When Topex Robinson decided to hang up his sneakers and pursue coaching, he had a mentor who guided him through the transition.
That man was none other than Louie Alas.
“Coach Louie has been part of my growth as a coach,” Robinson reflected.
From 2011 to 2017, the two were part of Alaska’s coaching staff, working under Joel Banal, Luigi Trillo, and Alex Compton.
When Alas was tapped to become the head coach of Phoenix, Alaska allowed him to take one coach from its staff to join him. Naturally, he chose Robinson to be his deputy.
“We’ve been together in Alaska, and we were together in Phoenix. So, a lot of my learning has come from him,” Robinson continued.
Alas, however, never treated Robinson merely as an assistant, instead viewing him as a coaching equal.
“I have to give credit to my coaching staff. I know na talaga naman, kaya ko nga silang kasama diyan,” Alas once said in 2019.
“At kaya siya hindi assistant coach ang title – associate head coach yan eh, si Coach Topex tsaka mga staff namin, so credit to them.”
In 2020, however, the Fuel Masters decided to move on from Alas. But Phoenix did not have to look far for his replacement, promoting Robinson to head coach.
The two eventually went their separate ways, with Alas stepping into “semi-retirement” while Robinson took charge of Phoenix.
In 2023, Robinson would take over the La Salle program.
On Wednesday, they will find themselves on opposite sides of the court as they lead La Salle and Ateneo, respectively, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. And fittingly, the Robinson–Alas reunion comes on a historic night: the 100th Ateneo–La Salle encounter.
It adds another layer to the greatest rivalry in Philippine sports.
“Every Ateneo-La Salle game is a different animal. It doesn’t matter where you are at the standings. It doesn’t matter who you are against on the other side of the bench; it is always something we always look forward to.
“It’s really going to be an exciting experience for me as a young coach, learning from how the way he handles teams, especially in college,” Robinson, a two-time UAAP champion coach, said of facing Alas.
Alas, a three-time NCAA champion coach, added, “Topex is a great coach. I guess the way we prepare against La Salle and against doon sa previous games namin, we’ll do the same.
“Baka mas mag-innovate pa kami because from the sideline, I’m pretty sure they will not hear me, so baka ‘yun ang gagawin namin.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
But the Robinson-Alas storyline is only one of the layers adding intrigue to Wednesday’s rivalry clash.
For Ateneo rookie Kieffer Alas, the game carries an even more personal connection. The son of Louie, Kieffer will be playing in his first Ateneo-La Salle rivalry game — against the very program he once called home.
Kieffer spent his high school years at De La Salle-Zobel before moving to the United States for his Grade 12 year. Then, when he plotted his return to the Philippines, La Salle was among the schools that tried to recruit him.
Now, he will get to experience the rivalry from the other side.
“I don’t know kasi I am still a rookie. We will just wait and see, but we are going to make sure we are locked in and prepared for that game,” Kieffer said.
And while Kieffer is preparing to experience the rivalry from the opposite side of his high school roots, another player will also carry some unfinished business into the matchup.
Mason Amos will face Ateneo once more after losing to the Blue Eagles in his only game against his former school last year.
“I think the focal point defensively is what we have to focus on. Because against the bigger teams like Ateneo, UP, UST, and NU, we can’t afford to have defensive lapses. It can cost you the championship, and it can cause you to lose a game anytime,” he said.
“We’re just focusing one game at a time. But to keep piling minutes, we just need to focus on our defense and staying together. We can’t keep getting lapses, and we need to keep working together.”
From mentor and pupil to opposing head coaches, Robinson and Alas now find themselves on different sides of the rivalry — but with years of shared history adding an intriguing subplot to the rivalry’s latest chapter.
