As far as several NCAA coaches are concerned, change — particularly in the form of the four-point shot — might not be welcome in the century-old league just yet.
The tacticians shared their thoughts regarding the change that the PBA recently implemented with its four-point shot — a move that has drawn mixed reactions from both local and international basketball communities.
Mapua University coach Randy Alcantara, who has been the Cardinals' shot caller since 2019, summed up the sentiment most shared: "Para sa akin, ‘yung four-point shot, pang-professional lang."
Alcantara said the three-point shot percentages of collegiate players are lower compared to that of the professional players, which makes the four-point shot not suitable for the amateur level.
Chico Manabat of Arellano University echoed Alcantara, stressing he would like to keep collegiate hoops traditional while saying burying baskets from 27 feet away is only for 'showtime'.
"For me, not applicable sa collegiate level. Kung pro ‘yan, it’s showtime, okay ‘yan. Pero sa atin kasi, gusto ko traditional pa rin," Manabat said during the press conference for Season 100 on Tuesday.
"For showtime, pwede ‘yan. Sa three points, mag-stick na lang siguro tayo doon, and ‘yung four points bigay na lang natin sa mga pro."
Olsen Racela of Perpetual and Yuri Escueta of San Beda, who have the better purview of the innovation as they serve as deputies for PBA teams Ginebra and TNT, respectively, admitted they weren't big fans of the four-point shot with Escueta also emphasizing the developmental nature of the collegiate level.
"Especially for college, we need to develop ‘yung basic fundamentals and hopefully, we stick to FIBA rules. Ngayon, hindi muna siguro for college," Escueta, whose team was the leading three-point shooter last season, said.
Coaches Jerson Cabiltes of Emilio Aguinaldo College, Louie Gonzales of Jose Rizal University, and Gilbert Malabanan of host Lyceum of the Philippines University also hoped the NCAA sticks to the current rules of international body FIBA.
But others like to give the four-point shot a chance.
Letran's rookie coach Allen Ricardo said his time as an assistant coach of Gilas Pilipinas Boys gave him the chance to evaluate the current landscape of the sport. He stressed the height difference between the Filipinos and the rest of the world may be what the four-point shot is made to address.
"For me, I’m open to that kasi nakita ko sa international competition lalo na with our height. So it’s a challenge for us. It’s about time to make some adjustments," Ricardo, who led Letran’s high school program to back-to-back NCAA juniors titles, shared.
Arvin Bonleon of San Sebastian and Benilde assistant coach Paolo Layug agreed with the latter saying it's still too early to determine whether the four-point shot is a smart move or the opposite.
"I think for me, if you look back in history, when they first put the three-point shot, everyone wasn’t agreeing with it and over time it added value to the game," Layug said.
"I think it’s too early to tell how the four-point shot will affect basketball. For me, I’m okay with it. From a coach’s point of view, it changes the way you strategize. From a coach’s point of view, we’ll always adjust to the rules of the game. So let’s see over time."
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
