AS Ateneo enters what’s expected to be the toughest season in the Tab Baldwin era, the modern-day dynasty couldn’t have found a better person to lead the way.
After being cut early on with the Blue Eagles and toiling with Team B for a year, Sean Quitevis now takes the reins as Katipunan's undisputed leader when UAAP Season 87 officially kicks off on September 7.
READ: Battle of Katipunan between UP, Ateneo opens UAAP Season 87
It’s quite poetic that a player who emerged as an underrated guard from their reserve pool they fondly call the Glory Be program will now be at the forefront of their Hail Mary season.
“I feel like my whole life, I’ve just been proving myself. I’m pushing hard every time,” said Quitevis.
“I’m even surprised I’m here today in this position. The underdog mantle is no surprise to me. There’s no change in mentality.”
There’s a certain prestige in being Ateneo's leader - as well as a whole lot of expectations.
The Blue Eagles have never had a shortage of brilliant leaders, with captains like Mike Nieto, Gian Mamuyac, and BJ Andrade all taking on the responsibility of setting the tone for their respective teams.
Quitevis credits those guys for molding him into the captain he is today, and he promises to pay it forward by being the guiding light for Ateneo's current crop of promising talent.
“Those guys helped prepare me to be who I am today, to be one of the leaders. I just look to pay it forward by helping prepare the young guys,” he said.
“You got guys like Lebron Nieto, Jared Bahay, and the like, but everyone has an equal responsibility of leading this team,” he added. “Obviously, the guys with more experience help prepare them, but everyone’s got to pull their own weight."
Moving on from Mason
That leadership was quickly put to the test when Mason Amos, who many expected to be the Blue Eagles' top gun, left Katipunan with less than three months to go before season tip-off.
To make things worse, he moved to fierce foe La Salle, stirring emotions from the blue and white nest – from fans and former players alike – with the Gilas Pilipinas big perhaps being the highest-profile transfer between archrivals.
Instead of acting on impulse and emotion, though, Quitevis zoned in on themselves, knowing full well that being mad over the move won’t do the squad any good.
It was the perfect opportunity to pull his team together. And Quitevis did just that.
“When something like that happens, it pulls your team together. We take care of our inner circle, and we make sure there are no cracks in our inner circle,” he shared.
“An event like that happens for us? It made us even better, honestly. He made his decision, we respect it, but we’re gonna be focused on us,” he added.
“It gives a small motivation to come out and play our best, play tough, play hard, and give our best shot to all these teams.”
But Amos or no Amos, expectations aren't really as high as they've recently been for Ateneo.
For the past seven seasons, Baldwin and his Blue Eagle Band of Brothers have been a staple in the semifinals – with six finals appearances and four championships to show for it.
This time though, things don't look as bright for Ateneo following uninspiring runs in the Filoil Preseason and the PinoyLiga Preseason even before Amos' transfer.
Quit? Not Quitevis!
Still, struggles in the preseason doesn’t deter the 6-foot guard from dreaming big, regardless of all the projections.
“We’re just locked in day-by-day. Every practice is important to us. It’s just focusing on us, focusing on our growth, and we’ll see, we’ll see how far we can get,” he said.
“Obviously, we want to go for that championship, we want to contend for that. We’re just trusting the process, trusting the system, our development, and when the time is right, we hope and pray the work is good.”
After all, for the lifelong underdog, success isn’t about the end result. What matters most is how they handle themselves in every game they play come the UAAP.
“Just continuing to get better every day. [Success comes] as long as every day, we get better. The wins will come for as long as we trust our process,” he stated.
It might be one hell of a season - literally - for the Blue Eagles, but Quitevis will still confidently lead for as long as everyone comes together.
“This sounds like a perfect setting for us. Let’s hope we surprise some teams. Let’s hope we can pull the fans together, get them on our side and let’s fight together," he exclaimed.
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