Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin gives instructions to his players during a timeout against Japan’s Hakuoh University at the World University Basketball Series in Tokyo, Japan. Photo from Musong Castillo/INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — Tab Baldwin, the coach of Ateneo, acknowledged that his “new team” must quickly develop in order to defend their UAAP title, which begins on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Coming off a championship season with a nearly entirely new roster after the departures of Ange Kouame, Dave Ildefonso, BJ Andrade, and Forthsky Padrigao, the four-time UAAP champion coach remains patient with the progress of the Blue Eagles.
“This is a new team, so this team is not yet a champion of anything,” Baldwin told reporters. “We have been practicing since January, working hard to gain as much experience as quickly as possible.”
Baldwin will rely on returning players Kai Ballungay, Chris Koon, Sean Quitevis, and Gab Gomez, as well as prized recruit Mason Amos, who previously played for Gilas Pilipinas.
“We will probably have a different team at the beginning of the season compared to the end of the season,” Baldwin said. “We need to grow, develop, and mature throughout the first round. Hopefully, we will accumulate enough wins to compete for a playoff spot by the end of the season.”
Baldwin noted that it is still too early to assess his team based on their preseason tournaments and that their progress will be tested in the UAAP.
“I believe this is a team that will be characterized more by growth than by experience,” he said. “They’re a team that I hope will become high-quality by the second round and be able to compete at a higher level in the league. But first, we need to grow and develop with our young players.”
Ateneo’s first game of the season will be against last year’s semifinalist, National University, which Baldwin considers as one of the strong contenders this season.
“There will always be surprises every year. Last year, many people were surprised that Adamson made it to the Final Four, but by the end of the season, nobody was surprised because they were that good. NU was the same. Whether people respected them at the beginning of the season or not, that’s why we play the season,” Baldwin said. “I have respect for all the coaches and the work they do. We settle it on the court.”
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
