Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin during the UAAP Season 88 preseason press conference. Shayne Lee Andreas Macaraeg, ABS-CBN News Digital Intern. MANILA — Ateneo de Manila University is set to return for another UAAP men’s basketball season, looking to bounce back from an abysmal outing in the previous year.
Tab Baldwin and the Blue Eagles struggled in Season 87 after bidding goodbye to the likes of Kai Ballungay among other stars, logging only four wins against 10 losses.
Despite this, Baldwin is confident in how Jared Bahay and the rest of his troops will respond in Season 88.
But bouncing back is not the only thing on their mind.
This year also happened to be the last of the American-Kiwi mentor’s current contract as the Katipunan-based cagers’ head coach.
This comes after a nine-year stay with the Blue Eagles that includes four championships and six finals appearances, and given the winning culture that he has established with Ateneo, Baldwin said that this remains their top focus even with his situation.
“I’ve focused on every game exactly how I’ve focused on every game for decades,” the former Gilas Pilipinas coach said. “I coach to win, and I coach to be successful.”
Bahay, veteran Josh Lazaro and prized one-and-done recruit Kymani Ladi are expected to be the main gunners of Baldwin’s Ateneo in the upcoming Season 88.
But while what the future holds beyond this year remains unclear, Coach Tab shared that, at least for now, extension talks are ongoing, and things are looking good between him and Ateneo’s side of things.
“The talks are positive,” he said. “I’m really appreciative of the talks, and I expect a positive outcome and I hope they do too, but we’ll see where it lands.”