Though the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles are perched atop the UAAP Season 81 Men’s Basketball ladder to end the elimination round, the journey itself wasn’t easy.
The defending champions made it look easy. But for the entire course of the regular season, they faced numerous injuries and even a suspension.
Thirdy Ravena was slapped with a one-game ban last October 17, which took effect when the Blue Eagles faced the FEU Tamaraws. The Nieto twins had to miss four games due to ‘dengue’. Meanwhile, Gian Mamuyac, Tyler Tio, and Raffy Verano all had to miss a game as well due to nagging injuries.
To cap it all off, their chief tactician Tab Baldwin missed their final outing of the season due to an irregular heartbeat.
So for a team that embraces the concept of being the next man up, it was time for lead assistant Sandy Arespacochaga to do the same.
“One of the things we told the team, Coach Tab wasn’t here,” shared Arespacochaga, who was the Blue Eagles’ head coach back in 2004.
“It’s actually quite funny. For the past few games we were missing some players, so next man up. Ngayon para maiba, yung head coach naman ang mawala diba? Para lang maiba.”
But it was not just Arespacochaga who was tasked to fill in the big shoes that Baldwin left. It had to be the entire team.
“Of course, we’d rather have Coach Tab here. But one of the things that we told the players was, Coach Tab’s system was already in place. They know what they’re supposed to do, and we asked the players to step up. We want their leadership not just coming from the coaches, the coaching staff,” he added.
“So, the next man up should be everyone because we’re filling big shoes kasi wala si Coach Tab.”
And they did so with flying colors. The Blue Eagles handed the UST Growling Tigers the second-worst rout of the season, 102-62.
Arespacochaga is no stranger to being the team’s head coach. Besides his Ateneo stint, he has also been called up for duty when coaches Norman Black and Bo Perasol served suspensions or were out for various reasons during their stints.
But having Baldwin’s system already in place made life easier for him and the team’s staff.
“The system is in place already and our players are discipline[d], so it wasn’t that difficult even though are very big shoes to fill,” he disclosed.
“But you know, it’s like a well-oiled machine that coach Tab has already established in our system. We just had to make sure that we continue what wants us to do.”
