THE MORO Lorenzo Gym remains the same even after its recent renovation. The paint is fresh but the memories of grueling practices remain. Behind one of the baskets, hangs a large tarpaulin with the words “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam”—For the Greater Glory of God.

There are no championship banners hanging in the rafters of the gym—no reminder of the team’s past and recent success. It only offers an opportunity for the players to write their own history—how they want to be remembered. Another tarpaulin on the opposite end of the scoreboard reads “Defense Wins Championships,” which reminds the players of the kind of effort demanded from them in their drive after five.

With last year’s humbling experience coupled with a revamped roster currently in play, the Blue Eagles enter Season 77 as an unpredictable team.

Reassessing last season

Incoming second year head coach Bo Perasol was quick to downplay the team’s apparent disappointing season. “From what happened—from the injuries to the transition period of the team—I think we really did well.”

For fifth year point guard Nico Elorde, the team was just a victim of bad breaks throughout the season. For one, the Blue Eagles played majority of the season hobbled and undermanned, with injuries to Kiefer Ravena, JP Erram and Gboy Babilonia affecting the team throughout the entire season.

Another drawback was that top high school recruit and two-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Juniors Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jerie Pingoy was not able to suit up for the Blue and White. Pingoy was required to serve a two-year residency imposed on high school graduates transferring to a different UAAP-partnered school for college.

These setbacks forced Coach Bo and his coaching staff to adjust quickly. They resorted to playing at a faster pace because of the lack of a solid low-post threat, and experimented with a variety of different lineups to see which combinations worked. Starting guard Chris Newsome recalls that the team struggled in terms of their cohesiveness. “Our chemistry wasn’t there fully like it should have been or could have been,” he says.

Incoming rookies and personnel

This year’s Ateneo Blue Eagles feature a talented crop of freshmen as they added a mix of rookies composed of multiple MVPs and national team standouts.

The team is bannered by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Juniors Finals MVP Arvin Tolentino, widely regarded as the best player in this year’s class, and UAAP Juniors MVP Thirdy Ravena. The other rookies of the Blue Eagles include Jay Javelosa from Reedley International School, and John Apacible and Clint Doliguez both from Hope Christian High School. After serving a year of residency under Team Glory Be, college transferee and former De La Salle Green Archer Ponso Gotladera will also be suiting up for the Blue and White.

In spite of the impressive recruitment, the Blue Eagles will be missing the services of UAAP Juniors Finals MVP Hubert Cani of National University as he is set to serve a two-year residency. Former mainstay Isaac Go, a 6’7” center from Xavier School will also miss the year due to a season-ending shoulder surgery.

This batch of rookies draws comparisons to that of Ryan Buenafe, Nico Salva, Justin Chua and Vince Burke, with the first three playing instrumental roles in Ateneo’s five-year run as champions. A lot of expectations are on the shoulders of the freshmen and Coach Bo is fairly aware of that.

“I expect that they will struggle,” Perasol shares. However, he also hopes his freshmen deliver immediately, as they play key roles in the Blue Eagles’ hunt back to the Final Four. He also hopes that his players will be able to quickly adjust to the level of college basketball.

Both Elorde and Newsome agree with their coach’s sentiments, as the only graduating players of the team. “As early as now, the veterans are trying to push the rookies so they know what to expect come the UAAP season,” Elorde says, when asked how they’re adjusting to having a rookie-laden team.[blockquote author=”Nico Elorde, Starting guard, Ateneo Blue Eagles” pull=”pullright”]As early as now, the veterans are trying to push the rookies so they know what to expect come the UAAP season.[/blockquote]

Newsome adds that this year’s crop of rookies is full of potential. “Ability and skill, they are right there—it’s just polishing up their mental aspect of the game and getting them to understand what they need to do and when they need to do it and why.”

Offseason preparations

After failing to secure the six-peat and missing the Final Four for the first time in 15 years, Elorde recalls the Blue Eagles resuming basketball practices about two weeks after the end of the UAAP season. However, Perasol argues that the actual preparation for the upcoming season did not officially begin until they were able to complete the team. The roster was finalized only in the middle of the summer.

While waiting for their rookies to join the team, Ateneo played in the annual Unigames held in Bacolod and in two pocket tournaments in Iloilo. Once the team was complete, the entire Blue Eagles team flew to Las Vegas in the United States and underwent a rigorous two-week camp in Impact Basketball, a facility known for training future National Basketball Association draft prospects. This was immediately followed by a one-week tournament in Tokyo, Japan and a trip to Korea. Sandwiched in between these trips abroad were grueling practices and a clinic from South Korean coaches.

The Blue Eagles opted not to play in any offseason tournament this year, even if it had been an integral part of their preparation in the past. This move was greeted with mix reviews from the alumni, student body, the players themselves and Coach Bo.

“Part of the reason [we did not join] was that we really did not have a team,” Coach Bo recalls. He adds that the team would have joined the different summer tournaments if the UAAP roster was filled up much earlier. “The exposure of the players playing together should have been very important. In fact, that’s our struggle at this point,” he says.

However, both Elorde and Newsome feel that this time away from competitive basketball games allowed the team to bond and let the rookies learn the system. “I feel good [about sitting out], because if you get put into offseason games too soon, then it could damage your bonding as a team, because you’re expecting those rookies to come in and produce right away. You’re expected to know something right away but that’s not usually the case.” Newsome says.

While Elorde agrees with Newsome, he feels that the lack of a UAAP-type of atmosphere will hinder the team’s progress. But whatever happens, the team is driven to move forward this season as they put the past behind them. The future, as Perasol mentions, is in good hands. The Blue Eagles are ready to write their own history and soar back to relevance.

[seperator style=”style1″]Blue Eagles’ History: Championship and Glory[/seperator]

By Lorenzo C. Aycardo

CHAMPIONSHIPS AND the Ateneo Blue Eagles are usually mentioned in the same breath in this present era.

With the recently concluded five-peat run spanning from Seasons 70 to 75, the Katipunan-based squad was able to cement its legacy in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) with five straight basketball crowns.

However, the dominance of the Blue Eagles is not only limited to its current league, as Ateneo was once a part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Philippines prior to its shift to the UAAP. From 1928 to 1976, the Blue Eagles secured the NCAA championship 14 times.

Since the decision to join the UAAP, the Blue and White has been able to hoist the basketball championship banner eight times behind the Far Eastern University Tamaraws (19), University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers (18) and University of the East Red Warriors (18).

With a revamped roster and a faithful community behind them, the Blue Eagles are out to reclaim lost school glory and establish basketball supremacy once again come Season 77.

NCAA Championships: 1928, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1937, 1941, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1969, 1975 and 1976.

UAAP Championships: 1987, 1988, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012