MAKE no mistake about it, Dave Ildefonso is pumped to face his former team National University this Tuesday in UAAP Season 84.
"In all honesty, I’m really excited to play against NU, and I’m really excited to face them as a team," said the Ateneo guard.
This will be the first time that Ildefonso will meet the Bulldogs since he left Jhocson in January 2020 to join the Blue Eagles. It also pits the 6-foot scorer for the first time in the seniors division against his brother Shaun, who is on his final season in NU, and father Danny, an assistant for Jeff Napa.
Shaun has indicated early on that he's not going to pull punches in his first duel against Dave, saying, "Di makakakita ng bola sa amin yun."
Dave and Shaun Ildefonso face off for the first time in UAAP seniors basketball.
It's a sentiment that's understandable on the part of Shaun, not only because of his blood relation but rather with how Dave has been playing so far in his first year in Katipunan.
Through four games, the younger Ildefonso has led the Blue Eagles in scoring with 13.5 points on 38-percent shooting from deep, to go with 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists.
Dave has heard those words as well as the social media barbs that Shaun has thrown at him, but he chooses not to be too emotional in the duel and stick to the system that has allowed Ateneo to win its all four outings.
"Regarding what my brother said, we're 16 deep and we’re just ready to face it altogether as a team," he said.