Controversial. The word perfectly summarizes the University of the East Red Warriors' season 68 campaign.
Eyebrows were raised at the nine freshmen in the lineup this season. Last year's team a rookie team? Ha!
With only five holdovers from last season's team, the Warriors plunged into action right on opening day and lost as expected to powerhouse and this year's champions Far Eastern University Tamaraws. The Tams were simply too much for the Warriors' very young crew.
First big brush with the Big C, as in controversy, came shooting straight at them when the De La Salle University Green Archers placed their first round game that the Warriors won by a point, under protest. They cited non-calls on two supposedly goal-tending violations in the game but the University Athletic Association of the Philippines' technical committee dismissed it after deliberations.
They closed out the the first round of eliminations with a 5-2 win-loss record. The second loss dealt by the streaking Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles.
The second round they opened with a bang by beating the Tams and ending FEU's seven-game winning streak. A job not new to the Warriors as it was also them that halted the Eagles' 7-0 run last season.
The Eagles though was the biggest puzzle for UE as they lost again in their second round game.
Controversy came knocking at their door anew when the game against DLSU in the second round was again put under protest. But this time they did the protesting. They questioned the resetting of the game clock that gave the Archers time to score and tie the game that forced the overtime. DLSU won the game after the five-minute extension.
The protest as everybody knew by now, was upheld, the win awarded to UE then DLSU appealed, UAAP Board met, took the win back from UE and ordered a replay.
As if to say it wasn't done with UE yet, controversy again tried but failed to find residence in Recto, Manila. Rookie sensation Bonbon Custodio's eligibility to play in the league was questioned. Timing though wasn't perfect as there's a league policy that bars any team from questioning the eligibility of the players from the other teams after the first round of eliminations. Alas for the University of the Philippines' Fighting Maroons, who brought the issue to public consciousness, the Final Four door was again slammed shut with them outside, by no other than Bonbon and the Red Warriors.
But that was the last good thing to happen to the Red Warriors. Marcy Arellano, the 2004 Rookie of the Year, downed by dengue fever, missed the replay match against DLSU that cost them the twice-to-beat advantage. He likewise missed the playoff for third and evident in their Final Four game against the Tams that he hasn't got his rhythm back.
It went downhill for the Warriors since the replay match. They were running number two and three all season but failed to win the games that matter.
They had an amazing run. Unbelievable even. Sophomores Marcy and Earn Saguindel together with super rookies Mark Anthony Borboran, Jorel Canizares, Bonbon, Elmer Espiritu, Kelvin Gregorio, James Martinez and Angelus 'Bogart' Raymundo worked tirelessly in the eliminations to keep them at the upper half of the standings.
What happened then? Where did they go wrong?
The team's inexperience did them in. Pressure caught up with them in the end. Their inability to deal with it in the homestretch is something the team should work on in the off-season. The rookies may not be your typical rookies as only a couple of them were actually fresh out of high school basketball, the rest were transferees from other schools and those taking their graduate studies in UE, so they're not exactly young. The reason probably is this being the UAAP where the games, level of play, competition, and atmosphere are so much different from the other collegiate leagues.
The players' mental and emotional maturity proved lethal to their cause. Shock and awe worked wonders not for them but against them. Sure, everybody enjoyed every slam, every block, every shot from the outside coming from them but when they do get intimidated, they get intimidated big time.
Adamson University Soaring Falcons, National University Bulldogs, the Maroons and the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, they disposed of convincingly, sweeping them off in the eliminations. The Tams and Archers they beat once but the Eagles they weren't able to get past thrice this season.
It's interesting how this season's Final Four cast performed. UE never being able to beat ADMU in three games, ADMU wasn't able to pass the DLSU test three times and DLSU failing to score a win in all four games against FEU. UE no match to ADMU but ADMU no match to DLSU. UE beat DLSU in the first round. DLSU no match to FEU. UE won their second round game against FEU. ADMU escaped past FEU also in the second round. Interesting.
The UE Red Warriors lived up to the hype and managed a return trip to the Final Four. Coach Dindo Pumaren had hoped to place a notch higher at third but his boys failed to deliver. They did well at first then the collapse happened.
To say that they had a disappointing season would be an insult to the other four teams that didn't reach the semis but there really is no other word fit to describe it but that. They made the news by winning ten times, made even more news with the protests and still making news as to what happened to them, at least within the walls of UE.
As the UE community say goodbye to Earn, Bogart, Jerome Lapena, Jonathan Babilonia and Luis Palaganas, they're left with no other choice but hope next year will be better. Maybe it'll be theirs next time.
May the story of this season serve its purpose and be the motivating factor for the Warriors' return next year. A newspaper columnist even called them a "mere scheming gatecrasher the last couple years." It is for the Red Warriors to take the challenge. Change the plot.
As for me, I will continue to watch the games, support my school, win or lose, anemic game or not, spark or no spark, I'll be there. I'll just keep believing our time will come. Hopefully soon. And please, less controversial too.
