Last October 29, 2015, Colegio de San Juan de Letran shocked the country in ending San Beda’s reign on the top and end the school’s decade-long NCAA senior’s basketball championship drought.
The Knights were a ragtag team that absolutely no pundit, no basketball fan predicted to take it all. Moreover, the team took on the identity of blue-collar head coach Aldin Ayo in systematically dismantling teams in 40 minutes of “mayhem.”
Exactly 47 days after their triumphant return to the top of the NCAA mountain, the 38 year old was formally introduced as the head coach of Letran’s old rivals back in the Grand Old League: the De La Salle University Green Archers. Ayo’s transfer drew tears, heartbreaks, and, for some, anger over at Muralla Street.
As the days went by, everyone, including Ayo and the Knights, have moved on from the “break-up” and have accepted the new challenges that lie beyond them.
220 days later, the Knights and their former mentor met once again on the hard courts of the Filoil Flying V Centre but, unlike before, were on the opposite sides of the court. Ayo’s Green Archers displayed the same chaotic brand of basketball Letranites are all too familiar with in the third quarter of the game that led to La Salle’s win.
La Salle scored 29 points in the third quarter compared to just 15 from Letran
Even in facing the team he played and coach for before, he still continues to push the Knights to the best that they can be. “Ginagawa ko lang trabaho ko. As much as possible gusto ko rin sila i-push,” the Sorsogon native shared after the win. “Tradition naman ng Letran yan.”
“Kahit sa ensayo o kahit nasa labas na kayo, you always bring out the best sa kapwa mo Letranista. The best thing to do that is to challenge them. Every time you challenge them they get better.”
The Knights struggled all throughout the preseason in accumulating just a single win in the Premier Cup. Even with the on-going transition the team is currently going through, there is still one man who believes Letran can still shock the world once more: Ayo himself.
“They’re going to enter the final four and those guys are going to figure out how to win,” Ayo confidently said. “Pag pumasok ‘to sa final four, kabahan sila kasi itong mga to hindi to magpapatalo. Lalaban ng lalaban ‘to.”
“Those guys are really, really hard working and they are smart. Kailangan lang mamaximize kung anong meron sa mga bata.”
To close, Ayo then threw a subtle jab at Letran’s rivals San Beda. “Baka makuha ng San Beda…,” Ayo stopped. “‘yung first runner up!”
“Kaya pa rin nila mag-back to back!”
