IN ONLY his first year in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), coach Aldin Ayo did not waste time making a name for himself, leading the De La Salle Green Archers to another UAAP men’s basketball title.
Sweeping archrivals Ateneo Blue Eagles in their best-of-three finals series, Mr. Ayo and the Archers notched the school’s first seniors hoops crown since 2013 and its ninth overall for solo fourth place all time.
The feat, incidentally, was in follow-up to the championship Mr. Ayo won last year while coaching the Letran Knights over at the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
But while the Sorsogon native is happy being a champion coach anew, he is taking special notice to the kind of journey he has had in the country’s biggest collegiate league, crediting it for doing a lot in his continued evolution as a coach.
“The championships I have won are uniquely different. But I can say that this (UAAP) is more difficult because of the pressure and the caliber of the coaches I went up against on the road to it,” said Mr. Ayo as he met members of the media following their title conquest last Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“I’m thankful that I’m here and I was able to achieve this. I learned a lot from the coaches of the other teams that I went up against. Coach Franz [Pumaren of Adamson], Coach Bo [Perasol of the University of the Philippines], Coach Derrick [Pumaren of University of the East], Coach Eric [Altamirano of National University] and the others, I studied their system and I learned a lot from them,” he added.
He also said that he hopes that being a coach who got his start outside of Manila he has inspired many coaches in the provinces with what he has achieved, and that they, too, never stop dreaming of coaching in the big leagues.
PRESSURE
Zeroing in on the kind of season they had in the UAAP in Season 79, Mr. Ayo said it was all about being on the same page, embracing the system and taking on the challenge and pressure.
“It was not easy. We had our ups and downs. But as the season hit the homestretch the players really stepped up. I’m so happy for my players for winning the championship because they made a lot of sacrifices and adjusted to the demanding system that I have,” he said.
“We just embraced the pressure all season long. And when the finals became a La Salle-Ateneo series, the pressure even got higher. There was a lot of hype because of the rivalry around it but the bottom line was we just played our kind of basketball,” Mr. Ayo added.
Looking ahead, Mr. Ayo remains optimistic that they will get to continue with the good start they have had with their program, notwithstanding some key players departing because of graduation, notably King Archer Jeron Teng and point guard Thomas Torres.
“I think it will be hard to find another JT (Teng) and Thomas, for his leadership. But we have young players who have learned a lot this season who can step up for us next year,” Mr. Ayo said.
He added, “Ben [Mbala], Kib [Montalbo], Abu [Tratter] and Prince [Rivero] will take the leadership role for us.”
The latest title conquest is the ninth for La Salle since joining the UAAP in 1986. It previously was tied with Ateneo for joint fourth all time with eight.
Far Eastern University is still first with 20 titles followed by UE and University of Santo Tomas with 18 each.