In what has been the most competitive UAAP boys’ basketball season in years, Ateneo de Manila University didn’t just participate. It made a statement.
Amidst a field stacked with perennial powerhouses like defending champion University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University-Diliman, National University Nazareth School, and the University of the East, the Blue Eagles dominated the first round, finishing with an impressive 6-1 record to claim the top spot.
Led by newcomers under new head coach Bacon Austria, Nigerian center Jude Eriobu, and standout guard Noah Banal, Ateneo’s Season 88 campaign has been nothing short of remarkable.
The Blue Eagles overcame all major contenders, marking their best first-round performance since the flawless Season 80 title run — barring a surprising loss to Adamson University.
For Austria — son of newly-minted PBA Philippine Cup champion Leo Austria of San Miguel — the key to sustaining this momentum lies in embracing a ‘0-0 mindset.’ This philosophy emphasizes staying grounded and avoiding complacency despite early success.
“I think that’s the hardest part, yung keeping the 0-0 mindset, and we have to find ways — find ways to play well and find ways to win,” Austria said after Ateneo’s dominant win over University of the Philippines Integrated School on Sunday at Adamson Gym.
“In the second round, all that matters is to do the right things and then eventually it gives us more wins.”
Austria also stressed that strong showings in Ateneo’s last two first-round games — against the Fighting Maroons and the Baby Falcons — won’t automatically keep the Blue Eagles atop the UAAP boys’ basketball standings.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
In their sole first-round loss to Adamson, Ateneo fell behind by 14 points and couldn’t recover. Jarl Artango and Chrys Gomez hit go-ahead baskets while forcing crucial turnovers from the Blue Eagles.
Against winless UPIS, Ateneo got off to a shaky start before unleashing a decisive 22-5 third-quarter run — 14 points from Eriobu and eight from Banal — pulling them back into the win column for their sixth victory in seven outings.
“In a bigger picture, yeah, you have to zoom out. For the expectations siguro of everyone, including us, including the people in the UAAP, no one really expected us to be No. 1 after the first round. Kaya for us, we have to zoom out, get the positives on what we did well, but also know that there’s so much improve on from our side,” the 37-year-old coach said.
“I think everyone knows from the team na how we’ve been playing the past two games will not get us to where we want to be. We have to really improve on a lot of things.”
Second-year point guard Zane Kallos — the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Boys’ Basketball MVP and first-round leader in assists with 8.71 per game — believes Austria’s philosophy is achievable if the Blue Eagles remain united as one cohesive unit in pursuit of a record-extending 20th UAAP boys’ basketball title.
“Dapat lagi kami magkakasama,” said Kallos.
“Magtutulungan lang naman kami palagi dapat — ’yon yung mindset naming lahat para makuha yung mga panalo. And at the same time, ma-continue yung momentum namin into our bigger or rather, the biggest goal of ours na makuha yung inaasam asam na championship.”
