After absorbing its first scar, league leader Ateneo enjoys a homecourt advantage this time around in a quick payback bid against the formidable University Santo Tomas in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament at the refurbished Blue Eagle Gym in Katipunan.
The Blue Eagle (4-1), on the heels of an 83-69 reality check handed by title holder UP Fighting Maroons, welcome the Growling Tigers (3-1) at 4:30 p.m. for the first UAAP games at their turf since hosting the 79th season in 2019. Cellar dwellers UE (0-4) and Adamson (1-3) clash in the curtain raiser at 1:30 p.m.
Ateneo currently shares the pole position with National University (4-1), slightly ahead of solo second UST with powerhouse UP (3-2) and La Salle (2-2), which are slowly catching up after a dismal start, entering into its own arena for more than seven decades.
Built in 1949, the Blue Eagle gym underwent renovation for more than a year before its completion last month in time for the UAAP venue availability due to the scarcity of usual big arenas this holiday season and the multiple international event hosting of the country like volleyball and futsal.
To compensate, the UAAP held the majority of its early matches at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila for the Growling Tigers’ homecourt before the addition of the Blue Eagle Gym to the venue calendar.
Ateneo, in fact, went unbeaten in two games at UST’s soil, hoping to also perform well at their own backyard despite having limited training there in the middle of its repair.
‘I’m not even sure it’s a home court yet. It’s home in the sense that it’s the campus that we go to every day but if there’s any chance that it will be a home court, it’s if the crowd really turns out and if the student body really comes and turns a special event for the day for the team,’ said coach Tab Baldwin.
Baldwin, a multi-titled Kiwi-American mentor in different countries with home-and-away format, however has been used to neutral arenas in the Philippine sporting landscape to a point that homecourt advantage isn’t really an edge.
‘I spent 35 years coaching in leagues where every game was a home or away game. So I don’t really believe in that so much, unless you’ve got a rabid and intimidating one like the Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke, which I don’t really think is the case here. I mean, we were undefeated at UST. So, you know, maybe that’s our home court,’ he cleared.
‘I like playing in Araneta and MOA. One of the special things about Philippine basketball and the UAAP is that there isn’t a home and away, and that we play it with these neutral venues, neutral crowds, and they’re world-class stadiums on top of it.’
As for the Growling Tigers, who like the Blue Eagles, have been a revelation this season, Baldwin sees another tough outing in a grueling stretch after battles against finalists La Salle and UP with the emerging NU as its last assignment in the first round.
‘UP prepared for us very well and I think UST will. I said after we won two games that by the end of the first round there won’t be any undefeated teams. And that’s not to say that it’s prophetic,’ said Baldwin after a fiery 4-0 start.
‘It’s just to say that the teams in this league are good teams. And it’s tough to get up game after game after game. We looked at this week where we have three games in six days. It’s a tough schedule.’
Expect UST to be armed and ready as well, especially with a shot at snatching the No. 1 seed.
‘They’re the No. 1 team right now so dapat handa kami,’ said ace Nic Cabañero. ‘It’s a big game for us in the renovated Blue Eagle Gym. We’re used to playing in our homecourt and now, it’s theirs. We’re excited. We’ll be prepared,’ added assistant coach Juben Ledesma.