Thread by @_alba__

🧵Post-Game Thread🧵

First post-game thread of #UAAPSeason84 and it's about UP-UST because the Tigers hurt my feelings in the first half.

UST went up by double digits at one point early in the game despite not appearing to be as talented on paper. Why? They shot really well and UP was kind of bad on defense.

Two white shirts run towards the ball. Here, Ricci should have ran to the corner and X-Out. They both know there's a man in the corner and the pass fake gives UST time and space to shoot.

Notice Zav Lucero leaving the play early. After the second miss, his man runs to the rim and gets the and-1 of the putback.

Another oreb for UST and Cansino gambles for a steal. Whiff on the swipe forces Diouf up and gives UST an advantage. Cabanero goes to the corner and Lucero can't make the closeout in time.

Abadiano helps from the strongside (a no-no in the NBA and viable in the PH) which leaves UST an easy passing valve for an open 3.

Some plays players just made bad decisions. In this one, Ricci thought he had the angle to draw a charge. Well, Cabanero had the time and space to change directions and he had the clear lane.

Carl Tamayo gets caught ball watching. His man notices and flashes to the rim and it's an easy deuce.

UP managed to claw back because of a strong showing by Joel Cagulangan, better execution on defense, and UST simply missing shots.

Transition defense was much better in the second half and they played with more energy as opposed to how they were getting outsprinted earlier.

Cagulangan's passing is really good and he's a strong ball handler able to penetrate through the defense.

He's able to get in the paint to force the rotations and he hits Carl with a great feed. The ability to make deliveries like this in traffic is rare.

His ability to play the passing lanes is unreal. He anticipates the pass to the corner and makes the steal.

He averaged 2.9, 1.9, and 2.0 steals per game in the 3 years of HS basketball I have on record.

His ability to read defenses allows him to play with other ball handlers. (He's not useless without dribbling.)

The initial PnR between Zav and Ricci forced UST to go in rotation.

When the ball gets to him, he knows his defender left a teammate and it's a lay-up.

Most impressive steal for me was this:

UP denies and UST takes advantage of the overplay. Cabanero gives Zav a push to create separation. Lina rushes at him which leaves Cagulangan to defend on the other side. He goes into his man's chest and prevents an easy 2.

Watching Zav Lucero make these type of passes gets the #UPFight spirit in me go nuts.

His ability to make quick decisions and accurate deliveries allow the team to take advantage of minute advantages and defensive lapses for easy buckets. Most impressive thing about him for me.

He doesn't need a lot of time to score. He plays off his teammates really well and his off-ball scoring was why he had 18 points.

He's an athletic finisher with a good eye for openings and he's capable of drilling middies off some movement.

What was a pleasant surprise was the synergy between Cagulangan and Lucero.

Cagulangan penetrates and this paint touch causes Lucero's man to help. Feeling his man not paying attention, Lucero sneaks in. The pass is made and Zav's length allows him to finish.

Despite his indefensible political beliefs, Ricci's on-court defense helps Cagulangan force the turnover. Lucero quickly sprints back on offense and it's a highlight.

This one is very impressive for both of them. As soon as Cagulangan gets the ball, he gives it up. He anticipates the rotation and makes the right pass.

On the other hand, Zav has the patience to wait for the defense to come and hit them with the spin for an easier shot.

Now, I do the unthinkable. Praise Ricci Rivero.

In Season 82, Ricci was bad. Really bad on both ends. Horribly efficient on offense and a gambler on defense whose cons outweighs the pros.

This game though, he made a few mistakes early, but he was great in the comeback on the defensive end.

UP was switching everything and this UST PnR leads to a mismatch in favor of UST. Ricci makes a timely rotation to protect the rim.

Secondary rim protection (think Will Navarro) is a necessity in the UAAP and Ricci's length and athleticism allow him to fill this role well.

Alarcon gets displaced by a screen with Ricci as the weakside low man. It's his job to rotate and protect the rim in this situation and he does just that.

He went up without making contact with Cabanero and altered a layup.

Last Ricci clip. He defends the post with discipline (no swipes or hops) and uses the baseline to force his man to a tough angle. He forces the miss and makes the pull-up to put the team up.

Easily the best Ricci sequence with UP. Still should rethink his beliefs though.

UP's second half was probably the best they've looked since Season 81, but they need to be able to pull that off consistently and against better teams.

UP has a lot of talent. I didn't even talk about Carl Tamayo at all. Pretty optimistic for the rest of the season #UPFight