The Blue Eagles are still adjusting with their new roster.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles are off to a slow start in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.
The defending champions are 0-2 so far in the preseason tournament, losing to the De La Salle Green Archers and NU Bulldogs.
Coach Tab Baldwin, however, is not sounding off the alarms just yet.
The Ateneo tactician though pointed out their areas for improvement, especially during their game against La Salle.
“If there’s something we’re probably not ready for, it’s pressure style basketball. Offensively and defensively,” Baldwin told News5's Martie Bautista. “So, it really highlighted our inability right now to respond and act to pressure.”
Luckily for the Blue Eagles, it’s still just the preseason and they will have plenty of time to fix their ways come UAAP Season 86.
“It’s good these things are highlighted with us and that it really opens the players' eyes, so it allows us coaches to get it a little clearly, more easily,” said Baldwin.
Ateneo’s squad compared to Season 85 is clearly different with the loss of key guys in Dave Ildefonso, BJ Andrade, and Finals MVP Ange Kouame.
But of course, the Blue Eagles also got some blue-chip recruits ahead of the new season, like sweet-shooting big man Mason Amos, which still makes them title contenders.
For now, Baldwin remains confident that they can put it all together.
“We’ve got to run the floor, we’ve got to rebound, and we gotta be a much tougher defensive presence,” said Baldwin. “I’m confident we’ll make strides on those areas, we just gotta make sure we get far enough.”
(With reports from Martie Bautista, News5)
(GM)