It’s been a couple of months since the Green Archers returned to the top of the UAAP Men’s basketball mountain. By now the euphoria will have faded somewhat, replaced by speculations on whether we can get a repeat this year (yes, basketball season starts in slightly over 6 months).
Just a quick recap of S88
The Archers started off slowly, ending the first round with a 4-3 slate, losing to UST, Ateneo, and NU while winning over Adamson, UP, and UE. The second round saw the Archers drop their games to Adamson, FEU, and NU while getting some measure of revenge by upending UP, Ateneo, UE, and UST. To get to the title, the Archers needed to win their game against Ateneo to get to the F4, them win twice over NU before facing defending champs UP. We know the story by now, winning game 1 before a Marasigan jumper popped out to drop game 2, then a vengeful victory in game 3.
The Archers were the consensus favorite at the start of the tournament, but a lackluster eliminations campaign saw them barely make the playoffs, but they picked up in the playoffs, winning 4 out of the 5 games to take the title.
Hopes are for a repeat next year, but there have been some significant movements. We lose the heart and soul of the the team for the past 5 seasons – Mike Phillips, proud Green Archer who uniquely epitomized the La Sallian values in everything he did, on and off the court. Funny, it seems like it was just yesterday that the gangly and awkward Mike was making his first appearance in green-and-white. How time flies.
Also gone is Kean Baclaan, a balik-La Sallian who returned from a serious knee injury early in S88 to help the Archers dethrone the UP Maroons. Kean went to NU in his first year of college, but came home two years ago to serve as a key linchpin during the closing stretches of the tournament. Seldom-used center Bright Nwankwo likewise has played out his eligibility, but his presence as a valued teammate will be missed on the bench and in the locker room.
The upside?
We retain the core of the team, led by the second (did anyone say better?) coming of a Cortez in a Green Archer uniform, together with playoff key rotation pieces in Vhoris Marasigan, Luis Pablo, JC Macalalag, Mason Amos, Earl Abadam, EJ Gollena, Doy Dungo. They’re backstopped by returnee Rhyle Melencio as well as promising youngsters Guillian Quines, Lebron Daep, Gian Gomez, and Denzel Dagdag.
Who’s coming in?
Although Mike Phillips is irreplaceable, his absence will be mitigated at center by Seven Gagate who is eligible this year. Gagate, a former LSGH Greenie, iss returning to his roots after a short stint in UP. At guard, Baclaan’s departure might not be as big a hole because Jacob’s younger (and taller) brother Mikey Cortez is likely also joining the team once he recovers from an ACL injury that prevented him from being lined up in S88. In the pipeline are redshirting Janti Miller, a San Beda standout who followed fellow Red Lions Nelle and Cortez to Taft. Hopefully like his fellow red-and-white transferees, he’ll also help bring a title to DLSU in S90 once he finishes his residency.
What did the successful S88 campaign teach us?
From personal observation, much of the S88 experience is easily relatable to Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People:
Be Proactive – the team, from coaches to players, never assumed that the S88 crown was theirs for the taking. Entitlement was not in their vocabulary. Despite a good preseason, they knew that the route to the championship would be difficult, and they made the choice to change and adapt depending on how the journey went. For a while, they were predictable. Until they weren’t.
Begin with the end in mind – the collective mission was to win the title, and despite the setbacks, criticism, and difficulties, nothing distracted them. Many supporters doubted the ability of the team to do well, and for a while, it seemed their misgivings were justified. However, there was a plan, and a process to get them to the end.
Put First Things First – they focused on the learning along the way (Important), winning enough games to make the playoffs (Important & Urgent). When they got to the finals, they let it all hang out. Everything else was irrelevant – ego, glory, playing time, the aches, bruises, injuries, what critics said.
Think Win-win – the objective of reclaiming the title was not a personal goal, it was for God, for the school, the community, for family (you saw Jacob passing the game ball to his dad – a perfect assist) and for each other. They wanted to win it for others.
Seek First to Understand and then to be Understood – the coaches and players had to understand each other, and how they would react in different situations. Because nothing ever can approximate the UAAP atmosphere, that required experimenting, which comes with a risk of losing games. But that’s the process. It agitated many supporters and gave us nervous moments, but the coaches and players stayed the course. It was critical to understand what would and wouldn’t work. That investment (or gamble, however way you want to call it) in understanding themselves paid off at the end.
Synergize – this is an easy one. Basketball is a team sport, and everyone has a role to play. Without everyone doing what they’re supposed to do, the team won’t win. Take Jacob Cortez in game 3 – in the first half he played possum, drawing defenders by his sheer gravity, and letting his teammates (Mike Phillips in particular) attack the basket. In the second half, he was more aggressive. Everyone contributed, even those on the bench, through encouragement and cheers.
Sharpen the Saw – probably one of the most important. Learning new skills (for example, who knew Mason Amos could defend?), introducing new game patterns in the finals that stymied UP (the double-and-triple teaming of Remogat in the closing minutes). Constant improvement, change, investment in learning.
I’m not sure Coach Topex had Covey in mind when he came on board, but that’s how it seems to have played out this year.
Topex is both a teacher/coach, and a student of men. He really wanted this for the school and for his boys. Notice how he wasn’t on the floor when the team celebrated? He let them take the glory while he let his personal feelings out in private.
He built a culture that the team leaders embraced and nurtured. They built a brotherhood, playing not for themselves individually but for each other. That culture of brotherhood will serve the team in years to come. It kinda echoes what the Lady Spikers, who start their S88 campaign this Saturday-Valentine’s Day, have built over the decades (more of that in a bit).
ANIMO!
