HAVING spent nine seasons of his coaching career in the NCAA, Topex Robinson has nothing but love for the old league.
Robinson and the rest of the De La Salle Green Archers stood seconds away from a seismic upset at the hands of the gutsy Letran Knights, the Filoil EcoOil 17th ECJ Preseason Cup’s lone semifinalists from the NCAA.
Up by as much as 24, what was once a imminent blowout in the making turned into shambles in the home stretch as Robinson’s gambit of fielding his young guns resulted in a turnover-plagued endgame — one which forced him to re-deploy Kevin Quiambao in the final seconds in a bid to douse Letran’s late shooting spree.
READ: UP clashes with UAAP tormentor La Salle in Filoil Preseason finals
The defending UAAP champions might have had the last laugh in a nervy 91-87 win to set up a title rematch with University of the Philippines, but Robinson jokingly rued how he was almost dealt a ‘career-ending defeat.’
“I almost lost my job there if that one got through. But you play these preseason tournaments to learn. It’s a gamble on my part to play the guys that don't usually see the floor. They had the chance to prove themselves and those are the gambles that I will always take,” said Robinson.
“That was a good, grinded-out game for us and I'm sure we learned from those experiences that we gave up a big lead, pinapamigay namin. We almost got ourselves shot on the foot there. But again, lessons learned and at the end of the day, as ugly as it goes, we'll take the win.”
Even against a young and rebuilding team led by champion juniors coach Allen Ricardo, Robinson sang his praises on how far the NCAA, and Philippine college basketball altogether, has improved in terms of the level of competition.
Never an easy win in the NCAA
And if there’s one thing Robinson has long preached entering the preseason, it’s that there won’t ever be an easy win when facing the NCAA’s ‘scary’ teams.
“I’m really proud and happy to see how the NCAA has really been competing with what they don’t have. They don’t have the foreign student-athletes but you see them really competing.
“I always tell these guys (La Salle), those guys (NCAA teams) will always be scary because they have something to prove for themselves that they also belong. Kaya sabi ko nga, you have to respect those teams and that any team could beat you in the NCAA. That’s how, at the end of the day, college basketball has grown,” Robinson said.
“I’m just happy to see Coach Allen (Ricardo) having the chance now to prove himself in the seniors.”
Two leagues, one college basketball
Ultimately, albeit in two different sides of college basketball in the country, Robinson belives the UAAP and NCAA's longstanding co-existence has driven the sport forward in pursuit of honing today’s young talents as tomorrow’s next best stars.
“At the end of the day, we’re college basketball. We just happen to be on two different spectrums come September. But we have to compete against each other and we have to really see where we’re at because those guys, kumbaga talagang makikipagpalitan ng mukha eh.”
Robinson added: “This will benefit college basketball and that’s what’s important and that’s what’s Filoil Preseason is all about — just to blend all those talents and see where their level is at and I’m just happy to see those kids competing.”
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