16 reasons to watch the PCCL
The ninth season of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League has reached the Sweet 16 stage, with the quest to be crowned National Champion truly under way. Since the tourney’s creation in 2003, it’s seen four different UAAP teams take up the crown, though in that same span, the level of competition among all of the other teams has also been increasing. Why should you add another basketball tournament to your list of things to follow? InterAKTV lists down 16 reasons:
1. 33 league, 200+ teams, 1 national champion
Together with the SBP, PCCL executive director Joe Lipa has been going around the country establishing regional leagues among the provincial colleges and universities. It is the winners of those leagues that get to compete in the PCCL Regionals, which in turn, feed into the Sweet 16 phase. While older leagues like the NCAA, the UAAP and the CESAFI will obviously have the benefit of history and time, we may see these new tournaments become just as successful in the long run, especially at the provincial level.
2. The new tournament format
In previous years, the PCCL relied on a March Madness style single-elimination format, but the 2011 edition of the tournament eschews that, especially in the Luzon-Metro Manila bracket, for a stepladder-esque battle to the top.
As it stands, the two winners of the Metro Manila regionals faced off against either the North/Central Luzon Regional winner or the South Luzon/Bicol Regional winner. The two teams that emerge from that then go on to face a mix of three UAAP and NCAA teams from those leagues’ Final Fours to decide the winner of the Luzon bracket.
Things are a bit easier to understand on the Southern Islands side, where the Visayas and Mindanao champs are involved in a four-team tournament with the top two CESAFI teams. Whoever emerges from that side, along with the Luzon bracket champ, will be involved in a round-robin tournament with the UAAP winners, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, and the NCAA victors, the San Beda Red Lions. For the grand title, the top two teams of that tourney will face off, with the team with the best record getting twice to beat.
It seems overly complicated on paper, and some critics have complained about how it gives too much incentive to the UAAP and NCAA schools, but it does ensure that a team from the Visayas or Mindanao will figure in for a title shot without loading up one side of the bracket, which is what happened in 2010 (when all of the Southern teams were located in one quadrant). Whether it proves to be successful enough to be repeated next year is definitely something to follow.
3. Ateneo’s quest for a three-peat
The reigning four-time defending champions of the UAAP have won back to back titles in the PCCL, and they’re looking to make it three in a row this year. When December rolls around and it’s time for the Eagles to play, their five SEA Games representatives will have returned to the Philippines already, with about two weeks of practice under the team’s belt. Combine that with the fact that the “second stringers” of the team were able to gel together and win a Unigames title without their potent starting five and graduating players, and odds are good that the Eagles will at least be in the position to defend their crown.
4 & 5. San Beda (and the rest of the NCAA) are looking to crash the party
The PCCL has yet to see an NCAA team hoist the trophy, but could this be the year for that to change? One thing that’s held the teams from that league back is the fact that their seniors are usually no longer with their team when the PCCL begins, due to being drafted by the PBA. Though some of them are currently with PBA D-League teams, if the schedule is in their favor, guys like John Lopez and Jeckster Apinan of JRU, Kevin Alas and Jam Cortes of Letran, the Big Three of San Sebastian, and Garvo Lanete and Dave Marcelo of San Beda could pull double-duty for their collegiate squads, similar to what some guys did before when the PBL was still kicking around.
The secret weapon of San Beda though is 2010 MVP Sudan Daniel, who missed the last NCAA season due to an ACL injury. As the NCAA champs, the Red Lions are automatically seeded in the Final Four and by the time they get to play, it’ll be December, nine months separated from the injury. We’ve already seen him warming up with the rest of his squad in the latter part of the NCAA, so if he’s in game shape for this league, look out.
6. Adamson’s looking for a second chance
“Almost but not quite” has become the go-to description for the Adamson Falcons’ recent seasons. Last year, they won the first game of a best of three for the PCCL title, but dropped the next two to Ateneo, settling for being the runners-up and the Great Leap Forward PCCL award. This past UAAP season, they finally beat their avian rivals to snap a losing streak that dates back to President Ramos’ time, but squandered a twice-to-beat advantage against the FEU Tamaraws. No doubt, Leo Austria’s boys are looking to finally hold a championship trophy high above their heads, but with the core of their team seeing duty with the Freego Jeans squad in the PBA-DL, scheduling might be an issue for these guys.
7 & 8. Cinderella teams NU and DLSU want to keep dancing
Here are two great underdog teams looking to keep their PCCL dreams alive. The fifth and sixth placers in the last UAAP tournament respectively broke into the Sweet 16 the hard way, defeating two squads each in the Metro Manila regionals. They both easily dispatched the other Luzon regional winners in the opening salvo of the round of 16 though, which leads to a brutal three games in four days stretch this upcoming week if they keep piling on the victories.
For the NU Bulldogs, recipients of last season’s PCCL Fortitude Award, it’s been about showing that they’re more than just a Bobby Ray Parks team. The UAAP MVP is currently with the Philippine Sinag team competing in the SEA Games, but his absence hasn’t been an issue, as a combination of pounding the ball into Mbe down low and a furious transition attack has done their opponents in.
On the other hand, it was barely a few weeks before the tourney when the DLSU braintrust signed former CSB Blazers mentor Gee Abanilla to take over for Dindo Pumaren. Despite having just a few practices under their belt, the Archers have looked much sharper than they did in the UAAP proper. Center Norbert Torres and veteran Joshua Webb have stepped up their offensive game and the Archers are getting out on the break again to good results.
Should either of these squads go the distance, it will not only be a great testament to their depth and perseverance, it’ll be a great building block for the 75th season of the UAAP.
9 & 10. Junmar Fajardo and the UC Webmasters
6’10″ Junmar Fajardo of the University of Cebu Webmasters powered his squad to a Final Four spot in last year’s PCCL before Ateneo and La Salle forced last season’s CESAFI champs to settle for fourth place. That said, Fajardo’s efforts earned him the PCCL Player of the Year plume, and in the near future, the big man will be playing the ABL for the San Miguel Beermen.
Before that though, Fajardo will be the marquee name once more in the Southern Region. Compared to the packed Luzon Region, UC will need to win just two games to get to the Final Four. And should they get there, Fajardo and the Webmasters will definitely be itching to take a shot at improving on their fourth-place finish from 2010.
11. We’re Ormoc-bound
Four huge games will be played this season at the Ormoc City Astrodome, and we’re talking huge as in, “determining who the Luzon-Metro Manila bracket champion and who the Southern Islands bracket champion will be.” That’s a great treat for southern fans of the collegiate basketball, and it will be interesting to see the Manila-teams play in a different environment for a change.
12 & 13. The best of UAAP and NCAA juniors
Like last year, the top two teams of the UAAP and NCAA juniors division will play each other in a pair of charity games for the benefit of Kapit Bisig Para sa Pasig. That means the runners-up battle will have the FEU Baby Tams facing off against the La Salle Greenhills Greenies, and then there’s the battle of champions when the NU Bullpups take on the San Beda Red Cubs. If the games are anywhere near as good as the Blue Eaglets versus Red Cubs, Kiefer Ravena versus Baser Amer, spectacle from a year ago, then this looks to be a pair of epic encounters that will also benefit a worthy cause.
14. Last look at graduating stars
While some UAAP and NCAA squads played or are playing sans their graduating players (Mapua and La Salle, come to mind), other teams will be parading their senior stars one last time in the PCCL. If you want to see Lester Alvarez in a Falcons jersey, or Aldrech Ramos for the Tams, the aforementioned Su Daniel as a Red Lion, or Kirk Long in blue and white for one final time, the PCCL’s your thing.
15. Next wave of players
Conversely, due to a myriad of reasons like minor-league commitments and graduation, you can expect to see coaches dip deeper into their rosters and feature a few up and comers for next season. NU for example, has been doing this to good effect, giving minutes and touches to non-Parks players and they’ve definitely delivered so far. While summer league is still months away, this could tide diehards over until then.
16. NBA lockout
Sometimes we just need to watch two sides dribble a ball back and forth for four quarters to satisfy our basketball jones. With Kobe, Lebron, and CP3 locked out, a little more college games won’t hurt anyone.
Adrian Dy writes about college basketball in his blog Chinoy Hoops Fan. Follow him on Twitter for more college hoops discussion.
Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/16-reasons-to-watch-the-pccl
