AT the UAAP men’s basketball games in Manila, there’s no duel more riveting than the one between Blue and Green. That’s the storied rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle. But last week, a different color replaced the Green Archers.
The UP Fighting Maroons, sporting, obviously, the color maroon, were the heroes of Season 81. It had been 32 years since UP reached the Finals. Their twin victories over Adamson in the Final Four semis were classics. In the Finals, a bit weary and facing the defending champs who were armed with too many weapons (especially with one named Thirdy Ravena), the UP squad lost, 0-2.
But UP was the winners. It captivated the whole basketball-crazy nation and everyone who wasn’t an Atenean cheered for them. Led by Paul Desiderio, who made the “Atin ‘To” phrase into a fighting cry for the UPians, there were several other Cebanos that included June Kent Manzo and Jan-Jan Jaboneta.
The UP-Ateneo series was one of the most hyped and awaited in many, many years of games at the Araneta Coliseum and the MOA Arena.
My daughter Jana, who plays tennis for Ateneo, told me of the difficulty of securing tickets. “Much harder to get tickets than the La Salle final!” she said. Some Ateneans lined up at 3 a.m. just to get their passes.
The feel-good story behind this new rivalry is that both campuses are neighbors; they’re housed along Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City.
For UP, this year will propel them for the main battle: Season 82. Because next year is when Kobe Paras and Ricci Rivero, two of the most talented collegiate players, join the Diliman-based team. They’ll be teammates with one of the most exciting players that I’ve watched this season: Juan GDL. Spelled in full, that’s Juan Gomez de Liano, the 6-foot-2 guard who can slam dunk and shoot three-pointers as a lefty. Named Rookie of the Year last season, Juan GDL is definitely a future PBA player. He’s calm, cunning, confident... with that crop of curly hair that makes him stand out as a superstar.
Imagine next year, Season 82, when Ateneo retains Ravena, Ange Kouame and majority of their current players vs. Juan GDL, his brother Javi, the reigning MVP Bright Akhuetie plus Rivero and Paras?
As an Ateneo fan (ever since Jana moved to Manila), I’d have to pick (and hope for) UP to win next year.
For Kobe Paras, if he does snatch the trophy from Ateneo and hands it to UP, it will be a fitting tribute to his dad Benjie. It was back in 1986 when Benjie Paras led the UP squad to championship glory. Coached by the legendary Joe Lipa, they also had Eric Altamirano and Ronnie Magsanoc, among others, as players. In the finals, they defeated the UE Red Warriors in two games at the ULTRA in Pasig.
That year was 1986. Thirty-three years later (next year), the UP Fighting Maroons will be champions again.