BJ Andrade's Injury: The Implications for the Blue Eagles

You know what's sad?

BJ Andrade showed up against the San Beda Red Lions wearing his Ateneo jersey to play in the first game of the UAAP-NCAA Challenge of the PCCL to boost the Ateneo Blue Eagles' hopes of repeating as champions in the said league. While Ateneo won the game against the Red Lions, they also lost something.

The next game against the hard-fighting Growling Tigers of UST? BJ Andrade showed up but this time, in street clothes with a cast supporting his right leg and that's a scene you wouldn't want to see especially for a young player such as Andrade.

As painful as it may sound especially for the Ateneo fans, BJ Andrade is set to miss what would have been a breakout Season 83 of the UAAP after Tab Baldwin confirmed after the UST game that the young Andrade- one of the best players of the Ateneo Blue Eaglet program, has sustained an ACL tear after he tried to defend Calvin Oftana 5 minutes into the Ateneo-San Beda game last Saturday. And with Matt Nieto and Adrian Wong now PBA-bound, Andrade is supposedly one of the key guards as Ateneo will try to make it two in a row in the PCCL and 4 in a row in the UAAP.

Sadly, he will have to watch from the sidelines as the Blue Eagles will try to move on in his absence.

Fortunately, Andrade's absence has silver linings. 

As we've seen over the past 4 seasons of the UAAP, the Tab Baldwin-coached Ateneo side has a "next man up mentality" in which the next player down the bench needs to step up every time a player is struggling or is injured. And that mentality is the reason why Ateneo went 16-0 during the entire Season 82 despite having no player who was averaging over 20 points per game.

Guys like Dwight and Eli Ramos, Tyler Tio, Jason Credo and the rest of the Blue Eagle guards will have to carry the load that Andrade, a reliable three-point shooter, will be leaving behind.

While he was used barely in Season 82 due to the Ateneo was loaded at the guard spot, BJ Andrade can play ball and is also known for his defensive intensity. In last year's PCCL run, Andrade average 11 points, and 3 assists in 11 games.

The silver lining in this heartbreaking injury? 

BJ Andrade will be playing alongside his cousin and Ateneo returnee, Dave Ildefonso for Season 84 when Ildefonso is expected to return to action for Ateneo after sitting out Season 83 to serve residency. Now that's going to be an explosive duo, don't you think?

Photo is from ABS-CBN Sports