AMONG the many players Ateneo added to its replenished roster ahead of UAAP Season 89, Kieffer Alas was one that found a special connection with head coach Tab Baldwin.
Like Baldwin—who Alas ceremoniously calls the ‘GOAT’ of Philippine coaches—Kieffer is the son of a decorated basketball coach in Louie Alas, who has has three other athlete sons in Kevin, Kenneth, and Junjun.
Baldwin’s father, John Baldwin, was skipper for the University of Notre Dame before his coaching tenure at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida.
And with that common pedigree in the sport, Baldwin found it easier to mentor the young guard.
“I was a coach's son. So I know what it's like to grow up and have that voice in your head all the time," Baldwin said.
“That this is what you're not doing right. This is what you've got to do better. And so his mentality as a player is really, really good.”
Tatak Coach Louie
The youngest Alas hails from not just a decorated shotcaller in the NCAA, but also a basketball family that has built quite the name in the Philippine hoop scene.
But in Baldwin’s eyes, Kieffer’s most notable inheritance from his father isn’t their basketball legacy, but a principled approach that helped the 19-year-old phenom to be one of the most coachable stalwarts in his arsenal.
“I mean, he's the coach's son, [but] he's a very good coach's son. We all know Coach Louie. He's a no-nonsense guy. So Kieffer didn't grow up being pampered and treated like he was a superstar," Baldwin shared.
“He's really easy to coach. He's hungry for more knowledge. And that's going to help him a lot. Because I've told him that it changes every single time you go up a level or you shift countries or something like that.”
And with Alas being all ears in his newfound role sharing the responsibilities with the likes of Jared Bahay, Travis Roberts, and Waki Espina, it just further cemented to the acclaimed shotcaller that Kieffer’s chances at becoming Louie’s most skilled son isn’t far-fetched at all.
“He’s found out that I'm not nice to him because he's Coach Louie's son, and he just takes it in stride. That's going to help him in the long run. He has an exceptionally bright future. And he's going to be a big producer for Ateneo," he said.
“He grew up like that's another mistake that you've got to fix. So his mindset is, 'Coach, what do I need to do to get better?' And so, you know, I'm just another voice in his history as a player.”
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