FILE–Ateneo Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin is upbeat despite what appears to be a challenging UAAP Season 87 ahead for the perennial powerhouse Blue Eagles.
The Blue Eagles will be ushering in a new era with rookies Jared Bahay and Kristian Porter and holdovers Sean Quitevis and Chris Koon when they battle a stacked University of the Philippines side in the season-opener on Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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All eyes will be on the top high school prospect from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Bahay, who initially committed to UP before a change of heart.
READ: UAAP: Baldwin reaffirms commitment to Ateneo amid ‘speculation’
Baldwin is tempering his expectations when it comes to the rookies although he’s been impressed with their resiliency, which has always been the character of a Blue Eagle.
“He (Bahay) is a rookie. He’s been with us since June which isn’t that long, to be honest. But I think he’s done a really good job like all the first-year players. Some came in earlier, some came in later, it’s hard work for them but you know that relationship that we have in the team did a great job,” said Baldwin. “
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“One thing that generally we can say about Ateneo players, they bring out a fairly high level of intelligence and seriousness about themselves as college students and college basketball players. And that really helps in the process of adapting to the college environment.”
Ateneo lost the title last year after falling to top seed UP in the Final Four, placing fourth after a 7-7 record in the elimination round.
The Blue Eagles also bid farewell to several of their core players Kai Ballungay, Jared Brown, Geo Chiu, Joseph Obasa, Gab Gomez, Jason Credo, and Raffy Celis as well as Mason Amos, who transferred to La Salle.
A late injury also took out Lebron Nieto which dealt a big blow to Ateneo’s depth, according to Baldwin.
READ: UAAP Season 87 tips off with Ateneo-UP clash
“Lebron Nieto, a year under his belt. was playing really well in the last month the team’s been playing well. To think about Lebron he gives us a lot of offensive floor so that means we lose a lot and for a very young team, we don’t want to lose some quality experience that he puts into our roster,” said Baldwin.
“We hate to lose him but we really feel for him. It shatters a young player when they have a serious injury like that and they have a tough road back. So our hearts go out to him but he’s got a lot of support around. He’s got a lot of belief in his future.”
Baldwin will be banking on co-captains Quitevis and Koon as well as other holdovers Josh Lazaro, Ian Espinosa, Andrew Bongo, and Shawn Tuano to lead newcomers Victor Balogun, Michael Asoro, Waki Espina, Femi Edu, and Tim Broth.
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“They were captains last year, and I think that was a great learning experience despite last year wasn’t a great year for us. There are a lot of adversities inside the court, there are a lot of tough situations losing a lot of close games and those sorts of situations provided a lot of lessons for all of us,” said Baldwin. “I’m sure that Chris and Sean grew a lot, and I’ve seen it, this year they’ve done a good job leading this very young team.”