Around three weeks before the beginning of the UAAP Men’s Basketball tournament, Juno Sauler was installed as the head coach of the DLSU Green Archers. With just a few days to prepare for the tournament, the team stumbled out of the the gates and finished the first round with a 3-4 record. Doubters and pundits had a field day and criticized the team for their play, and many pointed fingers at Sauler without taking into consideration the difficult timetable that he had to work with.
With a few more games left before the Final Four begins, the Green Archers find themselves in the conversation for one of the top two spots in the standings which will award them a twice-to-beat advantage come the semifinals. This remarkable turnaround has the community excited once again, and Sauler has been a major part of this renaissance.
Teamwork above all
The team’s sudden improvement in the second round has been buoyed by their defense. After allowing opponents to score 74 points per game in the first round, DLSU has only allowed their foes in the second round to score an average of 65.5 points. Despite the emphasis on defense, the team has remained consistent on offense and they still score an average of 74 points per game.
Opponents have shot a clip of just 34 percent on field goals and La Salle has dictated the pace of games with a stunning 50 rebound per game average. The opponents of the Green Archers have averaged just 13.3 points per game in the fourth quarter, a major improvement from the first round where the FEU Tamaraws scorched the team with 21 points in the last canto and the UE Red Warriors racked up 27.
Defense has helped the team buck their first round disease of losing leads as the team can now withstand their own scoring droughts with suffocating defense that keeps opponents from going on scoring blitzes.
Continued improvement
Playing in just his first UAAP season, many were unsure of what to expect from the six-foot-three Jason Perkins, but Perkins has fit seamlessly into the rotation though and does not demand for the ball on offense, getting most of his points off offensive rebounds and broken plays. He has averaged 11.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game for the season so far and during the stellar second round of the Green Archers, he has been at the forefront of the charge, averaging 14 points and 11.5 rebounds during the second round.
Picking up from last year’s breakout campaign, Vosotros continues to take charge of the offense. He has averaged a team-high 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season and has improved in the second round with 16.8 points, six rebounds and 3.3 assists over the first four games.
Though Teng stole the spotlight with his game-winning shot against the ADMU Blue Eagles, the Green Archers would not have been in a position to steal the game without Vosotros. The fourth year guard scattered 16 points in an impressive second half to will the Green Archers to victory. His composure and calm demeanor on the court have been just as valuable and he has become a stabilizing presence for the team, a far cry from his early days with the team when he was dubbed as reckless on the court.
Another impressive development has been Teng’s evolution into a more complete player. Often called a selfish player last season, he has evolved into a complete player under Sauler and he has averages of 13.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. What’s even more shocking is the fact that he leads the team in total assists. His deferral to his teammates has made the Green Archers more dangerous and every foray of his to the basket becomes a difficult judgement all for opponents who are now unsure whether he will attack the basket hard for a lay-up or kick out to an open teammate for a three pointer.
Lofty hopes
With just a few games remaining in the eliminations, the expectations for this team have risen. This does not rattle Sauler though, and he says, “We’re not really looking for the top two. We’re just making sure we do good in the last games.”
No individual player from the team leads the league in any category, and this is not a sign of inferiority, but it is a testament to the overall level of talent that this team possesses. Teamwork is one of the most essential ingredients for a championship, and this team has proven so far that they are willing to sacrifice personal glory to win games.
“If we win, and we make whatever it is what we make then we make it, if not then thats how it goes,” concludes Sauler.
