Rookie Mid-Season Grading

     As the first round of the UAAP comes to a close, let’s try to look at the performances of the top-ranked rookies who are playing for the member schools and have made splashes as well. Let’s see who has the inner track of winning this year’s Rookie of the Year plum, or who’s lagging behind. Just a note, I’m also including rookies who aren’t eligible for the award so we’ll be throwing in transferee rookies as well since I want to keep an open mind and they’re still technically considered rookies in the league. Well, let’s commence with giving them their grades.
 

Greg Slaughter, Center, Ateneo de Manila University(T)

-          Being the tallest player in the league, much is expected from the transferee from University of Visayas. Playing under Norman Black, a known big man’s coach, heaps more expectations upon him. But in 6 games, he has led Ateneo in scoring thrice and pulled down his share of rebounds and clogged the lane. That’s just exactly what the doctor ordered for the three-time defending champs after having no significant big man last year. However, being nearly blanked by UST and DLSU, he has shown that he has much to learn regarding getting position inside or finding spots where teammates can just dump it to him. It’s not hard to spot a 7-footer against 6’5”-6’6” centers out there. Grade: A

Kiefer Ravena, Guard, Ateneo de Manila University (R)

-          After laying an egg in his first UAAP Seniors game, Kiefer has come back with a vengeance. In the five games since, he has not scored below 13 points and even lead Ateneo in scoring twice, with his best performance coming against rival DLSU, torching them for 24 points. Not only that, in a showdown against UST’s Rookie of the Year hopeful Kevin Ferrer, Kiefer proved just who had the better K that day with 18 points, 5 boards and 6 assists plus a couple of steals. He not only fills the scoring that Ateneo was supposed to miss due to Ryan Buenafe being absent and defenses clamping down on Greg Slaughter and Nico Salva, he also does the intangibles. He rarely makes a mistake and his every move on the court is calculated and knows when to and when not to take a shot and plays Coach Norman’s brand of defense. Grade: A

Bobby Ray Parks, Guard-Forward, National University (R)

-          Much has been said about the Fil-Am son of seven-time PBA Best Import awardee, Bobby Parks. Standing at 6’4”, Ray parks can play 1 through 4 and present match-up problems throughout. He can score, topping 30 points against UP, the first rookie ever to do so. However, this has not translated to wins for the Bulldogs aside from upsetting the Adamson Falcons. From watching Parks on the court, there’s one thing I’d like to note: he is hesitant to pass to his teammates. As a result, the offense of NU grinds to a halt when he touches the ball and commands a 1-4 set. I wouldn’t blame his teammates either for standing around like statues. It’s just like when LeBron James was playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The play is called “give the ball to Bobby ray, get the hell out of his way and wait for him to dish.” That has to change. Grade: B+

Dennis Villamor, Forward, National University (T)

-          Villamor has been a surprise for National U. In my eyes, he is the Bulldog’s 3^rd option on offense upending Glen Khobuntin, who seems to always look for his shot outside of the system. Villamor stays within the offense and picks his spot. He knows when he is needed to score, like the game against Adamson where he scattered 8 crunchtime points, and when to defer to Bobby Ray or Emmanuel Mbe. Not only that, for his size, he is a capable defender and able to post up smaller opponents with ease. With that nice in-between game he has coupled with a deft 3-point stroke, he can be a factor for NU’s drive for their first Final 4 appearance since Jeff Napa commanded triple teams. Grade: A

Cedric Labing-Isa, Point Guard, National University (R)

-           After having a decorated Juniors career with powerhouse UST Tiger Cubs, Labing-Isa, or Onse as he is fondly called, is having a transition period with his new team. Imagine if he decided to play for UST, he’d be backing up Jeric Fortuna and it won’t be Kim Lo or Miguel Aytona. Instead, he is backing up the back-up, Joseph Terso, and rarely getting floor time. Grade: F

Kyle Neypes, Forward, National University (R)

-          The other half of the Tiger Cub pair in the Bulldogs’ fold who is also having a disappointing rookie season after being a heralded juniors player. One would come to imagine what if he just went to UST instead and backed up the likes of Jeric Teng and his teammate during high school, Kevin Ferrer. He doesn’t even log more than 8 minutes by my estimate backing up the logjam of NU at the forward spots what with Glen Khobuntin there, Dennis Villamor, Marion Magat, Ray Parks, and Jul-Iashri Ignacio. Grade: F

Gelo Alolino, Guard, National University (R)

-          Alolino has held the fort for NU at the point guard spot after playing the 2 all his Juniors days with the University of Perpetual Help Altalettes. For a combo guard, he makes sound decisions giving up the ball and stroking it when the main guns like Parks, Villamor and Mbe are clamped down. Expect more from him when he has stabilized his role in the Bulldogs’ scheme of things. Grade: C+

Robby Celiz, Guard, National University (T)

-          Celiz, one of the more celebrated transferees of NU has a lot to prove. I haven’t seen him do anything significantly to help the Bulldogs’ cause. This will be in part because of Jul-Iashri Ignacio’s rise to a competent Guard-Forward, and coach Eric Altamirano opting to use a combo of Joseph Terso and Gelo Alolino in the back court. Grade: C

Kevin Ferrer, Forward, University of Santo Tomas (R)

-          The former MVP of the Juniors division has lived up quite to expectations. He hasn’t failed me yet except for that game against Ateno where he managed a measly eight point production. Apart from that, he has been a consistent offensive weapon for UST. Churning out close to 14 points a game coupled with close to 8 boards is a nice addition for a UST team that leans on a sputtering Jeric Teng, whom you wouldn’t know whether he’ll be hot or he’ll be throwing up bricks. The rebounding he provides also helps UST which has been hammered on the boards during the past campaigns after the departure of Jervy Cruz. He’ll be a star no doubt. I may be ahead of myself but a pairing of Keving Ferrer and Jeron Teng upfront would be… beastly. Although I noticed, he keeps getting posted up by heavier guards as evidenced in the game against Adamson. He needs to fill out without compromising his speed and quickness advantage. Grade: A

Karim Abdul, Center, University of Santo Tomas (R)

-          UST’s foreign student athlete is the most complete foreign student athlete I’ve seen with regards to an offensive game. Yes, he trumps even that of Emmanuel Mbe. He’s got the footwork, the body to use, skills and soft hands. He drop steps with ease and even showed a dreamshake-like move. It’s high time UST got a quality center since the Jervy Cruz ruled the paint. There is still much to be desired however. He has to learn how to play defense with his feet not with his hands. Not to mention, that temper of his gets in his flow and disrupts it. Grade: C+

Louie Vigil, Guard-Forward, University of Santo Tomas (R)

-          A highly touted baller from Jose Rizal University’s juniors squad, the Light Bombers, Vigil made waves being a teammate of former UP Fighting Maroon, Joshua Saret. While Saret was a scorer, Vigil was the penultimate ballplayer. He can rebound, he can dish, has nice vision, quick hands for steals, and can definitely score at will. However, that has yet to materialize. The Louie Vigil I get to catch in action is a somewhat diminished Louie Vigil of yore. He’s not the MVP-caliber player of the NCAA Juniors. He’s disrupted in the flow of the offense and seems lost defensively. But I am not giving up on this kid. He had so much promise coming from the junior ranks. If he didn’t, then why would UST waste a sports scholarship on him? Grade: D

Paolo Romero, Forward, University of the Philippines (R)

-          Being a champion in high school, with powerhouse Ateneo nonetheless, asks for big expectations, especially now that you’ve enrolled in a school where they are starving for basketball success, that makes life as a student-athlete doubly hard. Just ask Mike Gamboa, another Ateneo Blue Eaglet star and is now finding his way back to the hearts of Fighting Maroons fans. So far, the minutes for Roms has been spotty. But when he is in, he contributes right away. His height still poses a problem for him to effectively play the 4-spot or even a little bit of 5. For that, he can relate to Miggy Maniego. If he can solidify his spot as a 4, and steal even the starting spot from Carlo Gomez, he’ll probably blossom. But for now, I like the hustle he brings off-the-bench. Grade: C

Alinko Mbah, Center, University of the Philippines (R)

-          UP has waited long enough for a center that can replace Abby Santos’s toughness and rebounding. No, Magi King Sison didn’t embody those during his tenure. But Mbah promises to deliver. UP doesn’t need him to score. All he has to do is play defense, secure the rebound and hit the open lay-up. Mr. Mbah, please, please do not try fancy spin moves or demand the ball on offense. Set picks, box out, grab the offensive baord, that’s how you’ll help the Fighting Maroons. Grade: C+

Russel Escoto, Forward, Far Eastern University (T)

-          I still have to see what made Russel Escoto some noise. He is a touted transferee as well from the Visayan region. But I have to see again what made him a great haul for the Tams. All I saw him do was foul incessantly dimming his team’s chances of blowing out opponents. Also, being mired behind Carl Cruz and Anton Bringas, and soon, Pipo Nuondou and Arvie Bringas, would definitely not help. Grade: D-

Cris Tolomia, Guard, Far Eastern University (R)

-          This crack guard from the Baby Tams is playing quite well up to par. And he has one thing rookies don’t have at the moment: a game-winner. Cris Tolomia is a silent and smooth operator. Slowly, he’s starting to take the back-up spot from Jens Knuttel. And one more thing is, he makes sound decisions on the floor. He also has that neat first step with which to beat opposing defenders and make them eat dust. Grade: B

Chris Javier, Center-Forward, University of the East (R)

-          This former San Beda Red Cub has to forget about this season. I’m not saying he should stop laying hard like he does nowadays. It’s just, he should forget about the Warriors being relevant… for now. As to their fortunes as a team, it hinges on this young big man. His improvement for his sophomore year should be something to watch out. He did considerably well pushing out and defending Slaughter versus Ateneo. But he still commits silly fouls and has a case of butterfingers at times. However, the potential is there. And with the Defense minister Jerry Codinera as his coach, things will look up as the Red Warriors recover from losing Paul Lee, James Martinez and Ken Acibar. Grade: C+ 
Arnold Van Opstal, Center, De La Salle University (R)

-            I'm cutting AVO some slack. Seeing as this is still a developing big man, he sure has made himself serviceable to the Green Archers' cause. He provides the hustle and long-armed defense that DLSU so craved when Ferdinand was failing on the hardcourt. Not only that, I also took note of flashes of his offensive game. The way he moves his feet, how he can handle the ball well for a big man, it's impressive at this stage of his development. He just needs to figure out when and when not to foul so as not to limit his effectiveness. Grade: C+

Norbert Torres, Center, De La Salle University (R)
-           This guy I've known since his RP Youth days. Yes, he has a deft touch for a big, however, he has fallen in love with it too much in my opinion. He has the body to bang people inside and punish them, the footwork and that impressive drop step, and the soft hands to finish around the rim. Sadly, he decides to operate in the perimeter where he is least effective. DLSU needs a dominant big guy, and since AVO is still in the development stage, Torres surely fits the bill. Looking at his last game against the Falcons where he took it to the teeth of the defense, didn't it pay dividends? He should see how he carved up Austin Manyara and do it again. Until he gets it in his head that he needs to operate inside, it would stop him from being such a good ball player. Take the ball inside I say! Grade: C

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