MANILA, Philippines - After stringing up three successive crowns in the UAAP men’s basketball competitions for the first time since joining the league, Ateneo’s “eagle eyes” are set on the next big feat – the four-peat.
“We’re going for our fourth championship next year, that’s all I can say,” Ateneo’s sports director Ricky Palou said shortly after the Blue Eagles completed a three-peat with a 65-62 drubbing of top seed Far Eastern University in Game 2 of the Season 73 finals last Thursday.
The triumph put the Eagles at par with FEU’s consecutive romps in 2003 through 2005 and in the hunt for only the third “four-peat” feat in the Final Four era after University of Santo Tomas (1993-1996) and archrival De La Salle U (1998-2001).
The Eagles will lose two members of the current champion batch, veteran guard Erik Salamat and back up center Edwin Jason Escueta for next year’s hostilities. But this early, the three-time defending titlists look ahead to beefing up their roster.
Set to don the blue and white uniform for Season 74 is 7-footer Greg Slaughter of Smart Gilas, who’s completing his one-year residency with Ateneo, as well as Gwynne Capacio, who’s already enrolled at Ateneo after finishing high school at La Salle-Zobel.
Coach Norman Black said strong efforts to recruit Kiefer Ravena and Von Pessumal of the three-peat Blue Eaglets squad are also underway.
“We’re gonna have a strong recruiting class coming in next year and hopefully, we’ll be back here (championship) again,” said Black, who’s expected to be back at the Ateneo bench for their next mission.
Salamat, the team’s leader this season, will leave big shoes to fill but if there’s one thing the Blue Eagles are good at, it’s adjusting to departures of key players.
After their first title romp in 2008, Ateneo bid goodbye to Chris Tiu but still went on to capture the title the following year. MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini and defensive stalwart Noy Baclao left after 2009 and still, the Eagles managed to clinch their third straight crown in 2010.
“I believe our coaching staff will prepare us well in order to fill in Erik’s big shoes. They will keep us working in the off-season, pinpoint what our strengths are for next year’s team and what our weaknesses are and start working on those,” said veteran guard Kirk Long.