CHICAGO – It was only 8:29 this morning when I called coach Topex Robinson.
Having spent hours watching game film of La Salle's 67-64 loss to UP yesterday, he had a night fraught with pain and frustration. And he barely slept.
"It was a tough loss but nobody said this was going to be easy. There will be growing pains and that's why I reminded my guys that we have another game in 48 hours and we need to focus on that," Robinson said.
It would take a lot of mental fortitude to quickly erase the horrific memory of an awful third quarter where La Salle missed 20 of 21 shots while being outgunned by the Maroons, 21-3.
But to paraphrase an oft-repeated line by the inimitable James Bond, the Green Archers are stirred, not shaken.
"In our heart of hearts, we know who we are. We know what we're capable of," said Topex, who's had his share of these emotional roller-coaster rides during his time in the NCAA and the PBA.
When I asked if alarm bells were already ringing in the hallowed hallways at Taft, Topex couldn't have been more clear.
"WE'RE NOT IN PANIC MODE. WE'RE JUST PISSED OFF," HE SAID OF THE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AGAINST UP, NU AND ATENEO.
While he acknowledged that surrendering leads in all the games in which they lost was hard to swallow, Robinson contests the notion that La Salle folds like crumpled origami at crunch time.
"We always competed and fought until the end. To say that we collapsed is to discredit the opponents that bested us in those three games that we ended up short."
In the eagerness to shine a light only on the losses, the fans tend to forget, Robinson pointed out, that La Salle gave both No. 1 ranked UP and No. 2 ranked NU a run for their money and lost only by one possession in each of those contests.
Nine months after his high-profile hiring, Topex realizes that a 50-percent winning percentage falls short of the collective expectations of the school, the alumni community, the fans, and the well-heeled boosters that include our country's business and legal titans.
"We, as a team, are well aware of that. And we want nothing more than to win for them. But this is a process that requires patience," Topex asserts.
When the topic shifted to criticisms that have crawled out of that hell hole called social media, Topex was quick to rebut.
GOOD VIBES FOR TOPEX ROBINSON
"We try to stay positive. We didn't listen to the outside noise and we certainly don't worry about online coaches."
Asked on whether he over-relies on Evan Nelle and Kevin Quiambao, Robinson explained that all his players' roles are defined and that Nelle and Quiambao are the "main guys" with whom the Green Archers will win or lose games with.
I know, it's easy for me to say. But La Salle supporters need to chill.
Your team is a formidable one, well coached and forged in the fire of last season's campaign.
Sure, 6-0 or 5-1 is a lot sexier than 3-3 but the goal of this storied program is to return to the Final Four and not just hang regular season banners.
Heck, if fate wouldn't be so fickle, they really can win it all when everything is said and done.
And no matter how rough the journey can be, just remember that UAAP men's basketball championships are not won in October.
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.
