The Ateneo Blue Eagles' search for the perfect fit

The difference that a year makes.

When you look at it, the shift from 2016 to 2017 doesn't sound all that big. 50 years from now, when the future generation studies the history of the world, there won't be much discussion regarding the year of our Lord going from 16 to 17. It just doesn't seem like it's that big of a difference.

But when we, our generation, try to remember the events the occurred between those two years, the amount of stories which we can share are limitless. One number just separates those two years. But somehow, I can see it now with my magical tool for predicting future events (It says the Warriors are going to blow a 3-1 lead soon), we'll be telling our kids or our grandkids, "The difference that a year makes."

Ask the Ateneo Blue Eagles right now regarding the shift from 2016 and 2017, and there's a big chance they'll be saying the very same thing.

(Photo Credit: John Oranga, The Guidon)

Just last year, the Blue Eagles were the subject of a ton of scrutiny from the media, fans, and analysts. The start of 2016 brought Ateneo former Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin as the new head tactician of the Katipunan-based squad. Then, two months after that, the Blue Eagles secured the commitments of Batang Gilas standouts Gian Mamuyac and Jolo Mendoza, key Blue Eaglets in Shaun Ildefonso and BJ Andrade, and "Chris Tiu 2.0" Tyler Tio. Two months after securing a number of commitments, seven of the players which were projected to be key cogs for the Blue Eagles' title chances were kicked out from the school because of reported issues with academics. 

That's a ton of stress which the team, the school and its fans had to endure, and that's just five months of 2016 we're talking about. Getting a big name coach, securing commitments of stars, then all of a sudden, losing your projected core because of academic issues among others. That's a heck of a roller coaster ride to go through. 

To be frank about it, it's a roller coaster ride that we should have expected in the first place given how high profile Ateneo has been for the longest time now. The Ateneo Blue Eagles have been branded by some as the Kentucky Wildcats of Philippine Basketball by a number of pundits. Home of the biggest and brightest recruits. Stars who are sure fire National Team members. Players who are borderline celebrities already.

A year after, the Blue Eagles aren't in the same boat anymore. They're no longer treated as if they're Kentucky Wildcats. They haven't secured the commitments of any high profile recruits as of late. The media hasn't released much stories regarding the team.

How did the Blue Eagles get to this point in the first place?

A recruiting coup for the ages

Imagine a team in the US NCAA that managed to recruit Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ben Simmons, Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz in one team. That sounds utterly terrifying. You can even go as far as saying that it's unfair for one team to have all that talent,

The Ateneo Blue Eagles managed to do something quite similar to that. From 2013-2015,  they managed to recruit a number of Top 5 recruits. The UAAP MVPs from Seasons 74-77, Jerie Pingoy, Thirdy Ravena and Mike Nieto were Ateneo-bound. Two Finals MVPs branded as once in a generation talents in Hubert Cani and Arvin Tolentino joined in on the fun in Katipunan. Add to that list National Youth Team members Matt Nieto, Aaron Black, Isaac Go, Jay Javelosa and a bunch of blue chippers, you have yourself a recruiting coup that sounds too good to be true.  

(Photo Credit: Mhel Garrido)

Getting just one of those players is already a feat in itself for any collegiate basketball program. But getting a grand total of THIRTEEN big name recruits. This wasn't a team for the SLAM Rising Stars Classic. It was a group of recruits for one basketball team. How exactly did Ateneo pull off this kind of feat?

For one, it's safe to say that the Ateneo brand definitely helped. Most of the players who were recruited mentioned things like "I've always dreamt of studying in the Ateneo" or "Playing for the Blue Eagles has always been a dream of mine". ADMU is known as a school that excels not just in academics, but also in sports. It simply made sense for these athletes to go there. You would be receiving quality education along with a superb basketball program. 

The second is thanks to the approach which the Ateneo program opted to go to, lead by former head coach Bo Perasol. "Before kasi, the recommendation of Coach Bo was to get the best possible talent," mentioned Blue Eagles team manager Epok Quimpo. 

This wasn't just same recommendation or motto which the Blue Eagles put out for show. They walked the talk and grabbed pretty much every high profile recruit out there, no matter what the issues with fit and depth may be. It didn't matter that Jolo Mendoza and Matt Nieto were guards who were likely to stay in Ateneo anyway. Hubert Cani and Jerie Pingoy were better than the two Blue Eaglets that time, so the goal was to get those players immediately. You could even go as far as to say that the approach of the team was, "Get the best possible talent, tapos bahala na." 

Mix the reputation which the Ateneo had and an intense desire to get the best possible talent, and the result is a recruiting coup for the ages. The goal was to win a championship and regain the dominant form the Blue Eagles displayed during the Five-Peat era. With the talent that Ateneo had on deck, doing that became a lot more possible. 

Life just doesn't work that way.

The downfall

After Season 76, most Blue Eagle fans remained optimistic. Ateneo nearly managed to eke out a Final Four berth, despite losing most of its Five-Peat core, and not having a fully healthy Kiefer Ravena for most of the season.

Season 77 was a bit more frustrating for fans. Losing a twice-to-beat advantage at the hands of an NU Bulldogs team that was ranked fourth was extremely painful to go through. There were those who chose to continue giving the team a chance. The Bulldogs were a match-up problem in the first place. They were the worst possible team to have to go through in the Final Four. 

Season 78, well... It was the tipping point. Frustration was at its peak.

It looked like a repeat of Season 77, except this time, teams already knew the approach that they were going to go for. Giving the ball to Kiefer Ravena every damn time wasn't going to work anymore, as opposing squads already knew that was the approach Ateneo was going for. It was branded as a Kiefer-centric offense, something Coach Bo Perasol himself admitted. When you look at the parts which the Blue Eagles had during that run, implementing that kind of offense didn't make much sense.

It wasn't as if Kiefer was left by his sidekick/the hero of the team before Season 78. It was the complete opposite. You recruit the top players in the past High School batches, and all of a sudden, they're relegated as bench players or placed in a role where they weren't that involved in the offense. There were definitely reasons as to why these recruits weren't used as much as fans hoped that they would be used. But no matter what those reasons may have been, it was still frustrating to see those recruits not be used as much as they could have been. 

(Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports) 

The result was a ton of tension within the Ateneo community, a #FreeArvinTolentino movement, a team that wasn't as united as many hoped that they would be, and a program that was under hot lava. We'll probably remember Season 78 for Kiefer and Von hugging and waving the Ateneo community goodbye, but in the middle of that moment were the controversy, disappointment, and pain which the team and the community had to endure. 

It kept getting worse and worse. All the hopes and dreams which the Ateneo community had for the basketball team turned to sorrow, frustration and anger. 

The community was looking for a hero. It could've been a player. A coach.

It was a coach who would be the hero. Ateneo found its hero in master tactician Tab Baldwin.

But Ateneo found its hero, a little too late.

Too late

When Coach Tab Baldwin came into the fray, the culture surrounding the team was about to be changed.

No longer would we have a system which had one player at the center of it all. The center of the team would be whatever system Coach Tab would have implemented. With that change of system brought also a change of mentality. Players would no longer be treated as stars. Every single one in the team, from the starting five all the way to the bench of the Blue Eagles, were treated as equals. It didn't matter whether you were a Finals MVP or whatever title you may have received during High School. That was the past. If you wanted to get your minutes, you had to work for it. 

Other than changing how things were to be handled on the court, how academics were handled was also a concern of Coach Tab's. Stricter measures were enforced, as the basketball program opted to create its own tutoring program for the players aside from the required Study Hall program which all athletes of the Ateneo have to go through. Players would be carefully monitored, and if your grades were on the brink, you had to focus on your academics first. Until you were able to raise your grades, you wouldn't be able to step on the basketball court.

It was a Coach Carter style of handling things. It's a program which would set these players straight, no matter what the case may be. This was the kind of organized program which fans were looking for so long. The very fact that Coach Tab was able to lead the implementation of this kind of program despite the mess that he had to fix is already a feat in itself.

Sadly, it just came a little too late.

The seven monster recruits of Ateneo were no more. They weren't able to catch up to reach the required QPI of the Ateneo, and they were forced to leave the school. 

With this in mind as I was talking to Epok Quimpo, the first thing I asked myself was, "What if Coach Tab hopped on board earlier?" Just imagine, if a system similar to what Coach Tab was able to place in the team was implemented earlier, what could have possibly have happened? It's easy to envision titles. But you could also see an Ateneo team that was in rhythm, with each individual skill of the team being maximized. CJ Perez bringing the ball down, dominating as if he were LeBron James. Arvin Tolentino burning every defender with drives to the rim or shots from the outside. Kemark Carino blocking every damn shot using his long arms and sneaky good athleticism. 

Sadly, it was all just a dream. The reality of it was, Ateneo's projected core was gone, and its title hopes were gone into ashes in the eyes of many.

Starting from scratch

In essence, when Coach Tab Baldwin came into the team, the idea that he had was that he would be starting from scratch. Different program. Different system. Different culture. Different everything.

But the reality of it was, he still had a monster core who he could utilize towards a title. It wasn't like he was working with the Brooklyn Nets, or if you want to look for a Philippine version, the UP Fighting Maroons of Season 78 (Sorry UP friends.). He was working with an Ateneo team that had recruits who were actually proven already. These were players who have either showed flashes of brilliance or have already shown greatness. Then, BAM. Just like that, they were all gone.

Now, Coach Tab was left with a team, to be frank about it, that did not look fit at all to make it to the Final Four. For one, there was no clear star. Yes, Coach Tab was looking for a system where there was no star. But you need a go to guy in your team when all else fails right? Just look at the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. Because they didn't have a guy who they could have just given the ball to when nothing was working for them, they ended up losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. Let's take a look at some names who could have been named as the go-to guy of the Blue Eagles.

(Photo Credit: ABS-CBN Sports)

Thirdy Ravena? He was still very unproven and was rather turnover prone. Didn't help too that his jumper wasn't that good just yet.

Aaron Black? He was a great offensive player, but as a guy who you would give the ball to and allow to take over the game? He wasn't set to be in that role yet. Aaron was fit better as the Andre Igoudala to the Golden State Warriors rather than the Iggy for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jolo Mendoza? His body was too thin, even in High School lacked the killer instinct, and penetration was a work in progress.

Tyler Tio? Maybe. But sadly, eligibility issues barred him from playing during Season 79.

With that, you could really say that the Blue Eagles were starting from scratch. There weren't any proven pieces in that Ateneo team so that you could confidently say that this was a team that could make it to the Final Four. They finished third in the Filoil tourney, but what struck people the most there was the beating they received from their archrivals La Salle during their two games against each other. 

It turns out, starting from scratch was the very best thing that could have happened to this Blue Eagles team.

First off, the benefits of the strict academic program which Coach Tab and the basketball program implemented started to show.  It wasn't just a matter of the Blue Eagles' grades reaching the required QPI for each year. The program was able to bring its benefits inside the basketball court, and in the relationships of the Blue Eagles with each other.

At first glance, going through the strict tutoring program of the team should have been a frustrating time for them. But instead, the Blue Eagles treated this as an opportunity to create even deeper bonds with each other compared to before. They would help each other out when it came to academics, and this even extend itself when it came to their personal lives. 

These Blue Eagles were no longer just teammates. They weren't just players fighting for minutes. They were brothers who were determined to prove a lot of people wrong in the basketball court and in the classroom. It was this brotherhood which helped them during Season 79.

The perfect fit 

Lots of stories have already been told regarding the Season 79 run of the Blue Eagles. How the team managed to beat La Salle despite their roster lacking the shine that it used to have, and its magical second round where it went on a 6 game winning streak to secure a twice to beat advantage in the Final Four. 

But an underrated aspect of that run of the Blue Eaglets was the amount of time and resources Coach Tab Baldwin had. Not only did he lose the seven recruits, but he also lacked the time to try and create a cohesive unit. Since Coach Tab was still busy manning the Gilas Pilipinas team, he only had two months to spend with the Blue Eagles. The former New Zealand Tall Blacks coach had to introduce a completely new system to a team in which majority of its players were young and inexperienced. You could even say that Coach Tab himself was inexperienced, given that he's never coached in the Philippine collegiate level before. It was a recipe for disaster.

Instead, the team turned this recipe into something that was so palatable that even Gordon Ramsey would have probably enjoyed it. The fit between players and coach was close to seamless. It was enough to give a monster La Salle team a scare during the Finals. They may have not captured the championship, but they managed to capture the hearts of those who doubted them before. The Blue Eagles did that not by just showing #PUSO or any other intangible out there. They did so by playing the right way, and by playing as a team that fit with each other really well.

(Photo Credit: John Oranga, The GUIDON)

As the Filoil tournament inches closer, the Blue Eagles' preparations continue. They aren't receiving as much press as before with regards to recruiting players left and right, and there's a reason for that. Their focus is no longer on creating the team with the biggest stars. They're no longer working under the mentality that they should get the best possible talent, then the fit will just follow. Now, they work with the mentality that they should get the players, who best fit not just the system of the Blue Eagles on the court, but also the culture which they have fostered off it. It's a culture that has hard work, unselfishness and good values in it.

This is no longer just a basketball team. This is no longer just the home of the biggest recruits. This is the home of a brotherhood, whose goal is to bring the championship back to Loyola. And if they're going to be looking for recruits, or for help from other schools, they have to be players who can fit into the team.

It's a journey that was difficult to go through. But that's the thing which looking for the perfect fit. It requires pain, sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears. In the middle of all that are lessons which we can all learn. It's safe to say that the Blue Eagles basketball program has learned from the mistakes which it had made in the past.

What can we expect from this Blue Eagles team, who will have a group of players who have a great bond with each other, and at the same time have more time to prepare for the season? It's easy to give a cliche answer of, "We'll give it our all". Instead, Epok answered by saying, "Too early pa eh." Given how things went for the Blue Eagles last season, it isn't completely far-fetched to hope for a championship.

The difference a year makes. Last year, the Blue Eagles had the stars. This year, the Blue Eagles have a brotherhood. Next year, we could very well call these Blue Eagles champions.