The Blue Eagles’ unideal start to the season might have been a blessing in disguise.
The Blue Eagles are on the brink of reclaiming the UAAP championship after an impressive 65-55 victory over the Fighting Maroons in Game 2 of the Finals. At the moment, Ateneo is looking as dominant as ever, but this was not the case when Season 85 began.
In the first round, ADMU suffered two losses and was no longer blowing teams out like they used to. Many attributed this struggle to the dip in quality of the current roster. But on the Shoot First podcast, Blue Eagles captain BJ Andrade and Ateneo star player Dave Ildefonso uncovered what contributed to the relatively slow start of ADMU.
“Medyo kinakabahan nga ako noong preseason namin kasi ‘yung primary offense namin, a month and a half before the season, tinanggal ni Coach Tab,” Ildefonso revealed.
As things turned out, the plays of Ateneo’s head tactician were too complicated for some of the rookies, which called for a response. So, Coach Tab decided to scrap the playbook in favor of a new primary offense. His veteran players though, were not at ease with the drastic change at first.
“Isipin mo, prinactice namin 'yun [for] three months,” Andrade said.
“Lahat kami hindi makasunod. Kasi kailangan namin mag-isip as one,” Ildefonso added as they recalled their "rocky" start to Season 85.
All of that is a thing of the past. In hindsight, Ateneo’s second round surge may have been a product of the team’s mastery of the new offense. They practically peaked at the right time, which allowed them to steal the no. 1 seed from UP and finish atop of the standings for the 5th consecutive season.
In Game 3 of the Finals, taking place on December 19 at the Araneta Coliseum, we might just see the Blue Eagles and their trademark flawless execution as they clinch another UAAP crown.
Catch the action on One Sports and the UAAP Varsity Channel on Cignal TV.