Advantages of Having an "Improved" Quality of the Ateneo-La Salle Rivalry

The last time the De La Salle Green Archers won the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) championship in the men's basketball tournament, it was Season 79 when then first-time Head Coach Aldin Ayo steered a Ben Mbala-led Green Archers side to the Finals after finishing 13-1 during the 14-game eliminations. The last time they were in the Final Four, it was Season 80 when they lost to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Finals that went the distance. Incidentally, that was also the last time La Salle actually against Ateneo. Since then, the green and white squad had no answers for Coach Tab Baldwin and his mighty Blue Eagles and that was rather strange for an Ateneo-La Salle rivalry who has been known as a fierce one over the course of the past decade. And considering that the Blue Eagles are still heavily favored to win their fourth championship in five years come Season 83 despite losing their key players from the 16-0 Ateneo team of Season 82, one can only hope that the rest of the field will find ways to get back to the same level as of the Blue Eagles' competitiveness to at least, balance things out.

If there's one UAAP team that can match-up to the Blue Eagles in terms of resources and recruitment powers, it's the Green Archers. And the irony in it: Tab Baldwin, in a podcast hosted by Nikko Ramos, said that he is hoping that La Salle will regain its championship form before Season 83 comes around. Even Baldwin himself admitted that hoping for a more competitive La Salle team sounded funny considering how his team fared against the team from Taft Avenue. 

One may say that Coach Tab Baldwin should be careful of what he is asking for but deep inside, we know he has a point that Ateneo's main rival on the court must level things out especially with the fact that the Blue Eagles are currently on a course to establish another dynasty. 

While other UAAP teams are steadily improving over the course of the last four seasons with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons slowly becoming a more consistent Final Four-bound team and with the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers coming off a surprising Finals stint last year, an "improved" game from the Green Archers especially when they are playing against the reigning UAAP champions will not make things less predictable on the court but will bring more excitement among the fans not just from both sides. After all, even the three-time UAAP champion coach pointed out that basketball fans in general, enjoy watching rivalry games that are competitive and that, he doesn't want the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry to fade into nothingness just because one team has been dominant. 

But more than bringing in more excitement from the fans, Tab Baldwin's hoping for an "improved" quality of the future Ateneo-La Salle games is for the improvement of the competition in the collegiate level not just in the UAAP but in Philippine basketball in general. If La Salle comes off as competitive come Season 83 and beyond, it will benefit the Blue Eagles as it will push Baldwin and company to polish their game to a higher level. 

Then again, Tab Baldwin should be careful of what he's hoping for. 

Photo is from Rappler