No Su? Yes Can Do!

As early as the Fil-Oil Flying V Invitational tournament during the summer, it was noticeable that Sudan Daniel always appeared in street clothes sitting on the Lions’ bench. San Beda fans were gripping the arms of their seats for any update as to why their defensive anchor is not playing the tune-up games. It turned out that he has an injury that is devastating to basketball player other than a micro fracture and hairline fracture: a torn ACL.

A season-ending injury, that’s what it is. No Su for Season 87, and if I remember the NCAA rules right, sitting out a year of eligibility due to injury, there’s no certainty whether he will be allowed to suit up again for his final year or just let Ola Adeogun take the reins. It’s not like the US NCAA where you can redshirt one playing year in case of injury and still be eligible to play the next season.

Sudan’s injury caused a mighty uproar of glee not from the San Beda faithful, but rather, from online haters, actual haters, foreign student haters, and basketball “experts.” They said the Red Lions rely very much on Daniel, on offense and on defense. That if this import of San Beda is out of the equation, the Red Lions are very beatable, that they can’t win a championship without him. Guess they are eating their words now.

For all the other schools out there, like Letran – which is vehemently opposing the idea of letting foreign students play for their team – or San Sebastian – which still claims that its championship in 2009 is the most genuine of them all being them an all-Filipino team – it was time to jump on the Red Lions. It was time to put up or shut up. Beat San Beda, they claim that they can’t win without an import. Lose to san Beda without an import? What excuse will be there to throw out, Coach Louie Alas? What excuse or cheap shot play will you throw out, Calvin Abueva? Will they finally realize that this fake hubris and poor study of how the Big Red Machine plays do them more harm than good? The Golden Stags of San Sebastian have yet to find out while the Knights of Letran found the answer, the old-school hard way.

Watching the game between Letran and San Beda last Monday, it was as if all those “can’t win without an import” claims are ringing true. However, there’s a kicker. They should have said “can’t win CONVINCINGLY without an import.” Then again, the Red Lions roared in the fourth quarter and the Knights, in response, quivered and their knees shook as the Big Red Machine imposed its will in the crucial moments of the game. A 15-point win by San Beda just put to rest, momentarily, the claims they just rely on their import. The other teams should learn San Beda doesn’t rely on Sudan Daniels alone. They should look at the components along with him.

Truth be told, for me, it wasn’t Sudan who does the major shouldering of the team. It’s on a local, the best two-guard there is in the NCAA: Chico Lanete’s younger brother, Garvo. Not only does he lead the team in scoring, he’s also one of the best rebounding guards I’ve ever seen, and not to mention, a lockdown defender as well. Sudan doesn’t even start or play 30 minutes a game like Gabo does. And his baskets? From observation, most were on clean-ups. Yes, they play through him in the post. But who wouldn’t? It’s common knowledge among coaches that you have to look at the options down low first before finding your gunner and shoot threes or jump shots, you spread the floor using your biggest guy and run screens to free up your main gun before the big can pass out and they play a two-man game. That’s basic. That’s what the Red Lions did last year on their 18-0 run to the title. Pundits and haters don’t even analyze that; they just plain, flat-out hate without thinking twice.

This season, it’s still the same. Starting center Dave Marcelo and rising big man Kyle Pascual have handily manned the paint and filled the shoes left by Superman Sudan. And these two aren’t patsies. Kyle Pascual has shed his ice cream tag and is well on his way to winning a Most Improved Player award. Dave is as steady as ever, providing the muscle, the rebounds, blocks and offense they would’ve lacked with Sudan out. But that is not saying they have shifted priorities as to who would be touching the ball every time down. This is still Lanete’s team. Where he goes, the Lions go. But the components around him can be a star for any college.

Defense is where I felt Sudan made himself The Man. He jumpstarts run outs by Lanete and Dela Rosa with his blocks and just mere presence down the middle. Losing Sudan would mean losing a sizeable chunk of your defensive output. That is until Marcelo, Kyle Pascual and Jake Pascual proved me wrong. They’ve more than held their own. They’ve more than filled the void down the middle. For the love of the game, Sudan isn’t even the team’s starting center! And these three, they are carbon copies of what Sudan brings to the defensive end. Tenacity, timing, ferocity, you name it, each one brings it, each one. When Marcelo is subbed for Jake Pascual, the Pascual and Pascual Law Firm, as tagged by STAR columnist Bill Velasco, do not let anything get away. Honors should be heaped on Jake Pascual for providing the rebounds and that human windmill ability to swat shots and keep the Lions’ heads above waters. And the wingmen playing with them are lockdown defenders in their own right, especially Rome De la Rosa, who’s also providing good offense apart from impressive defense. A 6’3”-6’4” guy who can lock down power forwards down to point guards, while providing generous offense is a boon to have. Just ask Ateneo.

See those members? They are stars in their own rights. This team is not about Sudan. This team is about Lanete, in my eyes. San Beda supporters can argue with me on that, but you guys cannot deny the fact that when they are in the court, Su still defers to Gabo during crunch time. He knows that Lanete will pull through for them. He knows damn well that he’s got a full complement of big men who play as well as him and contribute the same way he contributes. At the end of the day, for the Red Lions, losing Sudan is not a tsunami of problems. It is the start of bigger things to come for those who will fill the void he left. They have proven they can win without him convincingly. And this season’s title is still for them to lose. Hear these mighty Lions roar, and let the pundits and haters quiver in their stampeding wake.