No matter what happens with the UAAP 2016 Basketball Tournament, my happiness for its outcome has been fulfilled.
Cebuano-bred basketball talents are spread all over the 8 UAAP teams, which speaks well for Cebuano coaches and trainers.
I am particularly elated over the rise of the FEU Tamaraws.
They are the defending champions, but nothing much was expected from them with the graduation of Mark Belo, Mike Tolomia, Roger Pogoy and several others to the PBA.
Pride and heart, however, are difficult to deny.
So the Tamaraws are still alive, trying to deny the Ateneo Blue Eagles a slot in the finals with arch rival De La Salle Green Archers waiting in the wings, which is a dream series for the UAAP, with the boys from Taft Avenue trying to reclaim the championship which has been denied to the men in green for several years now.
Of course, there is the lucrative economics of an Ateneo-La Salle Championship Series.
The UAAP stands to stash in enough funds to finance its other sports programs, although volleyball has lately become a big contributor too. I just hope that the UAAP would be generous enough to assist other leagues which are the source of ready-made talents making their athletic tournaments very competitive.
You have the supporters of both schools, who are rabid as dogs in the heat of summer.
If Ateneo does make it, expect places like the City Sports Center, Casino Español, Alta Vista, Country Club and the different hotels and restaurants occupied by groups of alumni from both schools, rooting for either Blue or Green.
Then you have the scalpers, who are looking forward to a big payday. I wonder which ticket is more pricey? A Ginebra Championship Series or an Ateneo-La Salle finals series.
Back to my Sebuboys.
Two of them figured prominently last Saturday in the Tamaraws’ win over Ateneo. Without the effort of the two, we would be looking already at an Ateneo-La Salle series.
I am referring to Monbert Arong and Ron Dennison.
I cannot recall Monbert playing in a Mandaue tournament, but I am sure he is related to the basketball playing Arongs of Guizo, Mandaue City.
Ron, I am proud to claim, is a pure-blooded Mandauehanon and earned his basketball boots while playing for the Ibabao-Estancia Team of Councilor Jun del Mar.
If older brother Ritchum, who was instrumental in at least four of the nine straight championships that Coach Elmer Cabahug won for the UV Green Lancers, had the height of Ron, he would have made it to the big leagues also.
I just had a small problem when any of the Dennison brothers play. I tend to watch and listen to their mother Evelyn more cheering for her brood.
Joking aside, Mrs. Dennison is one of the most supportive mothers of athletes that I have seen, who really expresses her thoughts and sentiments during the game. Probably the main reason why all of her boys are excellent athletes.
It was Ron who keyed the comeback of the Tamaraws from 10 points down to regain the lead. Monbert, coming in with less than 3 minutes to play, made all the points which preserved the win for FEU.
A few columns ago, I tried to pitch my two cents’ worth of thoughts as to what ails the CESAFI.
Just watch the different collegiate leagues in Manila and count all the Cebu-trained players in the roster of Metro Manila schools, collegiate and secondary.
If all of them were playing here, then it would make CESAFI remain vibrant and alive. How to keep them in Cebu, sans the limelight and the accolade, I have no prescription.
Cebu teams are not even able to hold on to the African imports in their line-up who are covered by playing contracts, how much more for the locals where the schools have practically no means of making them stay.
Thanks to the networks, we are still able to watch our local boys shine in Metro Manila.
See you watching in our separate television screens during the rubber match.