COACH Topex Robinson finds amusement that the most magnified person ahead of the rivalry game between La Salle and Ateneo won’t even be someone playing on the court.
“That will be something that people will talk about and make the news,” he said.
Mason Amos, the most high-profile transfer from Katipunan to Taft, won’t even be in uniform and rather will be cheering his new team from the sidelines, as the Green Archers shoot for win No. 3 against the Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
But despite Amos probably being La Salle’s biggest cheerleader come the 6:30 p.m. game, Robinson reminded his new recruit to take it all in stride, joking, “Sabi ko sa kanya, nandyan ka pa lang, ang dami mo nang airtime.”
“He knew what he’s getting himself into. He knows he’s gonna get the flak, he’s gonna get the hate. But nothing’s gonna change because he already made the decision and you got to be man enough to live with it,” he said.
Still, Robinson wouldn't have it any other way than their modern big of the foreseeable future being behind their bench - and opposite his onetime school and squad.
“Sa amin lang, what we could provide is really the support, knowing that we’ll always be there for him. He’s gone through a lot of challenges, but this is just preparation for him for the bigger wars in the future," he said.
He furthered: “And yes, he’s gonna get hate, but he’ll also gonna get love. He’s not a bad person, he just made a decision that he thinks is best for him. So kami, we’re here to protect him, provide him love and support because we’re his family now.”
It's all about the now
But for those who were left behind, it’s still a pain that lingers - whether they admit it or not.
Yet rather than mope on the sudden turn of events, Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said that the Blue Eagles have made it a rallying point to galvanize, all the more as they try to avoid falling to a 0-3 start.
“The team is taking each one of these issues, and with the help of the coaching staff, we thought of how to turn this into a positive. I think we got ourselves in a position now that we have a very positive frame of mind,” he said.
What matters, after all, are the ones who will figure in the rivalry game itself.
Josh Lazaro has been a positive for the blue-and-white, averaging 14.5 points as he emerges as a cornerstone for an Ateneo team still waiting for Chris Koon as he recovers from an ankle injury.
Reigning Season and Finals MVP Kevin Quiambao, to nobody’s surprise, is still the one running the show for La Salle in its 2-0 start, and the strong will only get stronger with CJ Austria set to make his debut after dealing with a shoulder injury.
Robinson made it clear, however, that here’s no special motivation to play for Amos in this Ateneo-La Salle game.
“We will always play our best no matter what,” he said. “It’s not just about Ateneo-La Salle or Mason and Ateneo, it’s about La Salle basketball for us. We will always play our basketball and (Mason) will be our best cheerleader,” he said.
Almost a decade in the making for UST
In the first game, University of Santo Tomas (2-0) shoots for its best start since 2015 when it seeks its third straight against Adamson (1-1) at 3:30 p.m.
Malian center Mo Tounkara has proven himself to be a keeper for the Growling Tigers, providing much-needed stability down low which was absent last year in Espana as he notched a career-high 16 in their 74-64 win over Ateneo.
Meanwhile, the Soaring Falcons are just driven to bounce back after losing to La Salle, 82-52, with Cedrick Manzano and Mathew Montebon both counted on to play better.
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