The Ateneo Blue Eagles: Episode VI—The Ultimate Saga

When Coach Norman Black hoisted the championship trophy in UAAP Season 75, many observers believed that that was the end of a dynasty. After all, it would be Black’s final season at the helm of a program that had achieved an improbable fifth consecutive men’s basketball title. King Eagle Nico Salva leaves with the legacy of having been a champion his entire collegiate life, and with the departure as well of key big men such as Greg Slaughter, Justin Chua and Chris Sumalinog the vaunted frontline of the Katipuneros will undergo a major reconstruction come Season 76. Black, Salva and the bigs are gone. So are Ateneo’s chances of defending their title, right?

Five straight "outright" championships has never been attained in the history of the league. Many have tried but failed. The University of the East (UE) Red Warriors actually "sort of" did it the heyday of a certain “Big J” in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. In the 1967-68 championship game, an anomaly occurred during the second half of that UE-UST tiff where officials eventually declared the match a "no contest".

The UAAP board--a few days later--decided to award the championship to both protagonists, placing an "asterisk" on that third title for the Warriors. UE went on to win four more titles after, upping their total to "seven consecutive championships", but one shared with UST.

History may remember that feat as seven straight for the Warriors, but it wasn't an outright conquest.

The Growling Tigers threatened to accomplish it in the 1990’s, but couldn’t even advance to the finals to complete their mission for their fourth title defense. Then came the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers under Franz Pumaren at the turn of the millennium, but the Blue Eagles would eventually spoil the party, thanks to the heroics of future pros Rico Villanueva and Rich Alvarez. Ateneo itself almost stumbled in their Season 73 campaign sans pagoda Rabeh Al-Hussaini and heart-and-soul Chris Tiu, but somehow managed to succeed and eventually cop the record two seasons hence.

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But how about a sixth successive title? Many so-called “experts” allege that Ateneo will even be fortunate to make the Final Four this year.

WHO’S GONE:

Nico Salva

Greg Slaughter

Justin Chua

Tonino Gonzaga

Chris Sumalinog

Norman Black (Head Coach)

WHO’S ADDED (As of this writing):

Anton Asistio (Freshman)

Ivan Enriquez (From Team B)

Chris Newsome (Completed Residency Requirements)

Vince Tolentino (Completed Residency Requirements)

Bo Perasol (Head Coach)

WHO’S (PRESENTLY) INJURED:

JP Erram*

Kris Porter

Gideon Babilonia

Gwyne Capacio

Von Pessumal

WHO ELSE IS THERE:

Kiefer Ravena

Juami Tiongson*

Ryan Buenafe*

Frank Golla*

Isaac Lim

Earl Murphy

*Playing in their final season

It is true that many squads have beefed-up their line-ups during the summer while Ateneo has four members of its aging core back for one last sortie and—on paper—haven’t really improved. The injuries to veteran slotman JP Erram and understudies Gideon Babilonia and Kris Porter doesn’t help alleviate the departure of Slaughter and Chua while many say it also remains to be seen if ultra-senior Ryan Buenafe can supply more fuel to this program that is supposed to be “rebuilding”.

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Team Manager Paolo Trillo disagrees.

“I wouldn’t call the team as ‘rebuilding’,” the nine-year affairs chief of the squad clarifies. “I’d say we’re more ‘in transition’ than anything.”

The biggest portion of that “transition” would be the entry of new Head Coach Bo Perasol; whose appointment to the position initially raised many eyebrows, especially from members of the alumni. Perasol is not a native Atenean, neither has he served on any coaching staff during any Blue Eagle campaign. He’s what is referred to as “coming in cold”—and with enormous shoes to fill.

“I’m here to continue what Coach Norman (Black) started and became very successful with,” the 39-year-old former UP Maroon explains. “I believe we actually have the pieces to win that sixth (straight) championship. How we use these pieces will be my job.”

Perasol is known for combating adversity and turn teams that appear to be less than formidable into contenders that produce positive results. He’s actually done it twice before on the biggest stage in Philippine basketball: the PBA, when he turned the struggling Air21 Express into a title challenger in 2007-08 and the Powerade Tigers into a young and feisty championship material team in 2011-12. Observers felt that it was on the merit of these two achievements that Ateneo hired Perasol. He is referred to as “The Builder Coach” yet he sees greatness in the team before him.

“This group of guys reminds me so much of my Powerade team that went up against Talk N’Text in 2011,” Perasol said, referring to that wily collection of guards and wingmen with no true threat at the pivot spot. “Kiefer (Ravena) reminds me of Gary David. Juami (Tiongson) can be your JV Casio. There are several ways of winning with a smaller line-up. Fortunately for us, we have those guys that can help us do that.”

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The Ravena-Tiongson backcourt will loom large and could be the centrepiece of Perasol’s offense. Tiongson was once called, “one of the hardest working players I’ve ever worked with,” by no less than Black himself. His veteran smarts, floor leadership and headiness may be some of the reasons why Perasol likened him to a former National Team standout.

“I know I’ll be counted on a lot and I’ll be asked to do extra stuff in the new system,” Tiongson stresses. “It’s going to be more wing-oriented but I think we have the personnel for it. We can get this done.”

“I really believe we can do it (win the sixth championship),” Ravena declares. “Yes, we lost Greg and the other bigs, but the system of Coach Bo allows us guards to create more opportunities for the offense. I like our status as underdogs, however. There’s a first time for everything, I guess.”

We all know what Ravena brings to the table for the Blue Eagles, but this year he becomes probably the most important element in their title defense drive. Buenafe’s strengths will now be punctuated by a more flowing and less post-up flow while Tiongson, third year players Nico Elorde and Von Pessumal will have more freedom in their perimeter approaches. The ball will still find its way into the hands of Ravena more often than not—and it could be vital for Ateneo to get this done.

“Although there will be many opportunities for touches for all, Kiefer is still the focal point of the offense,” Trillo says. “It’s his time to shine.”

But perhaps the worst kept secret in the new Blue Eagle roster is the addition of 6’2” wingman Chris Newsome; a 21-year-old transferee from New Mexico in the United States who has sat out two seasons due to residency requirements, but is now primed to make a splash in Season 76.

“Newsome is one of the most athletic people I’ve ever worked with,” Perasol shares. “He can get up and down the court in a heartbeat, he can shoot, he can rebound and he brings a lot of intangibles to the game.”

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With the advent of a multitude of student-athletes emerging from Africa, this Fil-American weapon may just be a new breath of fresh air as he brings his “springs” to the vanguard for Ateneo.

“I like it that can just ‘spring into action’ when coach fields me in,” Newsome explains. “I’ll do anything for the team to win. I may even have to play a bit at the four-spot for us to gain a bit of a speed edge, but at the end of the day it’s all going to be about how I support the team. I’ve been waiting two years for this. I’m excited.”

With injuries plaguing the preparations for its bold efforts to capture a sixth consecutive men’s basketball crown, the Ateneo Blue Eagles may have to exercise a lot of patience. Their untimely withdrawal from the recently concluded FilOil Flying-V Hanes Premier Cup—despite a winning record—is evidence enough of its focus on the bigger picture: heal injuries now and shoot for the title as soon as Season 76 unfolds.

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It will be interesting to witness how these proud champions respond to the challenge. But one thing’s for sure: the Ateneo Blue Eagles will protect what they’ve worked very hard for over the last five seasons and—with Black, Salva, Slaughter and company looking on from the sidelines as members of the audience—make perhaps its most gallant stand ever.

OBF faithful, prepare for your ultimate saga. This will be the biggest one yet.

Follow Noel Zarate on Twitter (@NoelZarate)