Tab Baldwin has doused the hype surrounding Ateneo de Manila University’s matchup against the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament league leader, the University of the Philippines, this Sunday.
The Blue Eagles, who currently hold a 3-3 record in the standings, are in a rebuilding phase. Unlike last season when Baldwin had players like Angelo Kouame, BJ Andrade, Dave Ildefonso, and Forthsky Padrigao at his disposal, this time he is compelled to develop players such as Jared Brown, Mason Amos, Ian Espinosa, and Joseph Obasa.
For this reason, Baldwin believes that this weekend’s Battle of Katipunan holds more significance in terms of the schools’ participation than the players involved.
“It’s definitely not a rematch. The team names may be the same, but we are far from the same team that played against them,” said the former New Zealand Tall Blacks mentor.
“We have a lot to prove, and every game provides us with an opportunity to do so. It’s a great chance to face a team where, you know, coaches tend to bend the truth. We all like being underdogs and dislike being favorites.”
Last season’s finalists, UP, have had a successful run this year, winning six consecutive games. It falls upon the Blue Eagles to prevent a first-round sweep by UP. UP has secured significant victories against National University and De La Salle University and seems poised to do the same against Ateneo.
However, facing Baldwin and his numerous adjustments is always a challenge. The Fighting Maroons can anticipate another tough match against the Blue Eagles, who might actually relish being underdogs, similar to the last season’s finals.
Indeed, Ateneo’s 97-77 victory over the University of Santo Tomas last Wednesday might serve as the perfect warm-up for the clash against UP.
“Goldwin can expect a challenging week, which we want him to,” said Baldwin. “Come game time on Sunday, he will be very confident in his team. He will be very confident in their performance and strength.
“But he will have concerns during the week, and I believe our performance today has given him various aspects to contemplate.”
This season, Ateneo has achieved substantial victories against archrival De La Salle University and UST, along with frustrating overtime losses to Adamson University and Far Eastern University. This raises the question of whether the Blue Eagles can rise to the occasion and secure a victory this Sunday.
Nevertheless, Baldwin and his team are eager to prove that, despite being in a rebuilding phase, they are capable of winning now.
“We will be excited on Sunday. It’s One Big Fight versus UP Fight. We’ve become accustomed to that over the years. I’m certain that the fans will be very enthusiastic about it,” he stated.
“We will show up. Don’t lose any sleep over that. We’ll be there.”
