You thought there would be enough motivation for redemption this time.
The UE Red Warriors were rebuffed once again in their bid to reclaim old UAAP glory in this year's edition of the country's most popular collegiate league. A big disappointment for their supporters for they even missed the ticket for a return trip to the finals.
They came into the 71st UAAP season armed with three championships from the off-season--the 2008 Fr. Martin's Cup, the Home and Away Invitational League and the FilOil Flying V Pre-Season Invitational Cup. They almost made it a clean sweep with four but the Nike Summer League crown--their second championship game they had to play in two days--they lost to the ADMU Blue Eagles by a point.
And as history would tell us especially with this team, the off-season performance, no matter how outstanding, does not necessarily mean the team would go all the way when the actual UAAP season starts.
This season’s bait--an additional incentive for a UAAP sweep--says that aside from clinching an outright finals berth, a squad that wins all 14 assignments in the elimination round will only need to win twice in the championship round. Its opponent, on the other hand, must win three times.
Chances of which is very remote at this point taking into consideration the rarity of the event--the second ever sweep presenting itself again only after 14 long years.
Clearly anchored on UE's tragic campaign last season, the rule though did not do much as to inspire the Warriors or any other team for that matter. Unpredictable except for one team was how the entire season was played. All the teams are getting better each year and it was just a question of who wanted the championship more.
First round
The Red Warriors continued their mastery of the 2006 champions UST Growling Tigers on opening day. They took advantage of a slowed down Jervy Cruz who was then nursing injuries.
Veterans Marcy Arellano, Elmer Espiritu and Hans Thiele joined hands to deliver UE's first win in the season after the forgettable finals stint last year.
Next victim was the NU Bulldogs, who up to this day have not realized their obvious advantage over the Warriors.
Either the Bulldogs are not really giving attention to the fact that they have more height and body than the Warriors or they just want to be forever nice to their favorite neighbor by losing to them.
James Martinez and Arellano both put on a good offensive show in that game.
Ateneo, on the other hand is their biggest puzzle. The game was Rabeh Al-Hussaini's coming out party. He practically ate the Warriors alive and Paul Lee missing the game due to dengue does nothing to downplay his monster game.
Adamson meanwhile gave them their first real shock. Still reeling from the Ateneo loss even after a full week of rest, they forgot to move on and lost again.
Lucky for them UP was there to get them back in the winning track. Thiele led the Maroon onslaught with the lead even stretching to a huge 40-point spread.
An emotional FEU team still recovering from the shock of the Mac Baracael shooting played their hearts out to shatter any thoughts of renewed invincibility the Warriors may have entertained after the blowout UP win. The game though was immediately put under protest to question some calls.
As expected, commissioner Chito Narvasa junked the protest but UE team officials wasted no time and filed an appeal to the UAAP board.
UE claimed that the shot of FEU's Marlon Adolfo should not have counted because it came when "the time flashed on the game clock was 3:03 or two seconds beyond the 24-second shot clock rule."
The commissioner said that the "alleged error was committed far away from the end of the game" and that it "did not determine the outcome of the game."
Back in action, UE exacted revenge over their tormentor last season--the DLSU Green Archers.
A spate of injuries that saw an Archer being taken out of the court and of the venue in stretchers, while two others hit the bench with a twisted right knee and a sprained ankle. They got so distracted they lost focus.
Martinez, Thiele and rookie Paul Zamar conspired to give UE their fourth win in seven games.
Two hundred thousand peso-bond money later, UE lost the appeal they elevated to the UAAP board. In a statement the board said that all teams have "to live by the errors committed by officials."
Second round
Contrary to popular belief, it pays to not pack light.
Hero of last game, Martinez had to sit out most of the first half due to improper uniform in their second meeting with the Green Archers. Apparently, he brought an old pair of shorts, not exactly a match to their new set.
It seems losing focus has become a trend.
They were instructed to bring all four sets of uniform the next game.
Motivated at last by the sorry loss, the Warriors bounced back with a big rout of NU. Espiritu and Thiele combined for 24 points, 27 rebounds and seven blocks.
A season-high 66 total rebounds, including the most number of offensive boards in the last six years at 37. It pretty much summed up the whole game.
It was also the second game a player from the opposing team left the game on a stretcher. Another Bulldog sat out the rest of the second half with a sore hip after colliding with a Warrior.
Skipper Arellano spearheaded the most lopsided victory of the season with a 30-point win over the UP Maroons. He finished with a career-high 23 points.
Their first overtime game of the season was against the Blue Eagles and they could not finish. The Warriors managed to score only seven points in the extra period as against Ateneo's 11.
Zamar shone once again the next game in their effort to keep the Adamson Falcons from sweeping them this season.
Making the final four for the seventh straight year is one thing, making it by winning over a team who's also after that last semifinal berth, effectively kicking them out of the race, is another.
Obviously frustrated that his 3P’s is failing him for the second straight year, UST head coach Pido Jarencio was thrown out of the game for physically confronting a referee.
His boys tried to save it for him but the Warriors were in more luck this time despite missing all field goals and seven out of ten free throws in the last four minutes.
Pari Llagas led the team on revenge mode. The FEU Tamaraws got what they deserved after their controversial first round win. By losing to the Warriors, they lost their solid hold to the number two position and gave UE's 'brother team' opportunity for the second semifinal bonus.
Final Four
Finishing at fourth spot with a twice-to-beat disadvantage, the Red Warriors--the second-best defensive team in the league--had to go up against the number one team and the best defensive squad of the league--the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Bu nobody saw it coming. UAAP fans had an idea on who would come out victorious but the way it was played was a big letdown.
It was as if the Warriors did not even try.
Team captain and fifth year veteran Marcy Arellano played his final game in the league by missing all six attempts from the field and two from the foul line.
Disappointingly so but that has been the story of UE. They win big and then they lose big.
End of the Pumaren era
It was not only Arellano’s final dance, the season also was the last for his coach, at least for this team.
Five years, four final four appearances, a sweep, and a finals stint, the time has come for coach Dindo Pumaren to go.
For the record, he made UE what it is now. The vaunted press may be borrowed from another Pumaren but UE made it more lethal and definitely more effective.
He taught discipline at its best. His ways of punishment ranges from the simple and normal to bizarre almost funny.
A player once had some issues with a teammate they nearly came to blows at practice. As punishment, they do everything together--weights at dawn, meals, sit together at the bench during games, and they are not to go out of their quarters without the other. Genius.
Then there was this player who was late to report back for training from a vacation break. The good coach made him write a letter explaining the reason for being tardy--in English. The player is English language-challenged.
Where else can you see a coach still barking mad over a botched play even if they were leading by 20 big points? Only in UE.
He tried to impart to all his players everything that he has learned about the game since he started his basketball career. He was actually one of the main reasons why players chose to play for UE.
For someone whose intentions were constantly questioned and doubted--him being a former Green Archer, a former Red Cub, everything but a Red Warrior at heart, he did extremely well. He was there to coach, to mentor and be a friend to anyone who wanted to be his friend.
But the coach as they say can only do so much.
There were some rough patches along the way--the protests filed, having a player sat out a game which they did not care to explain, and the inability to win a playoff game--were the subject of endless talks and speculations.
Through it all, they managed to win games, and that's what really matters.
But school management thought otherwise so they had to let him go. They say they have given him a chance and still no championship. Ironically, they replaced him with another La Sallalite.
Another year, another season, new coach, and new players and hopefully with a different story.
A cloud of uncertainty hangs as to the future of the UE Red Warriors in season 72. Will they finally make it or will they continue to gamble?
Only one way to find out. Watch out for UAAP 2009.
