
By NIKOLE JAVIER
Forthsky Padrigao has embraced the role left by SJ Belangel for Ateneo with an impressive outing against the Far Eastern University on Sunday, Oct. 2, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Blue Eagles opened their redemption campaign with a slow start which turned out to be a coaching decision revealed by head coach Tab Baldwin to “get some guys on the floor of the UAAP.”
With the departure of their championship veterans in Belangel, Tyler Tio and Gian Mamuyac, Baldwin had no “magical halftime” up his sleeve and settled on taking the hit after the Tamaraws’ 20-point second quarter.
“One of the goals in the first half for the coaching staff was to get everybody out there, get a lot of feet wet that had never been wet in the UAAP. And consequently, we didn’t have great cohesion in the first half. And FEU, they smelled and water, they really went after us and had a lot of success forcing turnovers and disrupting any cohesion that we might have had,” said Baldwin.
With no certainty about the decision, Baldwin now expects more from his players and believes they will deliver in their next game against the National University which kept University of the East winless, 77-70, on the same day.
“I didn’t know that it would come but we were okay that we kinda took that hit in the second quarter but not expect to see that again. We now expect more of the players and I believe they deliver,” said Baldwin.
Padrigao, for his part, doesn’t want to be swayed by outside noises as he focuses on his starting role with reigning Most Valuable Player Ange Kouame still relearning the system after suffering from injuries.
“I treat every game kasi like it’s just another game eh. So, ‘yon ‘yong sinasabi sa amin ni coach Tab na don’t let the moment be bigger than you lang,” said Padrigao.
“Just trying to lead my team. Kung paano ako kailangan ni coach Tab gamitin din, so just focusing on my team lang talaga,” he added.