After the Ateneo de Manila University methodically dismantled the National University Bulldogs on Saturday evening, Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin made it known that he wanted Dave Ildefonso to wear the Blue and White.
During the off-season, Baldwin and the Ateneo community badly wanted to keep the Blue Eaglets senior core of SJ Belangel, Dave Ildefonso, Jason Credo, and Joaqui Manuel together in college. However, as fate would have it, half of the quartet did not stay in Katipunan. While Belangel and Credo remained in Ateneo, Manuel went to La Salle, and Dave joined his brother Sean and father Danny in National University.
“Dave, as everybody knows, was a very valued recruit for Ateneo and we ended up not getting him,” Baldwin disclosed.
And when the Blue Eagles had a crack at Ildefonso and the Bulldogs, Baldwin made sure that his team zeroed in on the 6-foot-3 swingman.
NU’s super rookie, who averaged 17.5 points prior to this game, went just 2-for-8 from the field for just four points. Moreover, he was forced to commit a team-high four turnovers.
As body after body locked in on Ildefonso, Baldwin wanted to send a message to him: “Why did you leave Ateneo?”
“I think that we wanted Dave to rethink that decision or perhaps in hindsight, wonder why he made that decision.”
For here on out, the former Gilas Pilipinas head coach wants this game to be his statement to future recruits.
“We want that next recruit that it’s in that position to remember today. We’ll continue to put performances on the court that hope for all of our recruits to take note and think that this is the right place to be,” declared Baldwin.
“They don’t want to be on the other side.”
