Sweet 16 on Basketball TV

Because we are blessed to be a Basketball-loving nation.

Oh, and if you want to know who is announcing, here they are:

3) Marquette vs 2) Miami and 4) Syracuse vs 1) Indiana
Verne Lundquist, Bill Raftery, Rachel Nichols

6) Arizona vs 2) Ohio State and 13) La Salle vs 9) Wichita St.
Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Len Elmore, Lewis Johnson

12) Oregon vs 1) Louisville and 3) Michigan St. vs 2) Duke
Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Tracy Wolfson

4) Michigan vs 1) Kansas and 15) Florida Gulf Coast vs 3) Florida
Marv Albert, Steve Kerr, Craig Sager

Filoil Preseason Champs NU re-armed for title defense

The National University Bulldogs are looking forward to defending their crown in the Fil-oil Flying V Premier Cup, which tips off on April 13 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

NU will be fielding a deep lineup that according to their head coach, Eric Altamirano, might match last year's 12-deep rotation that made it to the Final Four for the first time since 2001.

The Bulldogs will lose Henry Betayene due to injury, as well as Ajeet Singh and Jul-Ashri Ignacio, but coming in to replace them are JJ Alejandro (erstwhile from Mapua and sat out last season) and Alfredo Arogo. Arogo will form a triple-tower combination with incumbent big man Emmanuel Mbe and Troy Rosario. Supplementing that big man depth are forwards Glenn Khobuntin and Kyle Neypes.

In spite of all these additions, the team will still be under the leadership of two-time UAAP MVP Ray Parks. Although recently suffering a hand injury, he is expected to be ready for the start of the tournament. He notes that the team is a year older and wiser, and with their shortcomings last year, they are hungrier for championships.

Noting that all teams have made their own respective upgrades this season, Coach E expects a tough tournament, with all the teams to be undertaking similar approaches. In their case, the Bulldogs are looking to get their new guys more exposure in order for them to be accustomed to playing with the veterans, as well as working on their team play and execution. He may be unsure about how things will turn out for NU in the Premier Cup, but he hopes that they would still be playing until June.

Are you all in with dem Eagles of Dunk City?

 

Welcome to Florida Gulf Coast, where this is your biggest recruiting asset.

Then this happened...

The Eagles just pulled off the third 2-15 upset in the past couple of years. And they they topped that by becoming the first 15-seed to make it to the Sweet 16. Excited would be an understatement.

 

Now they the chance to play against the state's big boys in Florida, at Jerryworld. Who knew that?

Non-NCAA Bracketeering

Well, we know the big bracket. The one that contains the 68. Where there will be a First Four in Dayton and the Final Four in the ATL. Here are the other brackets in play.

After all, this is March Madness.

NIT

The quest to play at MSG is what is in play here. Kentucky won't be able to defend its NCAA title, so it will go for this one. Important to note that since there will be NCAA games at Lexington, they will be going to Robert Morriss to play their match.

CBI

The CBI has a bracket, but there will be re-seeding that will take place

CIT

The CIT does not have a bracket for its first round. It also has a qualifier for selecting its teams, with only teams finishing above .500 as the ones comprising the eligible pool. Like the CBI, teams do decline offers to participate in this competition.

FIRST ROUND

Tuesday, March 19

Eastern Kentucky (24-9) at Gardner-Webb (21-12), 7 p.m.
Fairfield (19-15) at Kent State (20-13), 7 p.m.
Savannah State (19-14) at East Carolina (18-12), 7 p.m.
Rider (18-14) at Hartford (17-13), 7 p.m.
Oakland (16-16) at Youngstown State (17-15), 7:05 p.m.
Boston U. (17-12) at Loyola (Md) (21-11), 7:30 p.m.
Tennessee State (18-14) at Evansville (18-14), 8 p.m.
North Dakota (16-16) at Northern Iowa (18-14), 8 p.m.

Wednesday, March 20

Elon (21-11) at Canisius (18-13), 7 p.m.
Green Bay (18-15) at Bradley (16-16), 8 p.m.
South Alabama (17-12) at Tulane (19-14), 8 p.m.
Chicago State (11-21) at Illinois-Chicago (17-15), 8 p.m.
Oral Roberts (18-14) at UT Arlington (19-13), 8:30 p.m.
High Point (17-13) at UC Irvine (20-15), 10 p.m.
Cal Poly (18-13) at Weber State (26-6), 10 p.m.
Air Force (17-13) at Hawaii (17-14), 12 Mid

Of Fab Fives

Taken from Fille's Facebook via Noel Zarate's Yahoo! Ph blog

On an early Wednesday evening, at the Mall of Asia Arena, The Lady Spikers of De La Salle were celebrating their third straight UAAP women's volleyball title.

They won in straight sets, 25-23, 25-20, 25-16 over a game Ateneo side that tried their best to match wits and skills against the reigning champions. One might say, it was a mirror image of the last time these teams played at the MOA Arena, the first time women's volleyball was played at such a large venue.

But this post is not about Mika Reyes or Ara Galang or Aby Marano or Coach Ramil.

This is about Fille Cainglet, Dzi Gervacio, Gretchen Ho, A Nacachi and Jem Ferrer.

This is about the "Fab Five" of Loyola Heights. Five ladies who stood the test of time and built something not just for Ateneo, but for the sport itself.

When Ateneo made the finals for the second straight season, I thought of the analogy to the 2002 basketball team. Yeah, that team of the Season of Grace. I thought losing last year would then lead to winning this year.

I was wrong, then. Because, well, the laidesdid not win the title this year.

And then, it hit me. I used the wrong collegiate basketball team for the analogy.

The term "Fab Five" in sports is best linked to the University of Michigan Wolverines' quintet of Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. As freshmen and sophomores, they made it all the way to the NCAA Finals, losing both times. Best remembered for the whole Chris Webber "timeout" shenanigans in the 1993 NCAA Finals vs North Carolina, this particular recruitment class should be remembered as the ones who set the stage for what is the atmosphere of American collegiate basketball today (whether that is good or bad will be a question for another day).

If you ask the experts, this season in women's volleyball has been historic and unprecedented. One might say, this is the season when the sport became mainstream instead of being merely a side story or a supplement. And a lot of that, (but not all of it, though) had to do with these ladies.

Who in their wildest dreams would think that a volleyball match will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena and the Araneta Coliseum? It's so far away from matches being played at the CHK Gym in UP or the Blue Eagle Gym. ABS-CBN Sports were delighted with attendance records being broken and tv ratings matching, if not exceeding men's basketball. Hey, it made me stop and pay attention a little more that I used to do. And for that, I am grateful.

They deserve a great send-off. Perhaps that bonfire tonight will do the trick. After all, they deserve it.

So I say, thank you to the five of you. And to the remaining ladies, it's time to build on the foundation they set. May the force be with you.

Alapag & Dillinger joint statement on Tax Evasion charges

Official Statement of Jimmy Alapag & Jared Dillinger re: tax evasion charges (March 14, 2013):

On 22 Feb 2013, Messrs. Jimmy Alapag and Jared Dillinger received an Audit Notice from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

While in the process of compiling the documents requested by the BIR, Jimmy & Jared received on 13th March 2013, a second Notice. This second Notice, dated 11th March 2013, requested for the reproduction of a number of documents, the deadline of submission which was set on 18th March 2013.

Jimmy & Jared were therefore extremely surprised with the press statements earlier today announcing the complaints being filed against them.

Jimmy & Jared will cooperate with the tax authorities while they seek legal advice to protect their rights.

A 2nd Bonfire? Cool.

A time to celebrate and commemorate. The Blue Batters take the juniors and seniors titles, while the senior men's football team retook the plum from their neighbors further up the road.

But it's not just about them, it's also about the other student-athletes, in the 2nd semester of UAAP action. And this is a neat way of paying homage to them.

King James x Iron Man sneakermash

When you are Lebron James, you can pretty much do whatever you want. This includes getting shoes done in whatever you want it to be.

Apparently, he commissioned Dan Gamache, one of the experts in customizing kicks, to use a Nike Lebron X as the canvas for working on an Ironman 3 colorway. And he just received it the other day in a specially crafted container.

Interesting dovetailing, as the movie is coming out this May 3 and the latest trailer just released.



Considering Lebron averaged 29.7 pts 7.5 rebs and 7.8 assists, shooting 64% from the field last month, he can do whatever he want.

The Golf Boys are Back

Last time these guys (Ben Crane, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan) got together, they put out this track for a charitable cause with Farmers Insurance.



A couple of years later, with one of them nabbing a major along the way, they return to aid in raising funds for Charity: Water.

The 2013 NBTC All-Star Showcase Rosters

NBTC Finals and All-Star Showcase on Tap

Top Row (L-R): Andre Paras, Jerie Pingoy, Clint Doliguez, Bong Quinto and Ralph Atangan
Bottom Row (L-R): Ato Badolato, Alex Compton, Sonny Barrios, Eric Altamirano

For the second year running, the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) will be having their All-Star Showcase at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.

Patterned after the McDonald's All-America game, it is a chance for thirty of the best high school players in the Philippines to strut their stuff and impress fans and coaches. Those who would be attending this game will have the chance to possibly see the future stars in the collegiate ranks.

The task of determining the composition of the team came down to the selection committee under the auspices of legendary coach Ato Badolato, with the help of the different coaches, particularly in the selection of the players from the provinces, of which eight of them made the showcase. One of those highly touted provincial players will not make the trip however, as Kib Montalbo of St. John's Institute in Bacolod (and committed to De La Salle University in the upcoming UAAP season) declined due to academic reasons.

In spite of Kib's absence, there will be an interesting set of incoming collegiate prospects on display. Headed by the likes of Jerie Pingoy of FEU, Ralph Atangan of NU, Andre Paras of LSGH, Clint Doliguez of Hope Christian, with FEU's Michael Oliver and San Beda's Britt Reroma handling the coaching duties for this All-Star Showcase.

The All-Star Showcase is not just the only NBTC event this weekend.

The weekend will be a witness to the crowning of the NBTC Finals, as sixteen teams duke it out to determine the best secondary school.

The sixteen schools are grouped into four groups, broken down below with their respective game skeds:

Group A: Hope Christian HS (NCR), Calayan Educational Foundation Inc. (Southern Luzon via Lucena),  St. Albert D' Great School (Northern Luzon via Dagupan) and West Negros University (Visayas via Bacolod)

Hope Christian vs West Negros - 3/1 8am at Ultra
CEF Inc. vs St. Albert D' Great - 3/1 1230pm at Ultra
West Negros vs CEF Inc. - 3/1 330pm at Ynares Arena
St. Albert D' Great vs Hope Christian - 3/1 5pm at Ynares Arena
St. Albert D' Great vs West Negros - 3/2 11am at Ynares Arena
CEF Inc. vs Hope Christian - 3/2 230pm at Ultra

Group B: San Beda (NCR), Faith Academy (NCR), Don Bosco Technical Institute (Northern Luzon via Tarlac) and Southern City College (Mindanao via Zamboanga)

San Beda vs DBTI - 3/1 930am at Ynares Arena
Southern City College vs San Beda - 3/1 2pm at Ultra
DBTI vs Faith Academy - 3/1 5pm at Ultra
Faith Academy vs San Beda - 3/2 930am at Ultra
Southern City College vs DBTI - 3/2 930 at Ynares
Faith Academy vs Southern City College - 3/2 230pm at Meralco Gym

Group C: National University (NCR), Sto. Domingo National HS (Southern Luzon via Legazpi), Iloilo Central Commercial HS (Visayas via Iloilo) and Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori School (Mindanao via Cagayan de Oro)

NU vs ICCHS - 3/1 930am at Ultra
Sto. Domingo National vs Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori - 3/1 1230pm at Ynares Arena
Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori vs NU - 3/1 330pm at Ultra
ICCHS vs Sto. Domingo National HS - 3/2 8am at Ynares
Sto. Domingo National HS vs NU - 3/2 11am at Ultra
ICCHS vs Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori - 3/2 4pm at Ultra

Group D: Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (Visayas via Cebu), Christian Values School (Southern Luzon via Cavite), La Union (Northern Luzon via La Union) and Holy Child College (Mindanao via Davao)

SHS-Ateneo de Cebu vs Christian Values School - 3/1 8am at Ynares Arena
Christian Values School vs La Union - 3/1 2pm at Ynares Arena
Holy Child College vs SHS-Ateneo de Cebu - 3/2 8am at Ultra
SHS-Ateneo de Cebu vs La Union - 3/2 1pm at Ultra
Holy Child College vs Christian Values School - 3/2 1pm at Meralco Gym
La Union vs Holy Child College - 3/2 4pm at Meralco Gym

Each group will have a round robin, playing three times in a stretch of two days, as noted above. The school with the best record on each group will advance to the semifinals, which will be played on the morning of March 3, with Group A paired with Group D on one bracket to take place at the Ultra, while Group B and Group C paired on the other bracket and will be played at Ynares.

The winners of the semis would then play for the title of NBTC Champion on the afternoon of March 3, immediately after the All-Star Showcase at the Ynares Arena. 

Sacred Heart is looking to win this for the third year running now, although this year the Cebuanos will have to do it without Julius Cadavis and Henry Asilum.