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[av_heading heading=’Blue Eagles exacts sweet revenge vs Green Archers ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Tuesday, December 5, 2017
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MANILA – After De La Salle Green Archers defeated them last year, Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin promised that they will win the UAAP men’s basketball title this year.
“2016 was a transformational year. Low was expected, much was delivered. We shall return and be champions in 2017,” Baldwin said during last year’s Ateneo thanksgiving mass.
Fast-forward to today, Blue Eagles is donning the UAAP Season 80 men’s basketball crown – its first since then head coach Norman Black completed a rare five-peat five years ago.
Blue Eagles had undergone extreme training during offseason leading to its finals face-off with its archrival, Baldwin said.
“In moments like this, you think about the most important things. And I just think about how hard we’ve worked – when we camped in Baler, how I crucified these guys, how I put them through the worst things you can imagine,” he said.
“They just responded every step of the way, and when we ran into real adversity – none bigger than that tremendous La Salle basketball team – they found a way. And a lot of it is their heart, soul and courage,” he added.
Unlike other teams, Blue Eagles does not have a superstar carrying the team but has collective efforts from veterans Thirdy Ravena, Matt Nieto, Anton Asistio, Chibueze Ikeh, Isaac Go, and Raffy Verano, said Baldwin.
“I told them, ‘We didn’t reach a peak, we reached a plateau, because there has to be room for the whole team.’ We didn’t do it as individuals, we did it as a team. So nobody stands at the peak alone,” said the head coach.
“They stand there as a team, and they’re standing proud of what they’ve accomplished and they’re standing proud as Ateneans. And I’m very, very proud to be a part of that,” he added.
Save for Ikeh, Vince Tolentino and Kris Porter, Blue Eagles will come back for its title defense next year./PN
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