Ryan Buenafe: The Non-Expendable
The big fella was supposed to be The Expendable.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles proved last year that they didn't need him to win a fourth straight title. The team was deep enough for them to thrive even if he pulled a Wesley Gonzales and sat out last year.
After the Season 73 title I gave a talk in Rick Olivares' class where Ryan Buenafe was a student. I was surprised at how much he had ballooned. Was The Expendable also an Expandable? Was Basketball slipping on his list of priorities?
Buenafe was in limbo. His college career, though illustrious, was on hold. His PBA draft status uncertain.
Season 75 saw him return to the Blue Eagles. But this was supposed to be the year when he was reduced to role player.
Well, last Saturday, Ryan Buenafe played the biggest role of all in squashing the upset hopes of DLSU.
He led all scorers with 24 points, 50% from the field including 3 for 9 from beyond the arc as Ateneo won 77-67. The forward nailed five of six from the line and hauled down eight rebounds, five off the offensive boards.
It was also Ryan's defensive responsibility to corral La Salle's hellacious rookie, Jeron Teng. The Xavierian did score 22 points to lead the Archers, but a look at the stats reveals that points were hard to come by. Jeron was a miserable four for seventeen from two-point range, just 23.5%. Buenafe's rugged, physical defending can take some credit for that.
Buenafe played with a swagger rarely seen this season. The red highlights on his hair perhaps indicative of the fire that blazed within. The goatee a sinister touch to his buccaneer mien.
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He was Jordanesque in chewing his gum throughout the game, while periodically rubbing his hands on the soles of his shoes to keep them tacky.
Three moments in the match characterize his brilliance. With just over three minutes to go Buenafe nails a three bomb to give the Eagles a 17-4 lead. After Mark Tallo misses on the other end, Ryan grabs the leather and snakes in another trey. 20-5. The huge green contingent at the Smart Araneta Coliseum fell silent.
Early in the third quarter DLSU mounted a comeback. Second half spark Jarelan Tampus drives and scores to put the Archers within two, 37-35. What was Buenafe's reply? Another huge three. Cushion restored.
Late in the game with La Salle down by just seven thanks to a Teng trey, Ryan grabs a rebound and lays in the rock into the hole. Up 68-59 with still 3:42 to play and yet the inevitable was in the air.
Buenafe was also a cheerleader, chest-bumping Nico Salva and Oping Sumalinog with 1:07 to go and with Ateneo up by nine.
Moments later, as he took to the court with his team mates, he could be seen throat-slashing in the general direction of the De La Salle bench and crowd.
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At the end of the game a thin gash could be found on his right arm. A small battle scar indicative of his warrior effort.
Expendable? More like indispensable.
At the post-match press conference, Buenafe was asked if he was playing this season with something to prove.
"Siyempre, kase nung nag sit-out ako, yung pangalan ko medyo nawala. Kailangan meron akong ipakita para sa... (Buenafe hesitates) next level."
That brief pause spoke volumes. With coach Norman Black beside him, he seemed unwilling to admit that this is his last year in the UAAP. To my knowledge he hasn't made a decision yet, but it seems apparent that this season is a shopwindow for pro scouts.
Buenafe was integral to Ateneo's ninth victory of the year. But there was at least one person in the Coliseum who was just as happy.
Tucked away near the South Entrance stood a lanky figure in a white collared shirt and black cap, a tiny band-aid on his hand.
As the game wound down JP Erram, suspended after the FEU match, wore a smile so wide it could swallow the entire Coliseum with room to spare. His old team mate Emman Monfort passed by and they smiled and shook hands.
If only for one game Erram didn't mind being The Expendable One. Because he knew that the Non-Expendable had more than picked up the slack.
You can follow Bob Guerrero on Twitter @bhobg333.
