Quick Thoughts Before Gameday

Ateneo swept Adamson this season, but only by a combined 6 points. This is probably why Coach Norman Black wanted that #1 seed heading into the Final Four because he knows that compared to DLSU, Adamson is the tougher matchup.

Yes, I am aware that Ateneo has had Adamson's number for over a decade, and that Norman Black has never lost twice in a row while coaching the UAAP. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Final Four. Anything can happen.

Let's throw the stats out there and I'll run off a few quick thoughts.

Falcons Under Fire

*DEAD BLOG IS ALIVE*


For the first time this season, The Adamson Falcons are in a 2-game slump. Expectations were set high for this season and they were poised to prove them right, ending the first round with a 5-2 slate, losing only to FEU and ADMU.


But despite statement victories versus FEU and UST (in double OT), they dropped 3 of their last 4 games to UE, ADMU, and NU (the sole victory in between came against UP.) What's wrong with this team?

AdU vs. ADMU: things to look out for

Keys to the game for Ateneo:

FREE THROWS: Ateneo bullied its way to the line vs FEU, making 20/22 foul shots. This is important since they only shot 39% from the field (way below their S72 average of 43.1%) and their FTs made up nearly a third of their scoring output in the previous game. Without an established alpha scorer yet, Ateneo has to continue taking the ball to the rim to get the easy points.

HELP DEFENSE: The game vs. FEU didn't come down to fumbled possessions on offense; it was lost on missed rotations. Frequently on drives, the help defense couldn't come fast enough to contain the penetration, most notably in the 2nd half when FEU was getting easy layups and put-backs. Ateneo's front line has to be quicker on their feet and help out more often.

ERIC SALAMAT: This is the guy who can't shoot 2-for-9 for only 6 points. Maybe the ball-handling duties have taken some mojo from his shooting game. Maybe he has to eat more bananas. Whatever it is, he has to bounce back to avoid a 0-2 start for this season.

Keys to the game for Adamson:

MAKING SHOTS: This might seem like an obvious thing to do in basketball, but it's still a concern if your team is shooting only 33.8% from the field (and this stat doesn't even consider the streaky Cabrera's 1/5 3-point shooting already!) Simple advice, really: Shoot that ball!

BALL PRESSURE: Adamson flustered National University into 30(!) turnovers while committing only 12. Ateneo forced 16 while giving it up only 11 times. However, if you cause 30 TOs, you might want to come away with more than 21 points off turnovers. Look for this number to come down a bit since Ateneo has better transition defense and handles the ball better than NU.

BIG MEN: Adamson has arguably the best frontcourt rotation in the league with Manyara, Colina, Camson, and Galinato. Against Ateneo's relatively inexperienced frontline (with the exception of Nico Salva), they should be able to impose their will in the paint and on the boards on both ends of the floor. I'm not sure if Camson can sustain his efficient 13-point 10-rebound effort, but look for Manyara to keep the defensive intensity while contributing more than his 2 points in his previous outing.