Ateneo de Manila University has been the standard for Philippine collegiate basketball in the new millenium.
The Blue Eagles have won 10 UAAP men’s basketball titles — including a five-peat from Seasons 71 to 75 and a three-peat from Seasons 80-82, the latter highlighted by a 16-0 sweep.
The program has also developed countless pros — headlined by the likes of LA Tenorio, Larry Fonacier, Japeth Aguilar, Kiefer Ravena, Thirdy Ravena, Angelo Kouame, and many more.
This esteemed reputation, however, faced a significant challenge as the Blue Eagles concluded the first round of the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament with a disappointing 1-6 win-loss record — the worst first round for any Ateneo men’s basketball team in the Final Four era.
Their struggles were capped by a 68-78 loss to the NU Bulldogs on Saturday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Several factors contributed to Ateneo’s inability to find success throughout the first round.
Head coach Tab Baldwin, who is in his eighth year at Ateneo, identified key issues such as offensive struggles, defensive lapses, and the inexperience of his young team, who are still adjusting to the heightened level of competition in the UAAP.
These challenges have created a sense of urgency within the program as they work to rediscover their winning identity.
Baldwin expressed frustration over the pervasive sentiment of “Win or lose, it’s the school we choose” that seems to accompany their losses.
He emphasized the need for his players to better manage the pressure that comes with being a Blue Eagle.
Overcoming early-season struggles is essential not only for proving their critics wrong but also for demonstrating to their supporters that they are committed to competing at a high level for the long haul.
“We do not want to hear the line ‘Win or lose, it’s the school we choose.’ We don’t want to hear that line. We don’t want people to come to us and say that we both want the pressure, but we want to handle the pressure better,” Baldwin stated.
“We have to handle the pressure of being Blue Eagles in a not-great year, and we have to rise to the expectations of ourselves and our community. We need to reach the level of the league and establish that we should be respected for the quality of play we put on the court, and so far we haven’t done that.”
Given Ateneo’s storied history in Philippine collegiate basketball, Baldwin frequently reminded his players that pressure is an inherent part of wearing the Blue and White.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Yet, he also stressed that overcoming this pressure requires maturity—a trait that has been lacking and contributed negatively to their dismal start in Season 87.
“The maturity of the team is what will help alleviate that pressure. Losing doesn’t help us mature easily. It’s hard, and you guys are witnessing a very interesting sporting dynamic which I lived through before, but these kids haven’t,” the former Gilas mentor explained.
“This is a real challenge, and it’s one that we don’t like being in the thick of, but it is what we have. We’re going to continue to try and find and accentuate the positives and try to improve on the negatives, and hope that process will start yielding positive results.”
Despite finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, Baldwin reassured his squad and the Ateneo faithful that the team would stick together.
He believes that resilience is essential: when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Throughout this challenging process of returning to their winning ways, Baldwin is not only focused on the improvement of the Blue Eagles but also on the growth of every member of the coaching staff.
“This is where all of the coaches need to be mentors; we have to be friends, we have to be tough, we have to be demanding, we have to be all of those things. In an amateur team and environment, the feelings are more raw, so the pressure has a greater impact,” he remarked.
Baldwin emphasized the importance of maturing quickly through this process.
“We need to do it more quickly, but it is a process, and you can’t wave a magic wand and wish it to be a certain way. It takes a lot of work and requires tough individuals to handle that, and we’re trying to help them become that.”
