Multi-titled UAAP head coach Tab Baldwin counts Kevin Quiambao among the league’s best products in recent history.
High praise.
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin said that La Salle superstar Kevin Quiambao is among the best he’s seen in his time in the UAAP as the reigning MVP led the cavalry for the Green Archers in their first round rivalry match in UAAP Season 87 on Sunday, September 15.
Spearheading La Salle’s title defense with strong performances in their current 3-0 start, Baldwin said that Quiambao now has the honor of being in the same breath as UAAP stars that have gone on to pursue their professional dreams.
“Kevin's just a really good player. He's elite in terms of UAAP standards from what I've seen over my eight years,” said Baldwin as his team absorbed an all-around game from Quiambao in their 81-71 loss to La Salle.
[Related: UAAP standings: DLSU Green Archers on track for back-to-back championship]
“He should be mentioned in the same breath as Carl Tamayo, Thirdy Ravena, Justine Baltazar. That's where he's at, especially in terms of when you're talking just about the Filipinos.”
But even before their initial meeting in Season 87, Baldwin was already painfully aware of how much Quiambao would be a problem for himself and the Blue Eagles. This was because KQ is not just a plain scoring threat.
Quiambao also had a one-of-a-kind approach to the game.
“He doesn't just score, he reads the game well, he passes the ball well, and he's a leader in that team,” Baldwin said of Quiambao.
“And we've already seen often this year both in pre-season tournaments that in crunch time, he has the ability to step up, so he deserves the respect he's getting,” coach Tab added.
The respect, at least from the Ateneo Blue Eagles, came in the form of their defensive preparation for Quiambao heading into the rivalry game.
From the get-go, Baldwin’s Blue Eagles employed a “Box and 1” defensive plan against DLSU, targeting Quiambao.
For those not familiar with the phrase, Box and 1 is a kind of defense where the attention is centered on one talented player on the opposing team. It combines both the zone and man-to-man defense as they aim to deny any offense on that one player.
In La Salle, that was KQ.
[Related: Green Archers urged to stay ready as defenses focus on UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao]
Not to take anything away from the rest of the Green Archers, Baldwin said that it was only right that the reigning MVP and Finals MVP had that much of an impact on the opposing team’s defense.
“When you play a box-and-one on somebody, that's one of the highest signs of respect that they can get, and we were happy with it. We felt he shot 28 percent in the game, we felt we gave him a lot of problems, but he did those extra things, rebounding and finding his teammates,” said Baldwin.
“That's what a really good player does when their opponent tries to take them out of the game. So full credit to Kevin, he's nothing but a real force in the UAAP, and he's somebody that every team has to be especially prepared for.”
Luckily for coach Tab and Ateneo, there will be a long way to go in the season before they meet Quiambao again.
If the Blue Eagles – or any other team for that matter – want a shot at the title and making a deep run in the Final Four, defenses should be prepared for the force that is Kevin Quiambao.