At the end of the first round UAAP Season 88, one team has been able to emerge at the top with only one loss. And it’s a team that has taken down giants and shattered expectations.
The NU Bulldogs have been making statements for much of Season 88, with none much bigger than their overtime victory over the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Both teams were entering the game looking to avoid the logjam in the middle of the team standings, and they needed an extra period before the game could be decided.
The Bulldogs have often relied on a next-man-up mentality and this time, it was Paul Francisco who took over for NU. Francisco had twice as many points (10) as the Blue Eagles had in overtime and it was all the Bulldogs needed on a day when their main man Jake Figueroa was not at his best.
NU’s 6-1 start is, in fact, their best since UAAP Season 86, where they went 6-1 in round one before going 4-3 in the second round. However, losing their last two games to close out the elimination round may have been an omen, as they were blown out by the eventual champions, the DLSU Green Archers.
The Bulldogs are hoping to avoid that same fate and it’s fair to assume that this may be the year they get the job done. Many of their holdovers from that Season 86 squad remain on the team, with the likes of Figueroa, Steve Nash Enriquez, Omar John, Jolo Manansala, Reinhard Jumamoy, Kenshin Padrones, and PJ Palacielo figuring heavily into NU’s success so far in UAAP Season 88. They’re all also entering this season with more experience, and their wins this season have been marked by proper execution and late-game composure.
It’s a blank slate of sorts in the second round of Season 88 as teams have enough material to scout one another and squads are slowly rounding into form. The Green Archers, a team the Bulldogs beat in a close fight, took down the UP Fighting Maroons, the defending champions who gave NU their only loss this season thus far. It’s an indication of the greater balance among the top teams, one the Bulldogs should capitalize on.
NU head coach Jeff Napa has always produced consistently solid teams, but none have been able to get over the proverbial hump that is the Final Four. This isn’t his most talented squad, but this is his most cohesive one, as it’s clear this iteration of the Bulldogs are working towards one goal: bringing another championship back to NU.
With the stakes rising and the gaps between teams becoming smaller and smaller, the NU Bulldogs are in a good position to set the pace and enter the Final Four with the valuable twice-to-beat advantage. They’ve taken care of things within their control and as we enter the crucial stages of UAAP Season 88, they need to remain in good form as they hunters of yesterday are now today’s prey.
