Allen Ricardo suddenly became a household name in local basketball after ending Letran High School’s decades-long title drought in the NCAA while being one-half of the school’s championship double.
But before he became one of the brightest young minds in the game today, he had one heck of a ride.
And it all started when he was a volunteer staff for Letran a decade ago.
Where It All Started
(C) Jan Dizon/NCAA.ph
Ricardo’s coaching story began as a skills coach for the Knights all the way back in 2008 under Louie Alas, the Knights’ head coach at the time.
Despite not being an athletic scholar, a young Ricardo shadowed the team, and Alas.
Yes, he enrolled in the school of hard knocks.
“I started with Coach Louie Alas as a volunteer skills coach. Hindi pa masyado ganun ka-hype [yun] nung araw, pero it’s almost the same when I introduced it nung binigyan ako ng break ni coach Louie to handle that specific role,” he shared.
At the time, he only had one goal – to gain experience, as well as help his players develop. That is why he is willing to do it for free.
“One year yun walang bayad,” he said.
“Sabi ko, okay lang basta masaya ka sa ginagawa mo and matulungan mo yung mga players na mag-grow at mapunta sa next level iba yung pakiramdam.”
Going Up the Ranks
After earning enough experience and exposure, Ricardo left Letran’s coaching staff in 2010.
A year later, he handled La Salle’s developmental teams. At the same time, he was a part of the coaching staff of La Salle Green Hills, where he met restaurant magnate Frank Lao.
From there, opportunities came knocking at Ricardo’s door.
He got his biggest coaching gig yet as he became a part of Phoenix’s coaching staff in the PBA under Ariel Vanguardia. Two years after, he switched leagues to become an assistant coach for Bulacan in the MPBL.
“Nung mga time na ‘to, sobrang dami kong natutunan like mag-organize, mag-manage, and how to deal with the players.”
Junior Term Abroad
Ricardo was so serious about coaching that he always finds time to travel to the United States just to gain more knowledge as he attends coaching clinics over there.
During that time, he realized how big developmental tournaments like the AAU does it in the US. That is why he came up with the idea to try it out on his home soil.
“I started the idea nung nasa US ako, nakita ko how large yung developmental tournaments dun. Sabi ko, I’ll bring it to the Philippines, then Mr. Frank Lao helped me out. Then the rest is history,” he said.
“We do have school-based and club-based tournaments, coaching clinics, and three-day pocket tournaments around the Philippines.”
Coming Back Home
NCAA Season 98 was the year that juniors’ basketball was making a comeback. And that was also the time when Ricardo got a chance to come back home and give back.
“Fr. Vic [Calvo] called me and sabi niya baka gusto ko mag-coach dito sa Letran because he is considering me,” he shared.
Without hesitation, Ricardo accepted the opportunity. After all, Letran was the place where his coaching career started.
And from there, he started to look for players that would fit his system because he knew that coming to the Grand Old League is not an easy task at all.
“Nag-isip na ako na I need players with great attitude, great body language, and great decision-makers to compete with the other NCAA teams,” said Ricardo.
“I know yung labanan sa NCAA. If hindi ready team mo, don’t expect na maging maganda ang outcome.”
He started recruiting players left and right that he thought would fit in his system.
He got players such as George Diamante, Titing Manalili, Syrex Silorio, Joven Baliling, and Basti Reyes to name a few, while also catching the biggest fish of them all – 16-year-old sensation Andy Gemao, who had just left National University-Nazareth School.
The newly-formed Squires then started joining leagues to build the chemistry they need for the NCAA wars.
“We joined Milcu Got Skills, United Basketball League, Sulit Breakdown Basketball, and City Hoops.”
Respecting the Past
The NCAA juniors basketball season started in the final week of January. And boy, did Letran make a statement.
The entire squad was rocking the crew cut as a nod to the 2001 Squires – the last juniors team from Letran to win the championship – in hopes that they would be able to do the same.
The Squires were able to beat San Sebastian College-Recoletos on opening day, 91-86, followed by a statement victory against the defending champions San Beda – Taytay, 94-68, to cap their first week.
Letran eventually finished the elimination ahead of the pack with an 8-1 win-loss standing, only losing the SJ Moore-led Arellano University. They cruised the NCAA Juniors Finals with ease.
Full Circle
The Squires were back in the NCAA Finals for the first time since the Mark Cruz and Oda Tampus-led team in 2009 came up a game short of grabbing the title.
But this time around, they’re looking to change the ending of the story.
Still, it was a tough challenge. They were facing two of the ‘biggest’ forces in all of Philippines high school basketball – the twin-towers Luis Pablo and Seven Gagate of La Salle Green Hills.
During Game One of the Finals, the Squires had a hard time getting past the Greenies’ defense. And they were even trailing by as much as 12 at one point in the first half.
Fortunately, the Squires’ bench stepped up big time. The second string scored 55 points to spark a comeback, and eventually took the four-point 85-81 led by Silorio’s 27-point performance. With that, they moved a win away from the crown.
Come Game Two, it was a totally different story. They easily cruised to victory, getting the 77-61 win thanks to Letran’s all-around team effort, heart, and hustle.
Andy Gemao was crowned as the league’s Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists during the series.
It was Letran’s first title after a 22-year drought, and their first double-championship in 40 years.
For Ricardo, it was an unexplainable feeling since he was just there doing his job, not expecting anything. He just wanted to do well in his first year as a head coach.
“It was so sweet. Di ko din naman talaga ‘to ine-expect. Sinabi ko lang trabahuhin namin, and awa ng Diyos nakuha namin,” he expressed.
“In God’s will, here we are, nag-materialize.”
Imagine being a rookie head coach, and bringing an entire institution to the promised land. There was pressure, there were tears, and, of course, there were joys.
From coaching for free to coaching champions – what a ride it has been for Allen Ricardo, a true and blue Letranite.
