Ever since coach Tab Baldwin took over the Ateneo de Manila University program in 2016, he always preached that his players should adhere to system basketball and that they should maintain a ‘next man up’ mentality.
Because of these commandments, different Blue Eagles tend to lead the team to victories time and time again. Tonight against Adamson University in the second round of the UAAP Season 84 Men’s Basketball Tournament, it was Chew Daves’ turn to have his own breakout performance.
“I have to give credit to my guards, my boy Forthsky (Padrigao) for sure,” commented the Filipino-Canadian who produced 18 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter. He also had two rebounds, one assist, and one steal during Ateneo’s 91-57 win over Adamson.
“They were just finding me and I happened to be in the right places. I’m just getting back on the flow of things. That’s about it.”
Especially in the fourth quarter where he converted 14 points, Daves was almost always unmarked in the Soaring Falcons’ zone and ready to pounce on the extra pass. He benefited from some fine plays to help the Blue Eagles seal their 38th straight win in an impressive fashion.
For his part, Baldwin was adamant that it was not luck that allowed the Ontario native to have such a productive evening but it was his street smarts on the floor that allowed him to have that.
“Let me just say that Chew doesn’t happen to be in the right places. He’s a very intelligent basketball player,” said the former New Zealand Tall Blacks mentor.
“One thing we always rely on with Chew is he really does know how to execute. Sometimes, we’ve got other guys who get a bit lost but Chew has a very, very solid basketball intellect. He’s got a great IQ for the game.
“That’s why he’s in the right place at the right time. Makes it easy for the guards,” he continued.
Before this evening, Daves totaled 20 points and 12 rebounds within 62 minutes of action across Seasons 81 and 82. After a breakout game, it is always tempting for any player to become more ambitious but the 6-foot-5 forward is shrugging things off.
There is still more to play for and he understands that he is a cog in Baldwin’s venerable system.
“To be honest, I play every game the same. I just happened to score a bit more. The win is good. It feels good to win with our team. I played good and executed well but to me it’s just another game obviously.”
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