Ateneo program favors player development, not championships – Baldwin
The mutli-titled coach sees his players not as an investment for a trophy or a gold medal, rather as an opportunity to mold and develop the next biggest stars in the court......»»
Coach Tab calls Philippines the Mecca of basketball
Tab Baldwin has been in the Philippines for five years now. First brought here to coach Gilas Pilipinas, the brilliant tactician has since assembled a juggernaut in Ateneo de Manila University which has won the past three championships in the UAAP. It didn't take long for Coach Tab to fall in love with the Philippines and, of course, that was all because of Philippine basketball. "I love the Philippines and I think one of the most endearing aspects of the Philippines is this is a basketball paradise. Everywhere you look there are players, there are teams, there are competitions, there are fans, there are facilities," he said in the inaugural episode of Coaches Unfiltered. "I can tell you from the countries that I've been that much of what I've said isn't there, never is all of it there. That includes the US." The American-Kiwi had been around in the international basketball circuit and his most successful stint prior to the Philippines was in New Zealand. For him, though, the Filipino homeland is something special. "This, to me, is the Mecca of basketball," he said. And for him, the fact that Filipinos are not necessarily built for basketball makes all of this more special. As he put it, "You may say we don't have the greatest players in the world and that's true. Demographically, we are challenged with our size, but that doesn't really impact the passion for the game, the love for the game." That fire and desire, first and foremost, the reason why Coach Tab views the Philippines as the center of basketball. "When you put on top of that that this is one of the most hospitable countries in the planet with one of the kindest, gentlest, and friendliest populations, I start to ask myself where else would I wanna be and there aren't too many answers to that questions," he said. Does that mean that he will retire here - just like Tim Cone, Norman Black, and Alex Compton did? "Retirement? Why not," he said. "And if then, I can still continue being part of the basketball community to help coaches, to help young players, even if they have to push me around in a wheelchair, why not?" Of course, nothing is set in stone. What is for sure, however, is that Tab Baldwin loves Philippine basketball and will only continue to do so. "I love this country. I love the basketball landscape here even with its flaws and I hope to be a part of helping better every aspect of it because I know (Philippine basketball) has done so much to better my life," he shared. He then continued, "I think I can show my appreciation for that in no better way than to submit myself to what is good for Philippine basketball." --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
WHAT IF… Dave Ildefonso stayed in Ateneo
History lesson: As a rookie and then as a sophomore, Dave Ildefonso was the main man of National University. The 6-foot-3 swingman made an immediate impact by putting up per game counts of 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists as a rookie. He only built on those with averages of 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in his sophomore season. Safe to say, Ildefonso made the most out of his moment as the most prized prospect in recent history for the blue and gold. And, to this day, he does not regret moving from Katipunan to Sampaloc. This, even though Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin memorably made it a point to make the scoring wing "rethink his decision" in their first meeting. In response, Ildefonso said then that he stands by his decision. Right decision as it may have been, his individual brilliance in National U, unfortunately, did not translate into team glory. In his first year, the son of Philippine basketball legend and school great Danny Ildefonso saw his squad stand at 4-10 at the end of eliminations. The next year was not that much better as the Bulldogs struggled to a 2-12 standing. Not long after, with a coaching change in the offing, Ildefonso announced that he was transferring to Ateneo - or, more accurately, coming home to the Blue Eagles' nest. Now 20-years-old, he will have to sit out UAAP 83 before being eligible for the blue and white in Season 84. Did you ever think, though, what would have happened if he never left, and would have never had to come home in the first place? What if Ildefonso just moved on up from Ateneo Jrs. to Srs.? If he did, he would be joining a team already loaded at the wings with Thirdy Ravena, Mike Nieto, Gian Mamuyac, Adrian Wong, Aaron Black, and BJ Andrade. As a rookie for the Blue Eagles, he would not even come close to the 27.6 minutes he actually got in National U. If so, his impact would have been still much-welcome for the blue and white, but more or less negligible to just about everybody else. Still, he would have been part of a terrific team that won it all for the second straight season. Then with Anton Asistio graduating, Black moving on, and Raffy Verano and Jolo Mendoza being sidelined, he would then be given a bigger burden in accordance with Ateneo's "next man up" philosophy. And, without a doubt, with Ildefonso, the Blue Eagles have yet another weapon in its arsenal for its triumphant march towards a historic season sweep. In this light, he would have been a champion for all of his last three seasons - one in the Jrs. and two in the Srs. And then he would enter Season 83 as one of Coach Tab's main men alongside SJ Belangel, Ange Kouame, and Dwight Ramos. For sure, Ildefonso would still shine like a star if he would have stayed in Ateneo. It would just have taken more time for him to do so. That, after all, is one of his reasons for committing to the Bulldogs in the first place. "Isipin mo, si SJ, limited minutes. Kung nag-stay ako dun, mas lalo na ako, mas limited," he said then, when the two of them were prized rookies. Indeed, the heavy minutes and the heavy workload would not have been there for Ildefonso if he would have decided to move on up from the Blue Eaglets to the Blue Eagles. At the same time, though, two championships would have been there for him. And that would have been the exact opposite of what had actually happened. The story is far from over, however, as Ildefonso has a golden opportunity to have the best of both worlds. He already is a shining star after two years standing out for National U. And now, he will still be doing so, just for an Ateneo championship juggernaut that is not going away anytime soon. --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
Northport owner on Tab s PBA comments: 'Sounds like racism'
Ateneo coach Tab Baldiwn sure caused a stir when he made his unfiltered comments about the PBA recently. While many commented Coach Tab for his dose of reality, majority of those who took it another way are big-time PBA names. One of those is Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero of 1Pacman Partylist, who also happens to own one of the teams in the PBA in the Northport Batang Pier. Romero blasted Baldwin and even invoked the race card. "PBA has been very successful since the beginning so he can’t destroy our history in basketball,” Romero said in a statement. “As a guest in the country he has no right to question the format, much more the integrity of the league and its officials. For me it sounds like racism,” he added. Baldwin's comments originated from a podcast when he questioned the PBA's one-import conference format, saying it was a "big mistake." [Related: Unfiltered Baldwin comments on the PBA's "big mistake"] Coach Tab was also critical on the liberties given to the imports who play here, which in turn makes the coaches have "tactical immaturity." Romero says that the PBA's format is tried and tested, and Baldwin is in no position to basically throw his Filipino counterparts under the bus. “PBA has been very successful since the beginning so he can’t destroy our history in basketball,” Romero said. “While he helped steer Ateneo to UAAP championships, he’s not entitled to underestimate the capabilities of our local coaches," Romero added of Baldwin. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Coach Tab wants Ateneo to focus first on next sem before next season
It has yet to be determined what the UAAP would do for its next season supposedly starting in September. That means that it is yet to be determined when exactly Ateneo de Manila University would be defending its three straight championships. And so, in the continuing COVID-19 crisis, head coach Tab Baldwin and the rest of team management just wants their Blue Eagles to take care of their wins in class. "The first semester will be online, the university already announced that, but we're trying to get all of our players into summer classes online," he shared in the inaugural episode of Coaches Unfiltered. He then continued, "Just to get them a little bit ahead in terms of credits because the one thing we all have an abundance of now is time. We can use that time productively in various aspects of our live and that's a good thing." The Katipunan-based school is well-known to hold its student-athletes to a higher academic standard than usual - and indeed, through his tenure, Coach Tab has made sure that his players take care of business inside the classroom just as well as they do on the court. Even when contact sports are given the green light, the brilliant tactician said that part of Ateneo's daily schedule would still be devoted to studies. "Obviously, our plan for that is going to be to get into a camp-like situation. One of the elements of that is going to be a daily study hall or daily period for academic advancement," he shared. He then continued, "We're nothing if we're not students. That's true and that's been true in Ateneo for a long, long time so we have to incorporate that into whatever our plans would be in the coming months." Whatever those plans would end up being, the Blue Eagles could rest easy that they remain standing on steady ground. Asked about budget cuts due to the continuing COVID-19 crisis, coach Tab answered, "For right now, we seem to be in good footing. Again, we have tremendous support from MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) so we're lucky to have that." --- Follow this writer on Twitter, @riegogogo......»»
DTI, Go Negosyo strengthen MSME Development program
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Go Negosyo agreed to strengthen their collaboration to further develop the country’s MSMEs......»»
PPP Code IRR out; 20 projects up for approval
Around 20 solicited projects that are part of the government’s infrastructure flagship program are expected to be submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority Investment Coordination Committee for approval this year, the Public-Private Partnership Center said, following the signing of the implementing rules and regulations of the PPP Code......»»
Blue Eagles coaches Tab Baldwin, Arespacochaga excited to work with Jared Bahay
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin and deputy coach Sandy Arespacochaga expressed their excitement to work with the country’s top high school player Jared Bahay after the latter officially announced his commitment on Thursday, January 25. The 18-year-old Bahay made his formal announcement through a press conference attended by his.....»»
Ateneo s Baldwin jokes about rooting for UE to avoid playoff vs Adamson
At least for a day, Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin will be a fan of the UE Red Warriors......»»
Ateneo s Baldwin blasts recent negative statements vs officiating from people in UAAP family
Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin slammed the “lot of nonsense” being brought up in the media that “certainly affected and distracted the referees” in the ongoing UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament......»»
Far cry from last year s Blue Eagles : Baldwin says big Ateneo-UP clash no rematch
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin admitted that his current Blue Eagles squad is not at par with his team that ruled the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament last year......»»
‘Worth a thousand golds’: Cone, Gilas hailed for monumental Asian Games triumph
Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin joined Philippine sports officials in congratulating Gilas Pilipinas for winning the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games......»»
Unsatisfied Baldwin demands good basketball from Blue Eagles
Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin said he was “not overly satisfied” with their gutsy 77-72 win over archrivals La Salle Green Archers in their UAAP Season 86 showdown Wednesday. .....»»
Eagles soar past Cardinals
Ateneo ushered in a new era with a bang, carving out a 25-23, 25-20, 35-33 win over Mapua in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championships Season 2 yesterday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan......»»
UP, Ateneo, La Salle, PUP shuttlers triumph
University of the Philippines opened its title defense with a 4-1 win over University of Santo Tomas in Group A of the 2nd Smart Philippine Intercollegiate Badminton Championships last Thursday at the Centro Atletico Badminton Center in Quezon City......»»
It’s not just Chot
Basketball-crazy Filipinos are up in arms, bashing Chot Reyes following Gilas Pilipinas’ disastrous performance in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Well, they have a point. As head coach, Reyes was supposed to carry out the special mission of leading Gilas Pilipinas to a respectable performance in the World Cup and an outright berth in the 2024 Summer Olympics. He was given everything he needed. In fact, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas opened its wallet to fly in National Basketball Association superstar Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto from the United States, while the best Filipino players inside and outside the Philippine Basketball Association were enlisted to assemble the country’s tallest and most talented roster ever. When Gilas Pilipinas was about to take on the Dominican Republic in the World Cup opener, the government even declared a holiday in Metro Manila and Bulacan so fans could troop to the Philippine Arena to express their support. But what happened? Gilas opened its campaign with a disappointing loss to the Dominicans before displaying subpar performances against Angola and Italy to get relegated to the classification phase. Against South Sudan, a country that only gained its independence in 2011, Gilas Pilipinas was sluggish as it trailed by 18 points at halftime. Although the Filipinos showed some flashes of brilliance in the third period, the South Sudanese proved they were the better team as they delivered a strong finishing kick to seal their victory. The loss to South Sudan sparked an outrage among Filipino fans. They claim that Reyes is no longer the right leader for Gilas as he got outclassed and outcoached by the most brilliant minds in international basketball. At one point, South Sudan coach Royal Ivey made Reyes look like an amateur as he made some key adjustments while calmly instructing his wards not to panic amid the Filipinos’ fiery rally. Prior to the game against the Africans, Reyes texted his principal — SBP chairman emeritus Manny Pangilinan — a short but sincere message: Sorry Boss. The following day, Reyes confirmed his message and took full responsibility for what is arguably one of the darkest and most embarrassing chapters in the history of Philippine basketball. Truly, it’s time for Reyes to go. But is he the only person who deserves all the blame for this humiliating performance? Definitely not. The fate of Gilas had been cemented long before they battled the powerhouse Dominicans that fateful Friday evening in Bulacan. If we really want to trace what went wrong in the Gilas program, we have to go back to as far as last year when Kiwi-American mentor Tab Baldwin suddenly resigned as head coach so he could focus on handling the basketball program of Ateneo de Manila University. With no head coach and most of the players campaigning in either Japan or Korea, the SBP pressed the panic button and instructed Reyes to hop from TNT Tropang Giga back to Gilas so he could save the program that was already teetering on the brink of a massive disaster. The results were far from impressive as Gilas blew hot and cold in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and finished ninth in the FIBA Asia Cup. The most shameful performance, however, was in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi when a rag-tag Gilas crew suffered a gut-wrenching 85-81 setback to Indonesia in the gold medal match, prompting Reyes to tender his resignation the moment he landed in Manila. But the federation rejected it. Pangilinan and Panlilio wanted Reyes to stay until the FIBA World Cup and finish the job that was initially intended for Baldwin. Now that Reyes has failed, the entire country is crucifying him. Sure, Reyes is no saint. He also has a lot of shortcomings. But before we bash him, let us remember: It’s not just Chot. The post It’s not just Chot appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Undefeated Ateneo, Dasmariñas Integrated High School face off in PCAP Interschool Championships
They are the last two undefeated teams in the first ever PCAP Interschool Championships, and there’s going to be a parting of ways......»»
Ateneo, San Sebastian, IS Manila, Adamson banner PCAP Interschool Championships
The Professional Chess Association of the Philippines is holding its first ever two-weekend pocket tournament for high schools and colleges in the PCAP National Interschool Championships on July 8-9 and July 15-16......»»
Letran s Tan, Ateneo s Baldwin, UP s Monteverde gain citations in Collegiate Awards
The top coaches in collegiate sports will have their turn in the spotlight during the Collegiate Press Corps Awards Night on Monday, May 29......»»
Gilas Pilipinas’ sweet, vengeful SEA Games win
GILAS Pilipinas’ vengeful win against an import-laden Cambodian basketball team marked its return to the top spot of the Southeast Asian Games or SEAG men’s basketball championships. It was a sweet victory for the Philippines men’s basketball team, as it was glaring how the Cambodians, the 32nd SEAG’s host country, took advantage of the rules by fielding more naturalized players than other competing countries. Though this may be allowed, it does not bode well for the tournament and the sport. Why so? Other countries, including the Philippines, continue to identify and develop players from the grassroots levels. And if tournaments, such as the recent SEAG Men’s Basketball competition, allow host countries to field more naturalized players than others, how does this promote fair play among competing nations? Luckily, after losing to Cambodia in the early group stage, Gilas booked a rematch against the home team for the gold medal. And this time, the Philippine squad came prepared with a sound plan despite unfavorable court conditions and the lopsided lineup of mainly naturalized Cambodian players. Gilas’ offensive and defensive strategy helped them stave off comeback attempts and left the Cambodians to settle for a silver medal. The three-point shooting of naturalized forward Justin Brownlee, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Newsome, and CJ Perez helped Gilas spread the floor, allowing our big men to dominate and score in the shaded area. Gilas shot slightly better with its 47.8 percent field goal percentage versus Cambodia’s 41.9 percent. Gilas also outrebounded the Cambodians by four boards at 40 rebounds versus 36 rebounds. The intense shooting, ability to draw fouls, minimizing turnovers, the solid defensive performance resulting in six steals and three blocked shots helped propel Gilas Pilipinas to win its 19th Southeast Asian Games Gold Medal. ‘This is a reminder to our country and the Southeast Asian Region that upholding the values of fair play, sportsmanship, and the love for country triumphs all’ In his congratulatory message to Coach Chot Reyes, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Chairman Emeritus Manuel V. Pangilinan said he was happy to be proven wrong with the gold medal victory of Gilas. MVP earlier tweeted his concern over Gilas’ defeat to Cambodia in the group stage. SBP President Alfredo S. Panlilio also commended Gilas, saying, “Gilas showed that the pride of fighting for our country is stronger than any motivation. The team played through substandard conditions in the court under the sweltering heat and overcame bumps and bruises to make us all proud.” He added, “This is a reminder to our country and the Southeast Asian Region that upholding the values of fair play, sportsmanship, and the love for country triumphs all.” Gilas Head Coach Chot Reyes acknowledged that the earlier defeat to Cambodia brought the team together. “They’re united, and they stuck together. I’m just so proud of what we’ve done. We came here for the gold medal, and we’ve done it.” SBP also expressed gratitude to the Philippine Basketball Association and the University Athletic Association of the Philippines for allowing players from both leagues to represent the country in the 32nd SEAG. “On behalf of the SBP, I would like to thank UAAP, the PBA, its team owners, and the Board of Governors again for allowing its players to be part of the Gilas Team that won the Gold Medal in a hard-fought match against the host country,” Panlilio said in his letter to the two basketball associations. He added that SBP is aware of the PBA’s contribution to basketball’s growth, development, and success in the country. “The competitiveness in the league allowed Gilas to rise above the challenge it faced in Cambodia,” Panlillio added. The PBA players participating in the SEA Games were Justin Brownlee, CJ Perez, Christian Standhardinger, Chris Ross, Calvin Oftana, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Marcio Lassiter, Arvin Tolentino, and Chris Newsome. Among the UAAP collegiate players were Adamson’s Jerome Lastimosa, Ateneo’s Mason Amos, and La Salle’s Michael Philips. As the country prepares to host the most prestigious World Cup FIBA basketball championship in August this year, Panlilio calls on all basketball stakeholders to unite in supporting Gilas Pilipinas as we compete in the international arena. Gilas Pilipinas’ strong performance, fueled by its heart and will to succeed, should inspire every Filipino to give their best in all the challenges they meet in life. The post Gilas Pilipinas’ sweet, vengeful SEA Games win appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
College team tennis unfolds
Archrivals Ateneo and La Salle face separate opponents today to usher in the men’s competition in the National College Tennis Team Championships at the PCA outdoor courts in Paco, Manila......»»