Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin in the UAAP Season 82 Round 1 match at Smart Araneta Coliseum, September 7, 2019 (Rio Deluvio)
By Kristel Satumbaga
Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin reminds his stalwarts not to get complacent despite a 14-0 eliminations sweep and an outright finals berth in UAAP season 82 men’s basketball.
“At this point, I can say that I’m very proud of these men, and I know that they will not take that as any sort of sign to relax,” he said.
“Our job is far from done. In fact, it’s going to get harder.”
The Blue Eagles blasted last year’s finals rival University of the Philippines Maroons 86-64 to become the second team after University of the East in 2007 to sweep the elims.
Baldwin lauded his team’s efforts both on practice and during the games and admitted that “this is the hardest practicing team that I’ve ever coached in 40 years.”
“That doesn’t come because you’re super disciplined or because you’re robotic guys that just do what you’re told. It’s driven by an unbelievable sense of determination, passion, belief in one another, and I think that’s what equates the heart,” he said.
“And I’m just surrounded by a basketball team that humbles me as a competitor with how much heart they have, with how much passion they have to succeed.”
The record may be flawless, but graduating player Thirdy Ravena thinks otherwise.
Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena, right, and UP’s Bright Akhuetie battle for the rebound during UAAP Season 82 Round 2 match at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, October 30, 2019. (MB Photo / Rio Deluvio)
“I think our elimination round campaign wasn’t really perfect. We had a lot of mistakes and we have a lot of things to work on. Pero I’m just proud of the team sa lahat ng ginawa namin, kahit yung obstacles na dinaanan namin nun game,” Ravena said.
UP, Far Eastern University and University of Santo Tomas battle for the remaining finals berth.
Game 1 of the best-of-three finals will be on Nov. 16.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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