CHICAGO - Even in the best of times, Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin never gets too excited, a mechanism which allows him to create an environment where his players stay focused and hungry.
So when the Blue Eagles darted to a 3-0 start to Season 88 after shooting down the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 77-58, last September 28, the four-time UAAP champion was dismissive of the feat.
"We haven't faced any of the big guns yet," he told me that Sunday.
Beating FEU, UE and Adamson in short order was a nice touch, but neither of those programs, at least for now, are real title contenders.
Until yesterday when the hype and hoopla of Tab's retooled squad got an acid test from a true heavyweight.
Ateneo 81. La Salle 74.
BLOWOUT.
Like objects you see on your car's passenger-side mirror, the final score appeared closer than they were.
But it wasn't. This was a wire-to-wire beatdown anchored by a nasty defense that dulled the Green Archers' vaunted arrows.
After holding La Salle to eight second quarter points to seize a 36-19 halftime lead, Ateneo went on a third-quarter tear to build a 64-33 bubble.
Kymani Ladi, Dom Escobar and Shawn Tuano had 15 points apiece to lead a balanced Ateneo offense that saw 11 players see action. Jared Bahay couldn't hit a field goal to save his life, just 1-for-6, but he was a true leader on the floor with six assists, four rebounds and four steals.
Despite this setback to pull them to a 2-2 card, the Green Archers are a formidable team in this post-KQ era.
Mike Phillips (17 points, 20 rebounds) is a beast. Kean Baclaan is stone cold while Jacob Cortez is a fearless, relentless rim attacker.
ACHILLES HEEL.
An obvious, and potentially fatal, weakness at La Salle is free throw shooting. They went 25-of-45 against the Blue Eagles and have missed a total of 49 free throws in four games.
Around this time last year, in that forgettable chapter called Season 87, the Blue Eagles were 0-3, declared dead before reaching the hallways of the Final Four.
Now they're peering down the competition with a 4-0 record that's white as fresh-fallen snow. What a difference 12 months make.
"Iba talaga si coach Tab when he has the pieces at his disposal," a former UAAP coach who has transitioned to the PBA, told me after the Rivalry Game at the MOA Arena.
Indeed, Baldwin's system is a cut above the rest when it comes to discipline, creativity and adaptability.
He still refuses to admit it, only telling me that "a lot of work remains to be done."
But heck, I'll say it: Ateneo is back in the title hunt and the UAAP is better for it.
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