MICHIGAN - It's now a dirty, rotten dozen, 12 straight losses in the ongoing Season 88 of the UAAP men's basketball tournament.
Following Wednesday's 109-97 defeat to the UST Tigers, the Red Warriors have lost 18 straight dating back to Season 87.
And as a miserable, suspension-laced campaign plods along with little signs of life, the once-mighty UE program looks like a broken, defaced monument of a bygone era.
READ UST reignites playoff flame after running over also-ran UE
When a program spirals violently downward, change is not a suggestion. It slowly morphs into a mandate, a cleansing that almost always begins at the top.
Days before the UST loss at the Mall of Asia where the Red Warriors trailed by as many as 27 points, multiple sources told me that coach Chris Gavina is unlikely to get an extension from his reported one-year deal worth in the low end of six figures a month.
"Seven people (four from UE and three from sponsor Tanduay) will determine his fate and because the end-of-season assessment is performance-based, mahihirapan talaga si coach na makabalik," a school insider revealed.
SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH GAVINA WERE UNSUCCESSFUL.
In fairness to the former PBA coach, he didn't exactly take over a blue-chip operation. And while his regime did not enjoy the logistical advantages of the bigger schools, he did have Precious Momowei and John Abate with a thin but decent support cast to tinker with and fish at least one win.
But here's the bottomline: He failed the one and only mission of ending UE's dreadful 15-year Final Four appearance drought. And the profanity-laden post-game rant that led to a four-game suspension last October 15 did not help.
In the wake of the continuing meltdown, Anthony "Brody" Brodett, whose Phenom Sports outfit manages a slew of UE players including Momowei, John Abate, Dylan Despi, Nico Mulingtapang and Thirdy Malaga, rallied his support behind the coaches and Jean Alabanza of Tanduay.
"UE is a three-month program," the outspoken Brodett said, adding that while powerhouse contenders blanket the program with support year-round, it's "kanya kanya" at UE in the other nine months.
Which is why, Brody explained, UE, with its alleged tepid support, is a destination of "last resort" for top recruits.
AWAY WE GO?
Brodett hinted at pulling out his talents out of Recto.
"I warned them last year. My boys deserve much more." he said while pointing out being winless just a season after the Red Warriors came one game away from the Final Four.
"Even the women's team hasn't won. So, it's really the program. The successful juniors team is under Strong Group Athletics (SGA) for now so that itself speaks volumes on how to properly take care of a program," Brody explained.
A stern disciplinarian, Gavina had rankled some of his players early on, I was told. But as the season progressed, the tough love and motivational brand of leadership proved to be a vital tool as the Red Warriors hung tough on several close decisions.
Gavina is an excellent coach and a great guy, but without sufficient star power on the roster, those traits are not enough to conquer a UAAP league that is lorded over by rich teams such as UP, La Salle, Ateneo and NU.
Gavina never had a chance coming in, and now it looks like UE isn't leaning on giving him a second chance, either.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
