CALL it what you want, but Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin believes his team's difficult UAAP Season 86 men's basketball campaign after seasons of dominance marks the dawn of a new era and the beginning of better days.
As the Blue Eagles missed out on a finals berth and a podium finish altogether for the first time under Baldwin's reign, the multi-titled mentor opts to see the 'glass half-full' in a season of adversities.
READ: Chris Koon unsure of Ateneo future after playing through fractured foot
"A lot of people will look at this season and they'll say it's a season of failure, it's a season of indifference. But you know, I choose to look at the glass being half full. And I'd like to think that this season is a bridge for us," said Baldwin.
"We've just come out of an amazing era of Blue Eagle basketball. It's very difficult to continue that, you know, just uninterrupted. There were so many disruptions in our program with the pandemic and players leaving before their eligibility was finished, and it impacted our recruiting.
"We had to contend with all of that. And I think, you know, the conspiracy of circumstances sort of caught up with us a bit this year. So we're looking at this year now as as a bridge to what we hope will be a new era of success for Blue Eagle basketball. We're going to be optimistic," he added.
Ateneo's one big fight past adversity
Baldwin, however, still took pride with how Ateneo overcame the adversities embedded in what has been a 'weird and fractured' season.
"It was a really weird season. We battled to be better all the time to grow to develop. We battled a lot of injuries.
"Today (versus UP), we battled illness, Raffy Celis wasn't available. Andrew Bongo wasn't available, sickness. Chris Koon's playing with literally a fracture in his foot. Gab Gomez wasn't available. It's just that kind of season, you know, just sort of a fractured season, if you will," Baldwin explained.
"But these guys showed a lot of heart and showed a lot of heart today. They stood toe to toe with what I think is an outstanding basketball team and we gave ourselves chances. I don't think I can ask much more of this team than what they accomplished this year."
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