Peeking at the UAAP

     Being an absolute sports geek, it's pretty amazing that I've never paid for tickets to see a UAAP Basketball game.  Admittedly, I am not as obsessed a fan of the UAAP as I am the NBA, PBA or the UFC, but I have seen my share of games.  Recently, I got to watch two UAAP games and, thanks to the generosity of high school buddies Harvey Keh and Aly Yap, I still haven't paid for tickets.  


     Anyway, here are some thoughts I gathered while watching:

• Far Eastern University does have the deepest bench this season.  A number of their bench players would have started for other teams.  The question now is, can Coach Glenn Capacio maximize it?

• Eric Salamat has small hands.  This contributes a lot to him being a turnover machine and a volume shooter. 

• University of the Philippines doesn't need better players or better coaches.  It needs a ball handler to emerge as a leader, because half the time they can't get their plays to even begin.

• Aldrech Ramos is an absolute beast.  It's a shame that Far Eastern University guards RR Garcia and Terence Romeo went to the Allen Iverson School of Non-passing Point Guards.  Otherwise, Ramos would be averaging over 25 points a game.

• The UAAP crowd may yet be the biggest collection of non-basketball fans watching a basketball game (crouches to avoid a flying chair).  Watching the reaction of the crowd, I just want to grab the mic and remind them that a) not all calls will go your team's way and b) it is not automatically "luto (rigged)" if you think calls cost your team the victory.

• Coach Norman Black should consider playing with no centers at times.  I know he likes a traditional Center and Power Forward tandem and that works fine when Justin Chua is in the game, but other centers like Golla and Escueta are different stories.  He should go with Mico Salva and Arthur de la Cruz together instead.  These two have better basketball I.Q. than Golla and Escueta.

     On an unrelated note, I bought a couple of Fire Floss Buns from Bread Talk after the game and I had this observation:

• It might not be a good idea to buy French Baguettes (which they display uncovered near the entrance) at Bread Talk.  When I was there, I saw a woman pinch the bread with her bare hands several times and I'm not even sure she bought it.