Next challenge for Blue Eagles is to ‘live up to our potential’

Coach Tab Baldwin after the Finals loss to La Salle. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Nobody expected them to be in the Finals, but Tab Baldwin doesn’t want to look at Ateneo’s runner-up finish in UAAP Season 79 as an overachievement.

“A lot of people regard this as an overachievement, and we’ll leave it to them for their opinions. We feel that’s a wonderful compliment, but our goals were beyond what we achieved this year. In our eyes, we had higher aspirations,” he said.

What the American-Kiwi mentor would rather look at was how these young Blue Eagles have grown through the course of the season, which is in line with the framework he set when he took over the job.

READ: La Salle sweeps Ateneo to capture UAAP Season 79 crown

“I can say that the growth was impressive, but that’s what we’re supposed to do. We’re supposed to grow as individuals and as a team,” he said.

“I told to this team from day one that our job is not to win a championship. Our job is to grow great players. The by-product of doing that is winning championships. We obviously haven’t developed our players enough yet and that will be our goal always.”

Not that Baldwin failed miserably in his first year in Katipunan.

READ: Baldwin: Ateneo will learn from Game 1 loss to La Salle

Without much expectations, Ateneo surprised everyone, being the lone team to beat the powerhouse La Salle squad in the second round as it went on to a six-game winning run snare the second spot at 10-4. It then took down fancied foe Far Eastern University in two tightly contested games before falling to the Green Archers in their championship duel.

Still, there’s nothing to be ashamed of for Baldwin and his crew, as he ended the season knowing that he has already laid the foundation for the future.

The challenge now is for the coaches to maintain that focus; and for the players to aspire for something greater following this year’s bridesmaid finish.

READ: Big adjustments yield championship for Teng, Archers

“All of it depends on the motivation, the desire, and the work ethic of the team. Obviously, from the outcome of this team, the future looks very bright with the very bright group and significantly high accomplishments this year, but at the same time, if we don’t come in next year thinking what our weaknesses are and what we have to improve, then we’ll provably go backwards,” he said.

Baldwin ended: “The test is not to live up to this year, but the test is to live up to our potential. That’s where we’ll try to keep our focus, we’ll try to be player-focused and help our players become the right sort of young men and basketball players to win championships, but it starts with them.”