WHAT makes Season 88 of the University Athletic Association (UAAP) interesting to watch?
First off, unpredictability. In past seasons it was clear from Day 1, or even back to the pre-season, that certain teams would dominate the field. From 2008 to 2012, the Ateneo Blue Eagles wore the crown and held the scepter, prompting rival coaches of the seven other UAAP teams to say ‘Ateneo’ as their pick to win it all at the end of tournaments.
After the Blue Eagles were dethroned, a period followed where the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons were dominant, finally winning the crown after 35 years in Season 84, then appearing in the finals for five consecutive seasons, finally winning it all again in Season 87-showing how Gold-en the UP basketball program has become.
De La Salle University also stamped its class, owning Season 86, played for all the marbles in Season 87, but fell short come finals time. Still La Salle was always the team to watch as it rebuilt and recruited, getting star acquisitions in this year’s pre-season to become the team to beat for Season 88, according to pundits.
But no. Come opening day, the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers came off the starting gates like a couple of bats out a’ hell. The National University (NU) Bulldogs, long heartbroken with almost-made-it performances, kept pace with Ateneo in the win-loss charts in their best-ever start in the tournament in years. And defending champs UP had a horrendous start at the Pontifical University’s Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Three weeks in, the placements in the UAAP men’s basketball rankings are as wobbly as activated seismic needles. No one can really tell who’s going where-except for the Eagles who have maintained a perfect 4-0 record at this writing. All the other teams are canceling themselves out, adding to the uncertainty of each team’s fortunes this season.
The suspense is killing us!
The next interest factor? Rivalries. The Ateneo-La Salle Battle last weekend sent tectonic waves throughout the MOA Arena as classico fans turned up en masse for this much-missed match-up. With both teams now armed to the teeth with formidable personnel, it was a balanced contest worthy of the hype and pandemonium. Nothing can match the ‘gigil’ elicited by Ateneo-La Salle.
But beyond the Blue-Green rivalry, there are other rivalries that have sprung up and captured the imagination of collegiate fans. The Battle of Katipunan for one (Ateneo vs UP), the Battle of Sampaloc (UST vs NU), Battle of The East (Far Eastern University vs University of the East), Battle of the (Blue) Birds (Ateneo vs Adamson University), Battle of Church and State (UST vs UP) and the very hot, real rivalry between UP and De La Salle U, temporarily tagged as The New Age Rivalry.
These feelings of grudge, enmity and competition provide the extra oomph and ‘angas’ to the other kind of rivalry between fans going on in the stands.
Thirdly, the quality of competition. Collegiate games are loved and followed because they always have that one element not always seen in every game. Emotion. Call it by its other names: passion, going all out, school spirit. All of that is present in every game played in front of a loud and loyal crowd where every rebound, dribble, pass and shot is made with the community in mind.
School spirit is the X Factor in collegiate games. It is derived from the athletes’ and their school’s virtual parent-child relationship. It is driven by the school yells, the colors, the distinct drum beats and the presence of a familiar crowd of classmates, teachers, parents, alumni and staunch supporters. The fervent singing of the school hymn at the end of each game, win or lose, cements the loyalty and the eagerness to fight again for the alma mater.
All that translates into coaches doing their best to achieve the highest goal, into athletes giving their all and in so doing, whipping up performances worthy of titles and trophies and the best entertainment for the crowd.
Of late, leveled up recruitment by all teams have brought in amazing talents from different parts of the globe, including our still talent-rich provinces and provincial schools. That brings us to the fourth and last factor that makes collegiate games the thing to watch these days. New names and new faces. A constant parade of young discoveries and maturing stars who will one day graduate into the pros and become the super novas of Philippine basketball.
There’s always something fresh, something new in college basketball. This novelty plus unpredictability, rivalry and all-out competition makes this kind of basketball a nifty package we simply cannot refuse.