The Marikina Shoemaster's campaign in the past two (2) seasons of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League has been disastrous to say the least. They simply became one of the whipping boys during the Lakan Season as they managed to win only eight (8) games out of 30 elimination matches which is good enough for 13th place in the North Division.
Nevertheless, all is not lost for the Marikina Shoemasters as the emergence of Ato Ular as a reliable rebounder and finisher gives the embattled franchise something to look forward to next season. When Ato Ular joined the Marikina Shoemasters midway through the season after winning a championship with the Letran Knights, he immediately made an impact.
Game after game, he posted monster numbers which made him the De facto leader for the struggling Shoemasters. The 6'4 forward averaged 21.8 points and 16 rebounds in a span of 12 games while adding 1.2 steals and 1.8 dimes per outing.
It might have taken some time but Ato Ular's game is finally unfolding right before our very own eyes. Recruited from Arellano University by Coach Aldin Ayo, Ato Ular joined the Collegio De San Juan De Letran basketball program in 2016 for the 92nd season of the the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's basketball tournament.
Unfortunately, Ato Ular was not given significant attention and playing time to hone his game during his rookie season. Worse, he was relegated to the Letran Knight's reserve pool in NCAA seasons 93 and 94 .
But Ato Ular didn't lose his faith. Instead of giving up, he joined the MPBL in 2018 where he battled not just tough veterans on the court but also young and rising stars of philippine basketball. In perhaps one of his best games during the 2018 MPBL Datu cup, he registered an impressive 15 points and 16 rebounds double-double against Navotas Clutch on August 29, 2018 which certainly was not the last.
After toiling in the MPBL for almost a year, Ato Ular finally caught his break in the 2019 season of the NCAA. With the departure of Letran's versatile big man Bong Quinto due to graduation, Coach Bonnie Tan tapped the services of Ato Ular to fill in the void left by Quinto.
The 24-year old forward didn't disappoint. He was given a quota of at least fifteen (15) rebounds per game by Coach Bonnie Tan so he strived in each game to exceed such target while dropping buckets as well.
Although he was widely regarded as a rebounding freak, Ato Ular likewise contributed big offensively as he scattered an average of 11.2 points per game for the all-filipino Letran Knights. Two of his notable performances in the elimination round came at the expense of the University of Perpetual Help (UPH) when he posted 19 points and 13 rebounds in Letran's 82-80 win on July 19, 2019 and 17 points and 16 rebounds on an 88-69 rout of UPH on October 11, 2019.
When it mattered the most, Ato Ular silently poured in nine (9) points and nine (9) rebounds, five (5) of which came from the offensive glass, in game three (3) of the best-of-three finals to help Letran deny San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions their fourth (4th) consecutive title in a classic 81-79 win. Amidst the frenetic celebration after the final buzzer sounded, Ato Ular savored the moment he will never forget- he is now a champion.
If there's one thing he learned from his championship experience, it is to keep your 100% focus on the game and to never stop grinding until the game ends.
Ato Ular credits his big improvement, particularly his rebounding, to his exposure in the MPBL which he deems more physical as compared to the NCAA.
His soaring confidence in his abilities will definitely be needed by the Marikina Shoemasters who are looking to revamp its lineup to be more competitive in the coming season. With full confidence on his rebounding capability, Ato Ular believes he can grab every missed shots by his teammates.
Just recently, Marikina retained the services of the high-flying Ato Ular as the centerpiece of their rebuild. Together with Ular, Marikina also signed Yves Sazon who is one of the four (4) MPBL players who reached the first 1,000 points milestone. Von Tambeling and Daryl Chua will also stay with Marikina.
Changing the fortunes of the Marikina Shoemasters next MPBL season is easier said than done. Ato Ular thinks that Marikina's inability to finish the game strong destroyed their playoff chance as there were several tight matches that could have gone either way during the elimination round.
His NCAA championship experience will become handy as Ato Ular will be expected as one of the leaders for Marikina. It will also help that coach Elvis Tolentino, whom Ato Ular considers as mentor, has full confidence on his ward.
Despite the recognition and attention that he had been getting, Ato Ular recognizes his game is far from perfect. He feels that he needs to keep improving, especially on his dribbling skills, so he can reach his full potential and hopefully land a spot in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). This is the reason why he continues to do some jogging, shooting, and push ups even during the enhanced community quarantine period to stay fit and healthy.
At this point, Ato Ular's career is just taking off. With one more playing year for the Letran Knights, he will have all the opportunity to grow further before trying his luck in the professional leagues. We can't say now how far his basketball career can go but what he has already achieved is a proof that doing your best at all times can take you places. He has this advice for the young kids aspiring to enter the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) or NCAA.
No doubt, his basketball journey from a reserve to a franchise player in the MPBL is worth emulating. From zero to hero indeed.
Nevertheless, all is not lost for the Marikina Shoemasters as the emergence of Ato Ular as a reliable rebounder and finisher gives the embattled franchise something to look forward to next season. When Ato Ular joined the Marikina Shoemasters midway through the season after winning a championship with the Letran Knights, he immediately made an impact.
Game after game, he posted monster numbers which made him the De facto leader for the struggling Shoemasters. The 6'4 forward averaged 21.8 points and 16 rebounds in a span of 12 games while adding 1.2 steals and 1.8 dimes per outing.
It might have taken some time but Ato Ular's game is finally unfolding right before our very own eyes. Recruited from Arellano University by Coach Aldin Ayo, Ato Ular joined the Collegio De San Juan De Letran basketball program in 2016 for the 92nd season of the the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's basketball tournament.
Unfortunately, Ato Ular was not given significant attention and playing time to hone his game during his rookie season. Worse, he was relegated to the Letran Knight's reserve pool in NCAA seasons 93 and 94 .
But Ato Ular didn't lose his faith. Instead of giving up, he joined the MPBL in 2018 where he battled not just tough veterans on the court but also young and rising stars of philippine basketball. In perhaps one of his best games during the 2018 MPBL Datu cup, he registered an impressive 15 points and 16 rebounds double-double against Navotas Clutch on August 29, 2018 which certainly was not the last.
After toiling in the MPBL for almost a year, Ato Ular finally caught his break in the 2019 season of the NCAA. With the departure of Letran's versatile big man Bong Quinto due to graduation, Coach Bonnie Tan tapped the services of Ato Ular to fill in the void left by Quinto.
The 24-year old forward didn't disappoint. He was given a quota of at least fifteen (15) rebounds per game by Coach Bonnie Tan so he strived in each game to exceed such target while dropping buckets as well.
Although he was widely regarded as a rebounding freak, Ato Ular likewise contributed big offensively as he scattered an average of 11.2 points per game for the all-filipino Letran Knights. Two of his notable performances in the elimination round came at the expense of the University of Perpetual Help (UPH) when he posted 19 points and 13 rebounds in Letran's 82-80 win on July 19, 2019 and 17 points and 16 rebounds on an 88-69 rout of UPH on October 11, 2019.
When it mattered the most, Ato Ular silently poured in nine (9) points and nine (9) rebounds, five (5) of which came from the offensive glass, in game three (3) of the best-of-three finals to help Letran deny San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions their fourth (4th) consecutive title in a classic 81-79 win. Amidst the frenetic celebration after the final buzzer sounded, Ato Ular savored the moment he will never forget- he is now a champion.
If there's one thing he learned from his championship experience, it is to keep your 100% focus on the game and to never stop grinding until the game ends.
"Dapat focus ka lang sa laro. Huwag padalos-dalos. Hanggang di natatapos ang laro, huwag kang titigil, said Ato Ular in a chat interview with Ligang Pinoy ."
Ato Ular credits his big improvement, particularly his rebounding, to his exposure in the MPBL which he deems more physical as compared to the NCAA.
"Sobrang laking tulong sa akin ng MPBL. Ang laki ng in-improve ko, nag grow ako lalo, claimed Ato Ular."
"Rebounding talaga ang sobrang nag grow sa akin. At nag-grow lalo ang kompiyansa ko sa sarili, added Ato Ular."
His soaring confidence in his abilities will definitely be needed by the Marikina Shoemasters who are looking to revamp its lineup to be more competitive in the coming season. With full confidence on his rebounding capability, Ato Ular believes he can grab every missed shots by his teammates.
"Tira lang kayo, ako bahala sa rebound. Akin lahat ng bola!"
Just recently, Marikina retained the services of the high-flying Ato Ular as the centerpiece of their rebuild. Together with Ular, Marikina also signed Yves Sazon who is one of the four (4) MPBL players who reached the first 1,000 points milestone. Von Tambeling and Daryl Chua will also stay with Marikina.
Changing the fortunes of the Marikina Shoemasters next MPBL season is easier said than done. Ato Ular thinks that Marikina's inability to finish the game strong destroyed their playoff chance as there were several tight matches that could have gone either way during the elimination round.
"Yung pagdating ng end, palagi kinakapos kami. Dapat yung laro namin pataas ng pataas habang malapit ng matapos ang laro, explained Ato Ular."
His NCAA championship experience will become handy as Ato Ular will be expected as one of the leaders for Marikina. It will also help that coach Elvis Tolentino, whom Ato Ular considers as mentor, has full confidence on his ward.
"Si Coach Elvis lagi niyang sinasabi sa akin magsipag at maging matapang lagi sa loob ng court kahit sinong kalaban, shared Ato Ular."
Despite the recognition and attention that he had been getting, Ato Ular recognizes his game is far from perfect. He feels that he needs to keep improving, especially on his dribbling skills, so he can reach his full potential and hopefully land a spot in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). This is the reason why he continues to do some jogging, shooting, and push ups even during the enhanced community quarantine period to stay fit and healthy.
At this point, Ato Ular's career is just taking off. With one more playing year for the Letran Knights, he will have all the opportunity to grow further before trying his luck in the professional leagues. We can't say now how far his basketball career can go but what he has already achieved is a proof that doing your best at all times can take you places. He has this advice for the young kids aspiring to enter the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) or NCAA.
"Kung talagang pangarap nilang makapaglaro sa NCAA at UAAP, ipakita nila lagi yung best nila, huwag silang matatakot kahit mas malaki pa kalaban nila. Gawin mo lang lagi best mo at focus, advised Ato Ular."
No doubt, his basketball journey from a reserve to a franchise player in the MPBL is worth emulating. From zero to hero indeed.
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