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| The two best point guards in college basketball right now have been coached by Allen Ricardo at some point. Glad Pillejera and Joseph Sanvictores |
MANILA--As both the NCAA and UAAP wind down to their last two or three games each, the talks are ripe as to who deserves the title "best collegiate point guard" right now.
At one side of the debate is Jonathan Manalili, who is bringing back the "pass-first point guard" into relevance with superb playmaking that made opponents think it was better to just let him score and clog the passing lanes for a chance to win.
Later in the NCAA season, though, Manalili proved that he can score in bunches and still give Letran the win, as first shown by his 26-point blast against San Beda in their second-round meeting while going toe-to-toe against fellow super rookie Janti Miller.
Manalili also led the Knights in scoring in Game 2 of their Final 4 series against the Perpetual Help Altas with 16 points as they completed the sweep of the best-of-three series to enter the finals.
The keys to those wins, though, were that while Manalili exploded offensively, he was still the solid floor general that he had been during his rookie campaign, dishing 11 assists against the Red Lions and 14 against the Altas.
Outside the walls of Intramuros, though, exists another star quarterback in Jacob Cortez.
Cortez already showed that he is more than merely Mike's son when he had his clutch moments for San Beda during their 2023 NCAA title run.
However, the peer pressure somehow intensified when Jacob made the talked-about transfer to La Salle, and he now really has to show that he can truly step out of his dad's shadows and legacy with the team.
And the younger Cortez did, leading the Green Archers with a 29-point explosion on 11-of-16 shooting in Game 2 of their UAAP Final 4 showdown against the National University Bulldogs.
Jacob also took over for La Salle, scoring 10 of the team's last 18 points in the game, including two go-ahead baskets, as the team became only the second 4-seed to knock top-seeded NU out of title contention.
The biggest winner of this Manalili-Cortez debate, however, is actually coach Allen Ricardo.
Ricardo witnessed how both point guards have grown in their game, having been their head coach at one point.
Since the Ricardo-Manalili tandem has been well documented since the high school ranks with the Squires, how did Ricardo get to coach Cortez?
"Ako nag-recruit dyan kay Jacob Cortez kasi he's from Colegio de San Agustin. Then ako din nag-discover dyan going to La Salle Greenhills. Noong nawala ako sa La Salle Greenhills, napunta ako sa UST Tiger Cubs. Kinuha ko uli yang si Jacob, and then suddenly, nagkaroon ng pandemic. So nagkaroon kami ng miscommunication, and all of a sudden, he went up to San Beda," Ricardo told Dugout Philippines.
However, despite already taking notice of what Cortez is capable of, the bond Ricardo has established with Manalili puts him at an advantage.
"I don't want to be unfair, pero syempre, right now, nandito sa akin si Jonathan. Of course, si Jonathan yung bet ko kasi syempre sa lalim ng pinagsamahan namin, alam na nya rin ang gusto kong mangyari," Ricardo further said.
He acknowledged, though, that Cortez could be the "now" since he is down to his last two years as an amateur, including this season.
However, Ricardo also added that since Manalili can enjoy the full five years of his eligibility even if he had to sit out last year due to an undisclosed injury, he can eventually be the immediate future.
"Si Jacob Cortez, may experience na rin yun, and ito namang si Jonathan is upcoming. Marami pang mga things na kailangan pa niyang i-improve, but I do believe na dadating din yan," Ricardo further said.
He then believes that Manalili has the much-needed and much-coveted playmaking skills for a team to become a potential powerhouse.
"Noong na-discover ko siya, playmaker siya eh, so yun talaga ang kailangan at yung ang mahirap hanapin para bumuo ka ng team," Ricardo said.
They may have different skill sets and playstyles, but both Manalili and Cortez have emerged as today's standards for a collegiate point guard, and they can have Ricardo to thank for the mentoring.
The Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City will be the site of the new chapter to the almost century-old rivalry between the Knights and Red Lions in the NCAA men's basketball finals.
The SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, on the other hand, is where the Green Archers begin Chapter 3 of their newfound rift with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the UAAP men's basketball finals.
Both finals openers are happening on Wednesday.
