP, a team that is not as bad as its record shows.

Head coach Nash Racela of league-leading Far Eastern is one guy who is not counting out the Maroons just yet.

“UP is still there and once it gets its first win (its game will get even better),” said Racela.

The Red Warriors of Boysie Zamar will bank on Roi Sumang and burly center Charles Mammie of Sierra Leone as they hope to follow up their rousing win over La Salle last week with another impressive outing against the on-and-off Green Archers of Juno Sauler.