One More Reason Why Not to Get Your Team Suspended
It has been reported that certain teams have started recruiting the players of the PCU Dolphins after they were suspended by the NCAA for a year. The PCU Dolphins were suspended for switching players in a tournament where they finished in 2nd place.
I think its but normal that players will want to leave a school’s basketball program once they have been suspended. College ball is but a short window for these potential future basketball superstars to showcase their wares. I don’t think the team has any reason to gripe since they knew long before hand what the risks and consequences were.
Case in Point is Adamson University. Marlou Aquino did not graduate from their school after finishing his tenure with them and was applying for entry into the PBA draft which had a “minimum no. of units completed” requirement. In the UAAP a player has to complete a set amount of units to be allowed to represent his school in the league. When it was found out via his grades that he did not meet this rule, the league suspended Adamson for a year. The effects of that suspension however was more far reaching than just an absence of a year in competitive play. Adamson which had a reputation for fielding powerhouse team was reduced to being cellar dwellers as they had a drought in getting good players to play for them. It was only a few years back that they had started to field competitive teams again.
La Salle attempted to mitigate these potential damaging effects to their sports program, when they were suspended a year for fielding ineligible players, by exerting a lot of effort to keeping their team and coaching staff in tact during the suspension. Not to mention by joining other leagues here and overseas so as not to dull their playing skills. If their efforts were worthwhile we will be able to see in a few months time when the UAAP season opens in July. However we did get a sneak preview in some invitational cups where La Salle would show off its vaunted press and stifling defense for some fleeting minutes. But if its one thing i’ve noticed with La Salle strategy ever since they lost to Ateneo in 2002, was that they never to showed their true form and hit the afterburners till the second round of the UAAP season.
Slightly off track, I’m excited to see the Green Archers again come UAAP Season, not because of the 1 year hiatus nor because I owe them my education. But rather because I’ve never seen a team so pissed off for being suspended… I’ve never seen so much bloodlust in the eyes of players nor such insatiable hunger in a team from the start of the opening tip off… *snicker*
Article here
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