Unexpected Players To Have Breakout Season in NBA 2012-2013

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Remember Humphries? Not as Kim Kardashian's ex but as a player who surprises and emerge as one of the top rebounders in the NBA last two season. But before he become a legit starter in nets, he stumbled around several team's bench for couple of season. If you can only be patient and give the best you have, you can find success. That's how Humphries did. Let's take a look at some players who will likely but appears unlikely to some:

Josh Childress 
    Playing in Phoenix which is not so good idea for, not a system for him. That stay in Phoenix might hurt his stock but Childress is actually a good player. He makes up with his crafty plays from struggling in jump shots. With a very very very very thin bench in Brooklyn, the opportunity is wide open for Josh Childress..hope he doesn't mess up that chance.

Darko Milicic
     For your information, Darko was already been there while James, Anthony, Bosh and Wade still aiming for It, talking about the Championship ring. But Darko isn't finished yet. He still have to erase the LABEL of Bust out from his name. He still under 30 and he's 7 feet, there's always a chance. Just ask Kwame Brown..and i DO think he is better than Kwame.

Jimmer Fredette
    Most people already gave up in him but it's just one season. as long as you can shoot the ball, you can always have a spot on a roster but on a team that needs you. It's clear that Jimmer is done in Sac town and the addition of Brooks in King's roster will probably the green light Fredette go. It could be a blessing in disguise for Jimmer if he lands on a team which he will have enough role and playing time and this could be the season for him to start again.


Enes Kanter
     If one of the two front liners in Utah will be traded, it would be a perfect time for Kanter to show why he is #3 pick in 2011. He can play basketball, he just need more playing minutes as he play quality minutes in backing up Al Jefferson and Paul Milsap. I could see him 10ppg, 8.5rpg 1.2bpg. if given around 28 Min a game.

Alonzo Gee 
    He had a decent 11-12 season and plays better than Casspi. This could be the season for him to become a legit starter since the Cavs don't have any player better than him at SF spot. As his career rise up every season, this could be his break out season.

Adam Morrison
    Many people will laugh about him, an Icon of a Draft bust with ugly mustash..and won2 NBA title first before Lebron. But his career isn't it over yet. He got one season to prove it, a perfect team where he have the chance to be on the playing court and an impressive Summer League games. We love to hear a great story this season like last seasons Linsanity. Is it Adam's this time?

Written by Fritz Castro

UP Pep Squad 2012 UAAP Cheerdance Competition Champions

The collegiate competition is on fire at the UAAP 75th season but things are also as heated as they've always been when it comes to the annual UAAP Cheerdance Competition. Fans from the competing schools came in droves at the newly built Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City to witness a grand spectacle of cheers, dance, and stunts.

The UP Pep Squad will be defending their crown for the second time and also vying for their 8th UAAP Cheerdance Competition title overall.And the results were quite predictable, though one that the UP Pep Squad clearly dominated. Their minimalist performance, smooth execution, difficult and original stunts, and impeccable choreography all contributed in helping the team successfully defend their crown at the 2012 UAAP Cheerdance Competition.

The surprise entry into the top 3 for the 20l2 UAAP Cheerdance Competition is the National University Pep Squad that finished with the second runner-up trophy and PhP 140,000 cash prize. Meanwhile, the FEU Pep Squad gains the recognition of becoming this year's runner-up and also extends their streak at the top 3 of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition to 10 years now!

To those of you who missed the winning performance by the UP Pep Squad at the 2012 UAAP Cheerdance Competition, you can view it below:

What did you think about the results? Would love to hear your thoughts about this year's competition.

Look Back on 2011-2012 Euroleague Final Four

Last season was unpredictable and exciting. CSKA was a powerhouse team after a dismal performance in the 2010-2011 season that saw them bowing out of the competition after the regular season. But when Andre Kirilenko joined the team in the 2011-2012 season, hopes are back up and the team even made it all the way to the Final Four once again, after breaking their streak the previous year. Thus, they were the clear favorites to win it all in the most recent Euroleague Final Four competition held in Istanbul.

But an Olympiacos team powered by Vanilis Spanoulis' tremendous on-court leadership caused the giants to fumble at the last few seconds of the game. To see just how exciting the game was, check out a short clip of the game's highlights here:

What an exciting Euroleague Final Four that was! With the draw officially concluded, it is now time to put that Final Four behind and look forward to the new one. Time to show your devotion!

Which team do you think is going all the way to the Final Four?

Smart Gilas Pilipinas Edges Chinese Taipei in 2012 FIBA Asia Cup Quarterfinals

The Smart Gilas Pilipinas team survived a scare late in the fourth quarter from Chinese Taipei during their quarterfinal match at Ota Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. Thus, the Philippine team moves onto the semifinal round in the 2012 FIBA Asia Cup competition via a 75-68 win.

Despite a slew of scoring from the Chinese Taipei national team, Smart Gilas were able to hold them off such that they were able to put in only five points during the first five minutes of the game. A three-pointer from Gary David helped push the lead up to 14 with a few seconds shy of 4 minutes.

But Taipei is not yet done as they were able to execute a 9-0 run to bring the lead down to just 5 with the clock at 1:52. Gilas responded with a tougher defensive play and prevent the Chinese Taipei team from converting another triple and forcing them into a couple of turnovers. Meanwhile, LA Tenorio helped to spark the offense for the Gilas team with the help of Jeff Chan.

Now that Smart Gilas Pilipinas is moving onto the semifinal round of the 2012 FIBA Asia Cup, they are set to go up against Iran.

Marcus Douthit lead the entire Smart Gilas team with a double-double performance, 19 points and 18 rebounds. Other players that contributed to the team’s cause were Ranidel de Ocampo and Gary David.

Taulava Not Re-Signing with Bolts, Leaves PBA (Updated)

The Meralco Bolts need to find a big man to fill in the huge hole left by “The Rock” Asi Taulava after he declined the team’s 2-year maximum deal. According to reports, Taulava is not only leaving the team but the PBA as well.

Taulava, who is a 13-year veteran in the PBA, has not provided further details as to why he refused the offer from his team, as well as where he is headed to after leaving the league. Many speculations point to the fact that he could either be suiting up for the Asean Basketball League or the Chinese Basketball League.

The basketball pro posted a series of tweets on his Twitter account to thank his teammates, coaches, and PBA officials, which could be taken as his official farewell message.

With Asi Taulava’s departure, other big guys need to step up in this upcoming season of the PBA. Meralco Bolts coach Ryan Gregorio is fully aware of the challenge awaiting him and his team, but it is something that they’ve already prepared for. The fact remains, though, that the Bolts hold the rights to Asi Taulava once he decides to return to the PBA.  

Update:

A new report was released and confirmed that Asi Taulava will be heading to the ASEAN Basketball League. The Rock will also be playing alongside “Major Pain” Erick Menk as the two signed their respective deals with San Miguel Beermen separately. Hence, this will be the first time in both cagers’ careers that they will be part of one team.

When asked to comment about this new development, Asi said “It will be awesome.”

Although Asi is already ready to play for the San Miguel Beermen team by October, Eric Menk must complete his final tour of duty with Barangay Ginebra for the upcoming Philippine Cup.

FIBA Asia Cup 2012 Broadcast Schedule: Smart Gilas vs Chinese Taipei

Fresh from snagging the trophy at the recently concluded 34^th William Jones Cup 2012, the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team’s future is bright with the ongoing 2012 FIBA Asia Cup competition. After winning their last 3 games, the spirits of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas are up and are ready to face Chinese Taipei for the quarterfinals round.

If you’re a die-hard follower of the Smart Gilas Pilipinas, I bet you would not want to miss a single game for the remainder of the competition. Good thing, local channel AKTV has issued their broadcast schedule for the games.

Here is the scheduled broadcast of the Smart Gilas team’s games on the ongoing 2012 FIBA Asia Cup, courtesy of AKTV:

• Philippines versus Chinese Taipei
  Thursday, September 20, 8 p.m.
• Semifinals
  Friday, September 21, 3:30 p.m. LIVE
• Battle for Third/Finals
  Saturday, September 22, 1 p.m. LIVE

Meanwhile, here’s a diagram of the competition flow chart and schedule for FIBA Asia Cup 2012:

What are your predictions? I'd love to hear them at the comments below. 

2012 FIBA Asia Cup Quarterfinals Schedule

The second round of competition for the 2012 FIBA Asia Cup is almost underway after the preliminary round has concluded. The next round, which will be the quarterfinals, will kick off on September 20 and will still be played in Tokyo’s Ota Gymnasium.

The pairings will be as follows:

Lebanon versus Group B No. 4

Uzbekistan versus Group B No. 1

Philippines versus Qatar or Chinese Taipei

China versus Group B No. 2

All of the above games for 2012 FIBA Asia Cup Quarterfinal round will be played on September 20, although the times of the matches are still to be determined. Meanwhile, the semifinal games are scheduled on September 21, whereas the Finals game will also be played the following day – September 22.

Check us back again for more updates on the final pairings for the upcoming games.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas Romp Macau, Readies for Second Knockout Stage at FIBA Asia Cup 2012

It’s the fourth day of competition in Tokyo for the 2012 FIBA Asia Cup and the Smart Gilas Pilipinas got their third consecutive win, after fumbling to China on the tournament opener last Friday. Even though the Philippine National team were impressive during their Sunday match against Uzbekistan, the game against Macau proved to be an even more lopsided match.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas ends up no. 2 in the Group A ranking after they routed Macau in a 98-46 game. Hence, they will be facing No. 3 in Group B for the quarterfinals match on Thursday. Depending on how the rankings will go at Group B, they could either be facing Chinese Taipei or Qatar.

Meanwhile, Lebanon defeated China during their own match last Sunday, allowing them to place number one in the group. Since three teams (Philippines, Lebanon, and China) end up tied at 3-1 after the first round of group elimination, the quotient tie break system pushed Lebanon to the top of the group.

The game against Macau was a breeze for the team that coach Chot even brought the team to another round of practice at a nearby venue following the match. In fact, he opted not to play Marcus Douthit in the game at all. Coach Chot Reyes also did not use a single time out in the game.

The scores courtesy of www.pba.ph:

Philippines 98 – Chan 18, Reyes 12, David 12, Dillinger 11, Ganuelas 11, Norwood 9, Tenorio 7,

Thoss 6, Fonacier 6, De Ocampo 4, Villanueva 2.

Macau 46 – Lao 14, Cheong 12, Lo 10, Cai 6, Lai 4, Wong 0, Iong 0.

Quarterscores: 33-14, 55-33, 83-41, 98-46

Smart Gilas 2.0 Results: Day 2 and 3 of FIBA Asia Cup 2012

Smart Gilas vs Lebanon

Following their defeat against China, Smart Gilas Pilipinas had to face another tough competition in Lebanon in their Group A clash last September 15 in Tokyo, Japan. The first half of this game was very tight with no team breaking away from their opponent. The Philippine team even trailed Lebanon during the halftime break.

El-Khatib, Lebanon's best player, rallied the team to a lead until the third quarter wherein he scored 15 points and and grabbed 6 rebounds during the first two quarters. Their naturalized player Garnett Thompson also contributed in scoring with his own 13 points.

But Smart Gilas Pilipinas turned things around in the second half, specifically during the third quarter as Marcus Douthit took charge. He scored 10 points in the third quarter alone wherein 8 of those are attributed to putbacks. This helped the Gilas Pilipinas 2.0 squad to grab the lead, which now stood at 6, by the end of the third quarter.

The Philippine team experienced a slight scare during the start of the fourth quarter when Lebanon attempted a comeback, scoring 6 points in succession with the Philippine team having no answer. This brought the lead down to 2, 61-59. But the rest of the Philippine squad contributed shots when they mattered most, such as the likes of Gary David, Jared Dillinger, and Gabe Norwood. All in all, it was an evenly spread scoring amongst the Smart Gilas Pilipinas squad to take the win, their first in the 2012 FIBA Asia Cup.

Box Scores courtesy of AKTV:

SMART-Gilas Pilipinas (78) – Douthit 25, David 11, Tenorio 11, Dillinger 10, Norwood 10, De Ocampo 8, Fonacier 3, Chan 0, Thoss 0.

Lebanon (68) – F. El Khatib 24, Thompson 17, Akl 10, Abdelnour 8, C. El-Khatib 4, Sarkis 3, Stephan 2, Rustom 0, Tabet 0.

Quarterscores: 19-20, 38-41, 59-53, 78-68.

Smart Gilas vs Uzbekistan

The win enjoyed by the Smart Gilas Pilipinas team yesterday (Sept 15) helped to boost the team's spirit and routs their opponent, Uzbekistan, for today's schedule of games as the Group A preliminary round competition continues in Tokyo, Japan. Jeff Chan was the highest scorer in this particular game wherein he scored 20 points in total.

The Philippine team limited their opponent to only 5 points during the second quarter and hasn't looked back since. Aside from Jeff Chan's -20 points, Jared Dillinger is the second best offensive player for the Philippine team in this game and was the second player to score in double figures. His PBA teammate Larry Fonacier also joined in on the shooting spree as he opened the second quarter with his own share of three.

The Filipinos rode their momentum until the third quarter with LA Tenorio manning the play and helped control the tone of the game right off the bat. With a huge lead, this also gave coach Chot Reyes the opportunity to give some of its key players some rest and allowing the reserves to play extended minutes.

With 3 games already concluded, Smart Gilas Pilipinas is set to face Macau in their final game to complete the preliminary knockout round for Group A.

Box scores courtesy of AKTV:

SMART-Gilas Pilipinas (85) – Chan 20, Dillinger 10, Douthit 9, Rosser 8, David 7, Fonacier 7, Reyes 7, Villanueva 6, De Ocampo 5, Norwood 4, Tenorio 2, Thoss 0.

Uzbekistan (50) – Denisov 16, Juginisov 12, Kozlov 6, Rahimov 6, Yakhin 6, Nuraliev 2, Tangrikulov 2, Kadirov 0, Nabiev 0, Safarov 0, Timofeev 0.

Quarterscores: 23-16, 39-21, 63-33, 85-50.