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REWIND: Ateneo, San Beda rule collegiate basketball in 2017

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA, Philippines – A pair of powerhouse programs stamped their class in the collegiate leagues in 2017, with San Beda College ruling the NCAA for the second year in a row and Ateneo de Manila University rising to the top of the UAAP for the first time since 2012.</p><p>Yet even as the Red Lions and the Blue Eagles dominated their respective leagues last season, they shared the spotlight with several other teams and players that had their shining moments in2017.</p><div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports1.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports2.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports3.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports4.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports5.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports6.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports7.jpg"/></div><div><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/12/26/sports8.jpg"/></div></div></div><div class="media-content slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">1. Ateneo completes 5-year journey back to the top of the UAAP</h1><p>The Ateneo Blue Eagles ended a five-year championship drought in UAAP Season 80, when they dethroned their archrivals, defending champions De La Salle University, in a highly entertaining finals series that went the full route. </p><p>The Blue Eagles came one win away from a sweep of the elimination round, battled past an extremely tough Far Eastern University squad in the Final 4, before outlasting the Green Archers in three games.</p><p>Thirdy Ravena was named MVP of the finals after coming up with solid performances in all three games, but it was Isaac Go that earned cult hero status thanks to his cold-blooded three-pointer with 24 seconds left that helped Ateneo secure the title.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">2. &#x27;Underdog&#x27; San Beda retains NCAA crown</h1><p>Despite being the defending champions in NCAA Season 93, the San Beda College Red Lions were under the radar for most of men&#x27;s basketball tournament. And when they made the finals, they were considered underdogs against an explosive Lyceum team.</p><p>In the finals, the Red Lions proved that there is truth to the cliché that one can never underestimate the heart of a champion. They went toe-to-toe with the Pirates for the first three quarters of both Games 1 and 2, before proceeding to dominate the fourth quarters.</p><p>Cameroonian center Donald Tankoua earned Finals MVP honors, but it was Robert Bolick who delivered the daggers for San Beda in both games of the series.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">3. Lyceum makes history with perfect elimination round campaign</h1><p>Some of the shine was taken off Lyceum of the Philippines University&#x27;s historic campaign in NCAA Season 93 because of their loss in the finals to San Beda. But for the first four months of the season there was no doubt that the Pirates were the best team in the league.</p><p>The Pirates played at a blistering pace, forcing turnovers and scoring in transition at a high rate. CJ Perez received top billing, but sharing the spotlight with him was former Rookie of the Year Mike Nzeusseu, and twins Jaycee and Jayvee Marcelino.</p><p>All throughout, the Pirates stayed true to their vision. More than winning, more than the championship, their goal was to inspire those who watched them and turn Lyceum into a program worthy of respect.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">4. Robert Bolick is the King Lion</h1><p>Robert Bolick became a champion last season, but it was in Season 93 that he became a full-fledged star for San Beda. He was their leader on the court, an extension of head coach Boyet Fernandez, and showed no fear of taking the big shots in the game.</p><p>He was ultimately unable to win an individual award, thanks to a shocking ejection in a game against De La Salle-College of St. Benilde that caused him to be suspended for one game.</p><p>But Bolick did not let that stop him, and came up big in crunch time in both games of the finals against Lyceum. In both Games 1 and 2, he would hit the backbreaking three-pointers that served as the daggers that the Red Lions needed to ice their triumph.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">5. Alvin Pasaol rewrites the UAAP record books</h1><p>Alvin Pasaol entered Season 80 of the UAAP as a promising big man and the unquestioned top scorer of University of the East. He exited it as a legend.</p><p>Coach Derrick Pumaren gave the forward the green light and Pasaol welcomed it with open arms. After a slow start to the season, he began to heat up midway through the first round, and wound up becoming the UAAP&#x27;s leading local scorer with 20 points per game.</p><p>His best effort came against De La Salle University in the first round, when he poured in a career-best 49 points – the most that anyone had scored in the UAAP in 15 years.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">6. Ben Mbala is the best player in college basketball</h1><p>There was no doubt that &quot;Big Ben&quot; was the best player in college basketball last season, even if he had failed to lead the Green Archers to back-to-back championships in the UAAP.</p><p>Mbala missed La Salle&#x27;s first two games of the season to play for Cameroon in the 2017 AfroBasket, and upon his return, he proceeded to display the skills that made him one of the breakout stars of the regional tournament. In Season 80, Mbala no longer just dominated the paint: he splashed three-pointers and defended perimeter players, and showed a more well-rounded game.</p><p>The Cameroonian averaged 26 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game, and was a runaway winner for MVP. Not everyone was delighted by his dominance, with some arguing that the top individual honor should go to a local, but there was no denying Mbala&#x27;s remarkable performances this year.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">7. CJ Perez is worth the wait for the Pirates</h1><p>For almost three years, CJ Perez was out of the spotlight. He transferred from San Sebastian College to Ateneo de Manila University, and from Ateneo to Lyceum of the Philippines University, and in the process, Perez did not play in the NCAA or the UAAP for three years.</p><p>He proved to be worth the wait for Lyceum, however. In his first season back since suiting up for San Sebastian in Season 89, Perez normed 19.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game for the Pirates. He was clearly the best player in the team that swept the elimination round.</p><p>Lyceum&#x27;s failure to win the Season 93 title just gives Perez even more motivation come next year, where he will try to complete unfinished business together with his coach, Topex Robinson.</p></div><div class="item-desc"><h1 class="heading">8. The UST Growling Tigers need help</h1><p>The once-proud University of Santo Tomas (UST) basketball program hit rock bottom in Season 80, as the Growling Tigers managed just one victory. A slim 88-85 victory over the University of the East in their final game of the tournament salvaged a measure of pride for the team from España.</p><p>That lone victory could not take the stench away from a historically poor season for UST, however, and changes were made almost immediately. Boy Sablan is now out as head coach after winning only four games in two years.</p><p>It remains to be seen what will happen to UST, as no replacement has been announced for Sablan. Meanwhile, famous alumni – including former coach Pido Jarencio and San Miguel Corp.&#x27;s Alfrancis Chua – have expressed their readiness to help the struggling program.</p></div></div><p>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.</p>

<p>A pair of powerhouse programs stamped their class in the collegiate leagues in 2017, with San Beda ruling the NCAA for the second year in a row and Ateneo de Manila University rising to the top of the UAAP for the first time since 2012.<br /> </p>

A pair of powerhouse programs stamped their class in the collegiate leagues in 2017, with San Beda ruling the NCAA for the second year in a row and Ateneo de Manila University rising to the top of the UAAP for the first time since 2012.

REWIND: Ateneo, San Beda rule collegiate basketball in 2017

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REWIND: Ateneo, San Beda rule collegiate basketball in 2017

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 26, 2017 05:59 AM PHT

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Updated December 26, 2017 06:00 AM PHT

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