Round 1 is over and the dust and smoke of battle are slowly clearing. After 56 grueling senior division games, the top-seeded teams are on top as expected, while the rest of the board is looking about as projected before the season got underway. In other words there were no real surprises at the end of the first elimination round.

Far Eastern University, 7-0: At an immaculate 7-0, Far Eastern University is living up to its pre-tournament billing as the consensus Number 1 seed for Season 73. With just the right mix of veterans and newcomers, as well as great size and athleticism across the board, the Tamaraws have basically overwhelmed the competition. “This is the performance we were expecting from FEU when the season began,” said one long-time observer.

Do not let the close calls fool you. This is a team that is built for a strong championship run, and there is a great sense of urgency here, since the core of this team might be playing its final year together. Sophomore sensation Ryan Roose Garcia, the wondrous 5-foot-9 pointguard, has been leading the Tamaraws as well as saving their scalps in their closest games. He came through in a double-overtime thriller against Season 73 host La Salle, and was instrumental in their opening weekend victory over defending champion Ateneo. Garcia is the leading candidate for the Season 73 MVP award at the end of the first round and could be the next Tamaraw after Arwind Santos to turn that trick.

Garcia has gotten a lot of help from 6-foot-6 center Aldrech Ramos. Ramos, a Smart Gilas mainstay, has been a steady double-double producer and is the best shot blocker in the league. He draws favorable comparisons to former Ateneo star Nonoy Baclao, although Ramos also has incredible scoring skills. He operates well in the paint and can also shoot the three-ball.

Other consistent producers include 6-foot-5 forward-center Reil Cervantes, 6-foot-3 swingman Paul Sanga, 5-foot-10 guard Chris Exciminiano, and 5-foot-8 rookie guard Terrence Romeo. Cervantes is now the best power forward in the league, and forms the best frontline in the UAAP along with Ramos. Sanga is insurance from long range with his quick trigger. Exciminiano has been the scourge of opposing guards with his phone booth defense. Romeo is a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Ateneo De Manila, 5-2: Life has not been easy for the reigning back-to-back champions, taking two tough losses first versus Far Eastern and then against archrival De La Salle. With dreams of a rare grand slam hanging in the balance, victories are coming with some difficulty for the Blue Eagles.

Their championship runs the last two seasons were done with great confidence and an incredibly balanced attack leaning on a lot of veteran players. Those veterans are all gone, including the fearsome frontline of Season 71 most valuable player Rabeh Al-Hussaini and defensive demon Nonoy Baclao. It has been the post positions where Ateneo has been most vulnerable this year, as they have played center by committee. 6-foot-6 Justin Chua, 6-foot-5 Frank Golla, 6-foot-4 Jason “Jumbo” Escueta, and even 6-foot-4 rookie Arthur De La Cruz have all shared duty at the pivot and opposite post spots. 6-foot-7 rookie JP “Poy” Erram has yet to show the solid all around game that got fans excited when he was on the Ateneo B Team. “Ateneo really has a big gap in the middle now, unlike their two championship years,” noted one veteran assistant coach on a rival team.

So far the Blue Eagles have relied on their backcourt and their forward play at the perimeter to get to where they are. 5-foot-10 guard Eric Salamat has been the steadying veteran influence. 6-foot-2 guard Kirk Long however has emerged as an able sidekick. Long has taken on the best perimeter players on opposing teams, harassing them three-quarters on defense and then making them work hard guarding him on the offensive end as well. 6-foot-2 Ryan Buenafe and 6-foot-3 Nico Salva have also provided production but need to step it up to prevent close end-game downturns.

Adamson University, 5-2: A lot of pundits and scouts had the Adamson Soaring Falcons as a Final 4 lock, and this is their best first round record in the last 10 years. They wrapped up the first round of eliminations with a huge come-from-behind victory over La Salle, 70 – 68. Second-year 6-foot-4 forward-center Eric Camson has been the real difference maker for the Soaring Falcons of head coach Leo Austria. Camson is averaging over 10 points and nearly eight rebounds per game, giving Adamson a steady post presence. They last had someone like that with 2006 MVP Ken Bono.

Adamson has also done well on the defensive end, employing a tight 2-3 zone that makes it difficult for opponents to find openings. If they could be more efficient and more consistent on offense this would be a perfect team. “Adamson’s problem is that one, maybe two guys will have good games, and they rely on those guys all throughout that game. If they had at least three or four guys they could count on they’d be guaranteed a Final 4 slot,” explained one opposing scout.

Those one or two guys have included 6-foot-1 swingman Alex Nuyles and 5-foot-7 pointguard Lester Alvarez. With all the hype that surrounded the emergence of 5-foot-7 pointguard Jeric Canada, a lot of people forgot that Alvarez was the main man at the 1 spot for the Falcons. After his closing out performance against La Salle though, those same people suddenly remember exactly how brilliant he is.

Veteran Jan Colina had his best game of the first round also against La Salle, but Adamson needs more production from him at the 3 and 4 slots to help Camson out. African import Austin Manyara is 6-foot-6 and has mad hops, but has not exactly been a difference maker. If the frontline can somehow become more productive, making the Final 4 should be a whole lot easier.

De La Salle University, 4-3: Everybody except this writer seems surprised that the Season 73 hosts are doing as this well. With what is arguably the youngest team in the league this year, no one expected much from the Green Archers. After all, the UAAP has historically been a league ruled by veteran teams with seasoned rosters. When more than half the lineup is making their UAAP debut just being competitive in every game is already a tough challenge. Lo and behold, La Salle is one game over .500 after Round 1 and they nearly upended the league leader in two overtimes.

La Salle head coach Dindo Pumaren seems to have taken the opposite tack from his brother Franz. While the elder Pumaren preferred to have mature and experienced veterans on his roster, the younger Pumaren seems to have gone with youth and energy. So far this tack has proven itself well. Rookies like 5-foot-9 guard Luigi De La Paz, 5-foot-9 pointguard Almond Vosostros, and even 6-foot-5 forward-center Philip “Papot” Paredes have provided solid production. De La Paz and Vosotros cut up the Ateneo defense in their emotional win over their archrivals.

Second-year players like Joel Tolentino and Joseph Marata have also been providing good production from the perimeter. Marata is among the best three-point shooters in the league, while Tolentino has been turbo-charging the La Salle transition game. Even 6-foot-6 center Yutien Andrada has gotten his licks in. In spite of his reed-thin frame, Andrada has gotten opportunistic baskets and blocks.

5-foot-7 pointguard Simon Atkins and 6-foot-2 forward Joshua Webb have provided the veteran leadership needed to keep this young crew together and on the same page. Right now, no one is discounting the Archers in the Final 4 scenario.

University of Santo Tomas, 3-4: For the team that was once again scarce in the major summer tournaments, the Growling Tigers have shown great resilience. Santo Tomas has leaned on their perimeter play to hang in there. 5-foot-7 guard Jeric Fortuna, 5-foot-10 guard Clark “Tata” Bautista, 6-foot-2 swingman Jeric Teng and 6-foot-2 small forward Aljon Mariano have been bombing madly from the outside. Bautista has been particularly effective. His quick release and textbook-perfect form make him the most fundamentally sound shooter in the UAAP. He very nearly beat La Salle all by himself, bringing UST back from a 19-point hole with five triples.

Up front it has not been too pretty for the Growling Tigers. 6-foot-5 Chris Camus in the last man standing in a frontline that once included: Jervy Cruz, Dylan Ababou, Alain Maliksi, Francis Allera, Chester Taylor and Kazhim Mirza. 6-foot-4 Carmelo Afuang has been the revelation though, as his vastly improved perimeter shot and ability to drive hard into the lane have made him a highly underrated threat. 6-foot-3 former Ateneo Blue Eaglet Paolo Pe has also contributed his share with his ability to slide screens into opposing defenders and box out against taller opponents.

If they want to make a good end-run for the Final 4 UST needs to find better leadership and steadiness though and not necessarily at the pointguard spot. Someone has to take up the leadership cudgels, whether it is the veteran Camus or even the sophomore sensation Teng. Better play at the 1 spot also would not hurt though, especially since UST is making do with converted off-guards at a pass-first and set-up position.

National University, 3-4: They made a lot of noise in the offseason recruitment battles and it seems those efforts are slowly paying off. Arguably the biggest recruitment acquisition the Bulldogs made was to get Eric Gonzalez, a man who has long deserved a major head coaching job. Gonzalez has been an assistant at practically every level of competitive and organized basketball, and brings his world of expertise and competitiveness to a program that has long needed it. Gonzalez has brought a new sense of urgency to NU basketball. His quick-hit patterns and pass-first game have made these Bulldogs a tougher nut to crack.

As for player recruits, NU has finally suited up African import Emmanuel Mbe, a well built 6-foot-7 forward-center with long limbs and coil springs for legs. Mbe has finally found a home after a few starts and stops that included EAC, STI College and even St Benilde. NU finally convinced him to stay and it looks like things are working out for both player and school. Mbe is still a work in progress in basketball terms. He has the tools and the size to excel in the game, but he has yet to develop the footwork and the hand coordination to be a force. Right now he is strictly a runner-jumper-rebounder, not even exactly a shot blocker.

One other newcomer who has done well on this rotation is 6-foot-3 forward Glen Khobuntin out of Letran. Many questioned whether the freshman forward could handle the size, strength and speed of college players. He has responded with relentless board work and even some outside shooting.

5-foot-0 guard Kokoy Hermosisima, 5-foot-8 pointguard Joseph Terso, 6-foot-2 small forward Mervin Baloran, and 6-foot-5 forward-center Jewel Ponferrada are playing the best basketball of their careers. As the resident veterans on this roster they need to step up if NU wants to catch the Final 4 bus.

University of the East, 1-6: Talk about the mighty has fallen and you need not look too far. It is difficult to believe that just last year they were in the UAAP Finals and nearly took the title from Ateneo. Losing four fulltime starters seems to have taken too big a toll on the Red Warriors. A whole new frontline has not yet found the consistency demanded of this level of play. The perimeter has had its up and downs.

6-foot off-guard Paul Lee started the season on a painful note, literally speaking, as the cast of his injured foot was removed only on the morning of opening day. He was clearly limping in his first few games in spite of the fact that he was still a scorer to the core. Head coach Lawrence Chongson had no choice. Lee was the only reason UE was even competing at al throughout this tough first round. 5-foot-7 guard James Martinez may need to take more of the leadership role to relieve the pressure off Lee and spread out the offense.

6-foot-6 Ken Acibar has been the lone bright spot in the UE frontline. Acibar is long, tall and athletic, but he’s no Pari Llagas, and definitely no Elmer Espiritu. His insistence on trying to advance the ball up the court against pressure has proven disastrous to UE. 6-foot-5 newcomer Sam Razon, the slam dunker out of Informatics, had his best game in a loss against Ateneo to close out their Round 1. He needs to find more consistency, something that applies as well to 6-foot-5 Jun Rosopa. “UE is still capable of putting together a good winning streak in the second round, so no one should take them lightly in spite of their record,” said one opposing assistant coach.

University of the Philippines 0-7: This year was supposed to be a different run for State, but it looks painfully familiar. They have a veteran core that has been through at least a couple of years together. They had a seasoned and talented rookie who could shoot the lights out and heat up in a hurry. Their core gained more experience together by going to the Finals of the last PBL Conference. And yet here they are: winless in the first round and feeling like its 2007 all over again.

A lot of observers thought that UP would at least improve on its standing from last year. UP ambushed Ateneo in Round 1 last year, their biggest win of last season. This season though they have struggled mightily. Mike Silungan struggled in the last two games of the first round. He had his lowest scoring output in a blowout loss to Ateneo with only eight points. Prior to that, his lowest output was 11 points. In their last game versus NU, Silungan had nine points.

Nothing has come easy for the Fighting Maroons this season. Even on the bench there has been turmoil. Erstwhile coach Aboy Castro was replaced in the middle of the first round by Boyet Fernandez, a former PBA head coach. Fernandez was brught in supposedly as a consultant of sorts and then wound up being named head coach in place of Castro.