Pumaren vs. Sauler: Examining the system

Sixteen years ago, in the year 1998, Franz Pumaren was named head coach of the DLSU Green Archers. Until that year, the 90s was a decade replete with disappointing runner-up finishes for behind the powerhouse UST Growling Tigers, who reigned as champions for four consecutive years from 1993 to 1996, and the FEU Tamaraws, who won it all in 1997. The Taft-based squad was then on a mission to end the decade on a positive note and winning their first title since winning back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990.

While it is true that the players are the most responsible when it comes to winning or losing a game for they are the ones who run up and down the hardwood, the significance of the roles played by the coaches who design how they are going to operate cannot be overlooked. Such was the case when Franz Pumaren inherited the reins of the Green Archers.

Despite the presence of former Green Archer Mark Telan, who was a two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player in 1996 and 1997, DLSU was unable to win the championship.

It was not until Pumaren introduced his vaunted full-court trapping defense that La Salle would start dominating the UAAP along with tailor-fitted players to suit the demanding brand of basketball his style calls for.

Fast forward to a decade and a half later, the 2013 DLSU Green Archers surprisingly ended their campaign with confetti raining down on their shoulders, amid the sea of green and white that littered the Mall of Asia Arena after the buzzer of the third game of the UAAP Finals sounded. The Green Archers were once again at the mountaintop of collegiate basketball.

Then-rookie coach Juno Sauler repeated the feat once achieved by fellow former Green Archer mentor, Franz Pumaren.

The similarities and differences of the current roster of the Green Archers and the roster of the past four-peat era begins and ends with the coaching style that each mentor exhibits flawlessly throughout their run with the team.

Pesky perimeter defense

There is a popular saying in the world of sports that while offense wins games, defense wins championships. That saying is also true in the basketball court. Mostly, the defensive anchor is the one assigned to man the post, to block shots coming at or around the rim, and to grab the rebounds whenever a shot fails to connect. La Salle had that in Don Carlos Allado during the first two years of its four-peat. They again found the same in the efforts of big man Carlo Sharma in its 2001 championship season. However, Pumaren is known for utilizing his quick guards to shadow the opposing team’s perimeter players. Point guards are the primary point of offense for most teams, limiting their control of the ball and possession greatly helps in stalling their team’s attack. This full court pressure defense demands relentless energy, hustle, and quickness above all else. Pumaren had plenty of those in guards Dino Aldeguer, Alvin Castro, Mon Jose, Mac Cuan, Joseph Yeo, Mike Cortez and Ren-Ren Ritualo, to name a few.

Burly bigs beneath the basket

Today’s DLSU line-up features one of the most formidable frontcourts in the UAAP. With physical post players in the form of Arnold van Opstal, Norbert Torres, Jason Perkins and rookies Abu Tratter and Prince Rivero, the Green-and-White boasts what one could argue is the best in the league. In contrast to Pumaren’s emphasis on perimeter defense, Sauler embodies more of the traditional defensive scheme with the use of height to bother the offense of opposing teams. Moreover, Sauler would mostly employ a man-to-man defense to utilize the team’s size advantage, though he shifted to a zone on occassion in UAAP 77.

Shooting and scoring

Although employing differing emphasis on what and who to defend, both Pumaren and Sauler were given sweet-shooting snipers to pepper their opponents. Who better to cite as example for Pumaren than Ren-Ren “The Rainman” Ritualo. His range and scoring prowess gave opponents chills as he rained down three pointers on them. Also contributing in the shooting department was teammate Dino Aldeguer, whose famous buzzer-beating three to force overtime against the UST Tigers in 1999 sealed their second straight UAAP championship. Then there were Alvin Castro, Mike Cortez, and BJ Manalo to further bolster the perimeter scoring.

Sauler meanwhile has in his pockets the services of Almond Vosotros, Thomas Torres, Kib Montalbo and Julian Sargent to provide timely buckets when needed. Vosotros, nicknamed “Vosotres” for his ability to knockdown bombs from virtually anywhere on the floor, has proven that he can deliver in the most crucial moments of the game. Even when shooting poorly, you just know that Vosotros could heat up in a minute. Moreover, Sargent had his moments where his streaky shooting shifted the game’s momentum whereas Montalbo’s steady perimeter game provides La Salle a consistent threat, even when the team struggles at times.

The “beautiful” game

Good players do not guarantee a championship, and this is why Pumaren will always be remembered in La Salle. As an offense that thrives on ball movement, La Salle created monumental mismatches that left opposing teams astray. Big men like Allado were often on the receiving end of good drop passes inside for easy lay-ups. This is not to discount his ability on the low block, which allowed him to score almost automatically. While Ritualo, by coming off a series of screens and constant movement, easily found himself open to fire away from downtown. Cortez on the other hand, being a trapper instead of a stopper on the La Salle press, was often off to the races taking away easy steals. With the constant motion that Pumaren employs to his squad, players usually score easily and efficiently.

Although five championships is a lot to immediately catch up with, the heritage that was left by Pumaren plus Sauler’s championship win on his first year of coaching, even with this year’s third place finish in mind, is a clear sign for good things to come for La Salle Basketball in the near future. Though their styles may differ, both want the same thing for La Salle: championships.