Black: Next year's team good for Final 4

MANILA, Philippines - Much as he wanted to be as hopeful as he was last year, Norman Black couldn’t be as upbeat for an Ateneo three-peat in the UAAP next season.

For one there will be a major personnel loss with three veteran Eagles having completed their varsity stint.

“We’re not sure but we have some guys in the team who are joining us next year, they’re good players. We’ll probably not lose much as far as size is concerned, we will be just as tall,” said Black, after a thanksgiving mass celebrated by Ateneo president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, SJ, at the Loyola campus right after the Eagles blasted the UE Warriors, 71-58, to bag their second straight UAAP crown last Thursday.

Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Noy Baclao and Jai Reyes, vital cogs in Ateneo’s back-to-back title romp, have wrapped up their playing years with the team, leaving the squad some void in talent and experience.

“Of course we’ll lose talent and experience. I will not predict like I did last year that we’ll probably be better than we were last year because I’m not sure,” said Black.

Still, the American mentor said the Eagles will remain a good team and will be a Final Four contender even as he pointed to Justin Chua and Nico Salva as those likely to step up next season.

“My feeling is next year they’ll be much better players than they are right now. The guys really have good work ethics, they get in there and they really worked on their games so they’ll be looking forward to improve between now and next year,” he said.

Black said that the just-ended campaign was actually more difficult than last year since some of his key players were coming back with a little bit of success following their title win.

“Their heads are a little bit bigger so you really have to focus on them and make sure they concentrate and listen to what you want to be done on a consistent basis,” said Black.

“But one thing that the two teams have in common was the fact that they both worked very, very hard. I mean these players not only do what you asked them to do during practice but they put in extra time every single day on their individual games because we talked about that if you improve individually, you’ll improve as a team.”

Looking back, Black said the Eagles’ loss to the UP Maroons proved to be the turning point in their successful title-retention campaign.

“It’s probably the UP game that was basically the turning point. That was the first adversity that we have faced in the course of the season and a lot of times you find out who your friends are when you lose and we lost a lot of friends in that particular game,” Black said.

He added: “We found out who our true supporters were so we decided to pull together, to bounce back. I would say that would probably the turning point of the season.”

But it was the troika of Al-Hussaini, Baclao and Reyes which helped make things happen.

“I think any championship I’m fortunate enough to win, I thank the Lord for it, it’s all very important to me,” said Black. “I’m just proud of these guys, I mean if there’s ever been a time I really wanted to win for the players, it’s right now because let’s face it, Rabeh and I have gone through a lot.

“We’ve bumped heads, we stayed on the court for hours after every practice, working out one on one for five years now and we’ve bumped heads. But we’ve been able to make it and we’ve been able to work together and eventually become successful here at Ateneo,” he said.

On Baclao, Black said he knew the first time he saw the former West Negros cager play that he would fit in the Ateneo system. And he wasted no time to convince his handlers to let the guy try his luck in the Big City.

“I remember back when I went to Bacolod for the University Games, I saw Noy Baclao right there for the first time playing for West Negros and the first thing I said is we have to get this guy,” said Black, who had to rush back to Bacolod three times to talk to West Negros team owner Tony Agustin.

“I feel the same way about Jai. Like Rabeh, we bumped heads but in the end he followed and believed in me and I’m so happy for him that he’s able to win back-to-back championships,” he said.

“I’m really proud of Rabeh, Noy and Jai. A lot of my successes at Ateneo it’s particularly because of them. I wish them all the best in their careers and whatever they get into whether it’s basketball or something else,” he said.

But with the threesome gone next season, Black will have to weave his old magic to bring the Eagles back in the hunt for a third straight championship.