Robinson, Alas gain share of spotlight as Archers, Blue Eagles rekindle rivalry
Games Wednesday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
10 a.m. – AdU vs UP (Women)
12 p.m. – Ateneo vs DLSU (Women)
2:30 p.m. – AdU vs NU (Men)
6 p.m. – Ateneo vs DLSU (Men)
MANILA, Philippines — Topex Robinson faces his old coaching guru in Louie Alas as reigning champion La Salle and Ateneo turn another page in their fabled rivalry midway through the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
From their coaching team-ups in the pros, the two meet again at 6 p.m. for one of the country’s most popular and iconic collegiate games filled with different storylines and riveting dramas, especially in the aftermath of the Ateneo tragedy that led to a coaching change for the first time in a decade.
Tab Baldwin out, Alas in, and Robinson is as ready as ever even if it means toppling one of his mentors back in the PBA.
“Coach Louie has been part of my growth as a coach as well. A lot of my learnings came from him,” said Robinson, serving as Alas’ assistant for Phoenix in the pros.
“It’s really gonna be a very exciting experience for me as a young coach. Learning from the way he really handles teams, especially in college, you can really see the personality of the team in coach Louie. It’s gonna be fun. Ateneo really looks good and has been playing a lot well. It’s gonna make us a better team.”
Both Robinson and Alas also served as deputies for Alaska for half a decade before bringing their acts to Phoenix, where the former later replaced the latter as the chief tactician in 2020.
Then they found their ways back to the collegiate ranks with Robinson, a former Lyceum mentor, taking over the La Salle program in 2023, then Alas being hired as Baldwin’s assistant in 2024.
“Topex is a great coach so the way we prepared against the previous teams, mas magi-innovate at hihigitan pa namin against La Salle. The important thing is healing and mas napapadali kung nananalo. That’s the big motivation,” responded Alas, who took over from Baldwin after his resignation on the heels of the Dipaculao, Aurora drowning tragedy last June that claimed the lives of Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili.
And Alas, albeit in an interim role for now, has been doing wonders for the supposedly rebuilding Blue Eagles with a share of lead with host Far Eastern University in an early UAAP leadership shake-up at 3-1.
La Salle is tied with three other teams at No. 4 with a 2-2 slate, making Ateneo a perfect prey if it wishes some sort of stabilizer after a rough start marked by back-to-back losses.
“As a whole, every Ateneo-La Salle game is a different animal. It doesn’t matter where you are in the standings, it doesn’t matter who you’re up against at the other side of the bench. It’s always gonna be something that we look forward to,” added Robinson.
Aside from coach Louie, also on the other side of the bench this time around is the super rookie sensation Kieffer, son of Louie, who’s a former UAAP juniors MVP for La Salle-Zobel before jumping to the collegiate ranks with Ateneo, in a marquee face-off against Green Archers’ gunner Jacob Cortez.
Meanwhile, National University (2-2) guns for a quick rebound against Adamson (2-1) at 2:30 p.m. after losing grip of the lead with a tough 87-76 defeat to Ateneo last weekend.
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