By MARK REY MONTEJO
Ateneo, a once powerhouse in the men’s collegiate basketball, is looking to rekindle its old magic in the upcoming Season 88 after a forgettable show last year.
Hampered by the departure of some of their key players, the Eagles struggled big time and finished dead last with a 4-10 record. Forget about that bad experience.
The Blue Eagles are looking to soar high with two-time UAAP Coach of the Year Tab Baldwin staying at the helm.
Baldwin and Co. are already putting their miserable season behind although they hope to pick up the lessons from that struggle as they hope to build a new identity and get back on top again.
“We don’t care about last season, that’s water under the bridge,” said Baldwin, who guided the Blue Eagles to a three-peat (2017-’19) and 2022 championship.
“This team will build their own identity, and they’ll make their own mark and we’ll have nothing to do with last year,” he added.
Despite the departure of Chris Koon, Sean Quitevis, and Kristian Porter (transferred to UST), Ateneo still has high hopes of bouncing back with optimism very palpable inside the room and the players appear ready to respond the Eagles way.
“I think all the young players believe in themselves and they are optimistic about their chances to succeed,” Baldwin continued.
“And when you put the ball together and you get the collective performance, everybody’s gonna feel that way, there’s a lot of optimism in our camp and determination,” he added.
The 67-year-old tactician can count on sophomore guard Jared Bahay to banner the Blue Eagles and is expecting nothing but better from the Ateneo mainstay.
“He had a pretty big role last year as a freshman [and] I just think his impact needs to be better this year,” said Baldwin.
“In a way of a guy that leads the team and gets the most out of his teammates from the point guard position and I believe he’s closer to doing that [kind of play, compared] from last year,” he added.
The 5-foot-9 versatile guard Bahay alongside fellow holdovers Andrew Bongo, Ian Espinosa, Shawn Tuano, and Josh Lazaro are leading the Blue Eagles’ hope of improving their stint this time with a couple of fresh faces including Kymani Ladi and Divine Adili.
Ateneo begins its quest right on the opening day this Saturday, Sept. 20, against Far Eastern University at the Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena inside UST Manila campus.
