CHICAGO - Sifting through the debris of what is now Ateneo's 0-3 start to Season 87 of UAAP men's basketball mortified me.
I was in denial, disbelieving that a dominance I thought would last longer than the Ming dynasty may have come to an abrupt, crushing halt.
In the middle of a rebuild, I knew the Blue Eagles' nest was going to get ruffled. But not this bad, this ugly, this demoralizing.
Through three losses, they combined to hit just 65-of-183 field goals (35.5 percent) and a listless 12-of-72 from three-point distance (16.6 percent). They've also lost both the rebounds (151-116) and assists (60-55) battles,
Descending from four titles to being just an iffy Final Four contender is dire, the kind that makes Ateneo fans and supporters anxiously bite their nails
But if you're looking for panic and despair at Katipunan, you won't find it around Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin.
A FORESEEN EVENT.
"We expected this, so we're not surprised. We had hoped to be 1-2 at least, but we ran into three strong teams that are a combined 7-1. It's not pretty, but I am proud of how my players are competing," he told me over the phone, referring to their defeats to the University of the Philippines (2-0), University of Santo Tomas (2-1), and La Salle (3-0).
READ: As Ateneo starts 0-3, is the seat getting hotter for Tab Baldwin?
Asked if he is alarmed by the Blue Eagles' poor shooting numbers, Baldwin wasn't in denial, just circumspect.
"I wish our percentages were better, and they will improve as long as we stay patient and our offense continues to construct good shots," he said.
"We are actually taking good shots, they're not dropping. And our assists are where we like it to be, 80 percent of our shots made, so we are creating scoring opportunities."
Jared Bahay will be a star someday, but for now, 'J-House' appears more like a tiny, unfurnished apartment, hitting just 4-of-20 from deep and 6-of-30 from the field, a 20 percent clip in both categories.
That, coach Tab argues, will improve over time.
As he put it, "We are not making shots. so the defense is able to collapse on Jared and that has increased his degree of difficulty. But he's doing other things well, running the offense, finding the open man and playing solid defense."
NUMBERS DON'T LIE, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH.
Through the gloom, some sunshine has emerged.
Josh Lazaro is averaging 11.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists a contest while Shawn Tuano is holding his own with 14 points and five boards per game. And once Chris Koon returns from a severe ankle injury, there will be added stability.
And while 0-3 starts are uncomfortable, the Ateneo faithful have plenty of reasons to cling on to that rope of loyalty.
Firstly, the Blue Eagles defense has withstood the initial barrage, holding their opponents to just 42.5 percent from the field (85-of-200) and 24.2 percent from three (16-of-66), while also forcing 15.3 turnovers an outing.
And then there's coach Tab, the fountain of basketball knowledge that has forever changed the UAAP landscape when the dynasty he orchestrated triggered a historic arms race.
"I'm not scared of failure," Baldwin said.
So should the Ateneo diehards.
Baldwin has built a culture and tradition of winning. And from those roots, the Blue Eagles' wings will spread once more as Season 87 progresses.
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