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| Kieffer Alas will finally get a glimpse of what the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry looks like as his dad Louie faces off against longtime coaching partner Topex Robinson for the first time. Luis Fabregar (file photo) |
MANILA—Ateneo de Manila University, making huge strides under interim coach Louie Alas, seeks to extend its winning streak to three games against defending champion De La Salle University in another chapter of their storied rivalry in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The 6 p.m. contest will mark the first meeting between De La Salle coach Topex Robinson, who is trying to steer the Green Archers through a challenging 2-2 start, and Alas, who has guided the Blue Eagles to a 3-1 record despite everything the team has gone through in the preseason.
"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 are against on the other side of the bench; it is always something we always look forward to. Coach Louie has been part of my growth as a coach. We’ve been together in Alaska, and we were together in Phoenix. So, a lot of my learning has come from him. So, it’s really going to be an exciting experience for me as a young coach, learning from the way he handles teams, especially in college," Robinson said.
"It’s going to be fun. We don’t want to let this opportunity, the pressure, the drama, and everything [go by.] What’s important is to get better and to make it a learning opportunity for me against him," he added.
After watching plenty of Green Archers-Blue Eagles games, whether on television or as an interested spectator, Alas is looking forward to experiencing his first rivalry game—and against Robinson at that.
"Topex is a great coach. I guess the way we prepare against La Salle and against doon sa previous games namin, we’ll do the same. Baka mas mag-innovate pa kami because from the sideline, I’m pretty sure they will not hear me, so baka ‘yun ang gagawin namin. Coaching Ateneo is already big enough," Alas said.
"Yung mga assistant coaches ko, very hard-working ‘yan. So ang game plan namin in seven days is three games. So they tried to give me the scouting report about La Salle and about FEU. I know it’s a very, very big game because La Salle and Ateneo have been a rivalry," he added.
The Blue Eagles’ back-to-back victories have put them into the Final Four conversation. Ateneo’s stunning 87-76 win over National University last Saturday gave its loyal faithful hope that the team can make another deep run.
Kieffer Alas, who scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half against the Bulldogs, admitted that he will only understand the magnitude of the league’s biggest collegiate sports rivalry after the game.
"I don’t know kasi I am still a rookie. We will just wait and see, but we are going to make sure we are locked in and prepared for that game," Alas said.
For Jacob Cortez, facing Alas is something he looks forward to as he helps the Green Archers regain their footing after losing two of their first three games.
"Excited. He’s a rookie, so nothing to lose really, and I am excited for that. But we cannot underestimate his teammates… basically, everyone else plays a huge role in that team, and we are really going to lock in over the next two days in practice," Cortez said.
As the Green Archers aim for their first winning streak of the season, Robinson believes his players will step up while also calling them out when needed.
“This is a different set of people, a different set of personnel, coaches, and players, but I guess you just have to go back to how it worked before, but it’s always different. I always tell these guys that we learn and grow together, and part of growth is getting out of our comfort zone. So through all those circumstances is an opportunity for us to grow," Robinson said.
Adamson University, meanwhile, tries to remain within the top-four range when it faces NU in the 2:30 p.m. duel.
Coach Nash Racela hopes the 2-1 Falcons will be ready and deliver their best against the Bulldogs, who are coming off a tough loss to the Blue Eagles. A win would tie Adamson with idle Far Eastern University at 3-1.
NU is currently part of a four-way logjam at 2-2 alongside La Salle, the University of the Philippines, and the University of Santo Tomas.
