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GUESS WHO JUST GRADUATED:) so proud !:)

#Kirk Long

Roti Junction Christmas Promo

#kiefer ravena #tonino gonzaga #kirk long

Ateneo Blue Eagles' Kiefer, Kirk& Tonino

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oct 2008. 1st official date.. :)

#Kirk Long

The Extra Pass - Top 5 Small Forwards in UAAP Season 74

This week's The Extra Pass features the UAAP's best wingmen. The Small Forward position is one of the most demanding positions in terms of flexibility as you are expected to have the dual attributes of a Guard and a Big. Some of the historic basketball greats that manned this position include Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Scottie Pippen. Without further ado let's see our Top 5.

---disclaimer: photos used do not belong to me---

5- Kevin Ferrer

Widely considered to be fellow newbie Kiefer Ravena's closest batch rival, Ferrer dismayed many UST fans unable to immediately translate his effectiveness displayed in High School into the Senior's division. It also did not help that on the flip-side, Ravena transitioned gracefully from Eaglet to Eagle. But the truth is Ferrer did not have a completely bad season. He just played like... well.. a rookie. He averaged 7.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.3 APG, which is decent enough to earn him the 5th spot in our player rankings. A common observation is that he takes too many jump shots, when he should be using his height and length to attack the basket. He also showed a lot of inefficiency in his first year, only shooting a pathetic 27% from the field. When you're 6'4" and have the wingspan of Aerodactyl, you just have to shoot better than that. He also needs to learn to better take care of the ball, averaging 2.2 TOPG. Despite all that said, Ferrer has the potential to be a superstar; however potential does not necessarily translate to reality. He could either be the next Dylan Ababou or JR Cawaling. There is much room for improvement on his fundamentals and shot selection, and perhaps he should take away a bit of the ineffective flashy moves (especially that crossover dribble+fade-away jumper that he loves), but if this guy picks up his game, he may be the gram that tips the scale for the Tigers' championship bid.

4- Janus Lozada

Lozada quietly had a good season for the Falcons. He put up 8.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.3 APG, helping Adamson grab its first twice-to-beat Final Four berth. Lozada is probably a more natural 4, than he is a 3, but with Adamson's log jam at the PF position, he adapted his game to wings, where he had arguable success. By sliding to the 3 spot, he allowed the Falcons one of the biggest front lines in the UAAP, which worked to their advantage more often than not.

3- Kirk Long

Long's game depreciated if you compare the stat line he put this season compared to last season. In Season 73 he put up 9.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.5 SPG; this year he put up 7.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3 APG, and 0.8 SPG. This is probably caused having to defer more of those stats to his new superstar teammates, Ravena and Slaughter, then his game itself really taking a dip. However the constant thing that did not lessen was his value as a wing stopper. There are few in the league who compare to Long's effectiveness to defend one-on-one on the perimeter. FEU's Chris Exciminiano is the closest but unlike Long who averages 3 APG (8th best) and has range beyond the three point arc, Exciminiano is a liability offensively. Teammate Emman Monfort might be as good, but doesn't have the length or athleticism of Long. Kirk is a complete package of basketball fundamentals in a wingman: dribbling, shooting, passing, speed, and hustle. Ateneo will be scratching its head figuring how to replace this vital piece of their championship puzzle.

2- Mike Silungan

After struggling to rank numbers 3-5, it was pretty clear who the second best SF in the UAAP was in Season 74. Mike Silungan grabs the 2nd spot with well rounded numbers, averaging 11.4 PPG. 5.2 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1 SPG, and just a shade under a block per game. The State U standout is a natural playmaker, finishing 2nd best in the league in assists per game behind Ateneo's Emman Monfort. It's a pity though that he didn't have many passing options last season, forcing him into a scorer's role, which he isn't as that adept at. Evidence of this is that he took 195 shots but only made 65 (32.8% FGP). To help put this in perspective, Silungan took more shot attempts than the league's leading scorer, Ray Parks, who had 187 FGAs. Silungan only took 32 free throws the entire season, which makes you wonder if he's taking too many jump shots when he should be using his athleticism and dribbling technique to attack the basket more. And if he does get himself to the foul line more often, he drastically needs to better his free throw shooting, which currently stands at an embarrassing 38.7%. Hopefully the Fighting Maroons will add a better scorer or two next season to maximize Mike's talents; otherwise it might end up being another long season for number 21 and his crew.

1- Ray Parks

Of course who else would be number 1 in our SF player rankings than the league MVP himself. Parks took the UAAP's award for the single most valuable player by posting a monster stat line of 20 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. Bobby Ray led the UAAP in scoring, and he did so quite efficiently with a FGP of 41.7%, while also dishing out almost 3 dimes a game to boot. Now consider he's on his debut season and NU really didn't have other dangerous scoring threats to take the defensive pressure off of him, and you've just got to wonder: what is this guy's ceiling? The next step for Parks is to prove he is more than a stat monger, by leading his Bulldogs to what NU hopefuls are waiting for: a Final Four appearance.

Legend:

PPG - points per game

RPG - rebounds per game

APG - assists per game

SPG - steals per game

BPG - blocks per game

TOPG - turnovers per game

FGP - field goal percentage

FGA - field goals attempted

It will be a power battle next week, as we rank the top 5 Power Forwards in UAAP Season 74. Eric Camson, Chris Camus, and Norbert Torres all had solid campaigns, but who will rank higher? Find out in the next edition of the Extra Pass.