Ateneo vs San Beda: Matches made in heaven

So all's well that ends well in the collegiate basketball leagues, with our fave teams applying expected closure to Seasons 73 and 86 in the UAAP and NCAA, respectively.

Now we can all dream of a San Beda vs. Ateneo exhibition match-up, preferably best-of-3, definitely both the Juniors and Seniors squads, ideally with exactly the same line-ups as had won the double championships. Now that should be a humdinger of a series. The Big Dome will certainly jump and roar it up to the rafters. Red and Blue will divide the stands. And Manny VP will need expert advice on which half of a game he should sit at courtside close to the Red gate, and which half close to the... Wait, how come Araneta Coliseum didn't make that a Blue gate? Why, I'd be similarly flummoxed, torn apart in half. Ten years of elementary-grade and high schooling in a beloved Mendiola campus versus a decade of teaching at Loyola Heights, make that Katipunan Avenue. Loyalty is totally transferable, but is it divisible? In previous years I had wanted to see such a match-up — the championship days of Chris Tiu and Pong Escobal — find out for myself how body language would take sides in the event of such an encounter. I know I've cheered for the State U., too, against the usually favored neighbors across Katipunan. But that was evidently sympathy for the underdogs coming into play. Besides, having missed Raul Manglapus' "Fly high, Blue Eagles fly and carry the cry across the sky tra-la-la..." all these years, it seemed I was emotionally more beholden to lip-sync "UP Beloved"'s English lyrics to the now unfamiliar Filipino version than to sing "Down from the hill tra-la-la..." and risk raising eyebrows from Canadian friends over the rip-off. Well, time flies and anthem-ic devotions seem to fly a kite just as easily over the skies of any educational institution of such revered memories. So that I also miss belting out, in imminent triumph, such a rousing victory song as "From Mendiola to the battlefield march the sons of SBC! Tra-la-la..." Oh, you say it recalls the U.S. Marines at Montezuma? Well, we didn't know that when we were kids, when copyright cribs were never copy-wrong. But back to the game, The Games, at hand. Let me propose that an MVP Cup (you listening, Mr. Pangilinan?) be immediately instituted, if only just for this particular hallowed year, 2010, and be awarded to the top collegiate team, that is, after a mano-a-mano between the champion Blue Eagles and the champion Red Lions. And that an interesting appetizer also be served by the Eaglets and the Cubs. A one-game encounter would suffice if a best-of-3 seems unwieldy. Whatever proceeds are raised from terrific gate and TV receipts can go to a GK village closest to either the traffic-besieged Katipunan Avenue or the battle-tested street of Mendiola. That way, too, all four squads will give it their all, not just to uphold the honor of St. Ignatius Loyola and/or the Venerable St. Bede, but for good old bragging rights when it comes to helping the homeless poor. For one, the first game should prove if some Bedans are right in decrying a glamour bias for Kiefer Ravena just because he's from Ateneo and happens to be the son of former PBA star Bong Ravena — over the apparently better all-around skills of one improbably or mythically named Baser Amer, from far-away Mindanao, plucked out of the usual Philippine Deep by no less than that titan of Juniors mentors, Sir Ato Badolato. I've seen both kids play, and I tell you, if either one deigns to join a pick-up game in our neighborhood court, I'd certainly want to be on that kid's side. They're both exceptionally gifted players, and would make us, or rather those equally old men on the rival team, look very, very old indeed, in a jiffy. But if both descended on our home court and split themselves up into instant-call squads, I think I'll quickly sidle up to Baser Amer — and not just for his intriguing marquee tag. I think I can trip up Kiefer on at least one of his usual slippery drives to the basket. But how on earth can I lunge and fill in a passing lane before that Baser zips the ball to an open shooter? Ravena's a scorer, no doubt about it. His relative lack of height and lean frame don't disadvantage him even at the pan-Asian 18-and-under level, and he can start immediately on the collegiate level in his rookie year (except in the US NCAA Division 1, or even 2). But the PBA is a different story, although very likely he'll eventually adjust his frame and skills to the burly banging understandably favored by the pros. But Baser can play with Ginebra in a couple of years if local hardship rules would allow it, and I think he'll still average near double-digits in dimes, that is, assists. He's our version of a putative LeBron, a triple threat, as he can score when he must, and rebound quite well, but loves to share the ball and make his teammates look good. Both are efficient swipers, averaging high on steals, but Amer can be a good one-on-one defender. Last summer, before their respective leagues got off to an official start, one of those invitational cups pitted the Eaglets against the Cubs, and we all saw how Amer put the lock on Ravena in the 4th canto, and the Bedans won that game. Well, you might say that Kiefer just turned cold with his shooting, breaks of the game and all that. And one might raise the issue of Baser's seeming inability to stop another prodigious Juniors scorer, Gino Jumao-as of the San Sebastian Staglets, from posting 38 points in their farewell game for the season. We'll never know until we see these kids match basketball IQs again, and no better time is there than now or ASAP, with the champions' juices still flowing like the Big Dome's collective testosterone. I know there's supposed to be a Challenge of Champions series scheduled before the year-end, but past experience has shown how champion teams get diluted and coaches simply use such invitational tourneys as early prep for the next incoming squad. We want San Beda versus Ateneo now! I want to see if Sudan Daniel erases the efficient post play of the Eagles' relatively undersized frontline. I want to see Borgie Hermida match wits and guile with Emman Monfort, Garvo Lanete and Romy dela Rosa go up against Eric Salamat and Kirk Long, Jake Pascual try to contain Ryan Buenafe in the paint or off the boards, Dave Marcelo and Anthony Semerad try to outmuscle Justin Chua and Nico Salva when "Superman" Sudan and Frank Golla are on the bench. And I want to see if Frankie Lim's really picked up big from his assistantship in the Smart-Gilas national developmental team under the world-class mentorship of Rajko Toroman, enough to match up with grandslammer Norman Black in calling offensive and defensive plays. It should be a great treat. Both teams are superb on the fastbreak. Ateneo may have an advantage in terms of set-up defense, the way the UAAP teams still appear to be more serious than their NCAA counterparts when it comes to organized ball and team discipline. But the real beauty in this dream match can only underscore team play, since neither squad has a real individual go-to-guy — which is likely why they both emerged as formidable champions. So let's have it ASAP, before Ryan gains more pounds from post-crown parties, and Borgie gets grounded by the Barako Bulls. We want to see which are the best high school basketball team and best collegiate basketball team in the land. Give it to us! Borderline bipolar loyalties go hang! - HS, GMANews.TV