Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin tipped his hat off to one of his main gunners in BJ Andrade for becoming the confident shooter that he is after spending four years with the Blue Eagles.
Andrade has been gaining quality minutes under Baldwin's watch in UAAP Season 84, delivering mostly with his sharpshooting from beyond the arc and defensive prowess.
In Ateneo's 76-62 win over University of the East, the senior guard finished with a career-high of 19 points on a 6-of-8 shooting including five three-pointers.
He only missed twice from beyond the arc and went perfect from the perimeter as well as the free throw line.
Baldwin said his performance goes to show how Andrade's hardwork came to fruition.
"BJ is a good shooter and he has worked really, really hard on his shot," said the three-time UAAP champion coach. "He was always a good shooter but I think now he's become a much more confident shooter with playing time and you know, with the role in the team, everybody's looking at him to hit open shots."
The former Gilas Pilipinas mentor also cited how Andrade's maturity over time became a huge help to the rest of the team.
Andrade's mentality in defense serves as a path to a great transition offense in a way that his teammates also gain the confidence to carry on with scoring and moving the ball around.
Baldwin said the familiarity in the system also helped Andrade molding this certain skill set and that the time has come to show what he is made of.
Prior to the canceled Season 83 and heading into Season 84, the 6-foot guard suffered an ACL tear on his right knee. And the Covid-19 pandemic posed a huge threat not only in sports but generally the whole world.
So far in nine games, the 23-year-old Andrade, who never missed being a starting player, is averaging 5.39 points and shot 36.67 percent from the three-point range.
But his efficiency every time he's on the court is evident given a plus-74 net rating through those nine games.
"He (Andrade) worked extremely hard and everything he's getting, he's earned and you know, he's got a heck of a future ahead of him," added the Ateneo head coach.
There are no reminders needed for Andrade because after all, Baldwin has seen the work ethic speaks for itself in-game.
"I think you just see him the byproduct of that," he added.