It may have been a bittersweet reunion with his former school, but Kean Baclaan handled it with nothing but grace and respect.
Facing National University for the first time since his departure, Baclaan tried to put up a fight in La Salle’s tough 82-78 loss in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
While the game ended in defeat, the 5-foot-7 guard from Muntinlupa City was quick to praise his former team, which seized solo first place in the standings at 5-1.
For Baclaan, there were no hard feelings — just mutual respect and healthy competition.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Wala naman eh,” said Baclaan, who tallied 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting with six assists in the defeat.
“Siguro, masaya lang din ako na nakapaglaro ako ulit sa UAAP and then against sa kanila. Kalaban ko former team ko, so happy ako na maganda yung ginagawa nila ngayon and, siyempre, magkalaban na kami. Hindi na pwede yung palagi silang panalo,” he added.
“Wala eh ganun talaga. Maganda nilaro nila and para sa kanila yung game kanina. Kudos sa NU.”
Baclaan’s reunion with NU was more about professionalism than emotion.
Despite his familiarity with their system, the Bulldogs still found ways to pull away late in the fourth quarter — something that underscored the struggles La Salle is currently facing.
Now at 2-3, the Green Archers are in unfamiliar territory, losing three of their last four games in what has been their roughest start under head coach Topex Robinson.
For a team widely considered a finals contender, their inconsistent form has raised questions about chemistry, execution, and late-game composure.
But Baclaan is keeping the faith. He believes La Salle’s slump is temporary and that trust in Robinson’s system will eventually pay off.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Siguro, yun nga, we’re 2-3, we’re down. We lost three games. Sabi lang ni coach sa amin sa dugout ay trust lang talaga (at) tiwala lang talaga sa sistema niya. Kami naman, nagtitiwala lang kami,” he said.
“Ang sinasabi niya is tuloy lang namin yung ginagawa namin. Yun lang talaga, hindi pumapabor sa amin yung laro, yung panahon, pero yun lang. Siyempre, after this loss, wala naman magagawa. Tapos na.
He added, “Kailangan namin mag-bounce back sa game namin against UE sa Wednesday, and after nun, sa UP (sa Sunday). Hindi pa naman end of the world para sa amin. May chance pa rin so yun. Trust lang talaga sa sistema ni Coach Topex.”
La Salle’s recent losses have been marred by missed opportunities — whether from squandered leads, free throw woes, or lapses in decision-making during crunch time.
Baclaan admitted that those late-game collapses have been costly and emphasized the need for composure moving forward.
“Maintain yung lead ng team namin kasi lamang kami kanina. So yun, kailangan i-maintain yun, and more effort pa kasi hanggang di pa natatapos yung laro, di mo alam kung sino mananalo eh. Keep fighting talaga hanggang sa dulo,” he said.
#WATCH: “HAPPY AKO NA MAGANDA ANG GINAGAWA NILA NGAYON”
Former Bulldog Kean Baclaan was glad to have faced his former school, NU! 🏹🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/2R23xgKfUd
📹 @lorenzodelc /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/YtF2WYu0Je
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) October 12, 2025
