Ateneo faces killer stretch

Ateneo de Manila University coach Tab Baldwin stressed that they should not get carried away by their three consecutive victories in Season 88 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

For him, their games against the best teams have yet to come.

The Blue Eagles are bracing for a “killer stretch” that will ultimately test their newfound prowess, chemistry and teamwork as they attempt to regain the title they last won in Season 85.

First, the Blue Eagles will renew their rivalry against De La Salle University on Sunday before tackling reigning champion University of the Philippines on 8 October and the surging University of Santo Tomas (UST) on 11 October.

Ateneo is currently sitting on top of the team standings after beating Far Eastern University, University of the East (UE) and Adamson University in their first three games.

But their mettle will be tested once they face the league’s heavyweights, who are out to prove that this season is a wide-open race to the title of the country’s most prestigious collegiate league.

“We’ve got arguably, and I know the argument is really strong now, the two top teams in the league coming up,” said Baldwin following their masterful 77-58 conquest of Adamson late Sunday.

“We can forget these first three games and just remember that it’s Ateneo-La Salle and Ateneo-UP. So you throw the script out, you throw everything out. You just get ready for a dogfight.”

The Green Archers have been tagged as preseason favorites.

With Mike Phillips returning to join transferees like Mason Amos, Kean Baclaan, Jacob Cortez and Luis Pablo, La Salle made a show of force with a 60-58 win over Adamson in the opener before running into a vastly-improved UST side, 84-93.

Same goes with UP, which dropped its first two matches to UST and Adamson before rediscovering the firepower of transferee Noy Remogat for a 92-75 victory over UE also last Sunday.

But the Eagles will definitely be tested against the Growling Tigers.

With 6-foot-10 Nigerian rookie Collins Akowe patrolling the paint, threatening to drop 20-20 every single night, the Tigers are the hottest team in the league right now after beating UP, 87-67, and La Salle, 93-84, to stay at the second spot with a 2-0 win-loss mark.

Akowe will be backed up by the resurgent Nick Cabañero and veteran Forthsky Padrigao, making the Tigers a very dangerous team.

Baldwin said he knows it’s not going to be easy.

“I know it looks like Ateneo 3-0, UST 3-0 sitting at the top, but I don’t believe any of us will be 7-0. The league has a lot of surprises to offer this year. We’ve already seen surprises based on pre-season expectations. It would be foolish to start drawing conclusions now,” the Kiwi-American mentor said.

“When we reach the halfway point of the season, maybe the mist will be clearing a bit. I’m certainly not thinking this is a giveaway year, and I’m sure UP and La Salle aren’t either. We just have to keep playing, fight for every opportunity, and be ready when it matters.”