NGAYON tapos na ang 2019 PBA D-League kung saan inangkin nila ang titulo sa pamamagitan ng 3-1 panalo sa finals series kontra Centro Escolar University, itutuon na ng Ateneo de Manila University ang kanilang pansin sa nakatakda nilang “title retention bid” sa darating na UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament.

Ang naudlot nilang overseas training ay magsisimula na sa susunod na linggo.

“We’re leaving next week and we’ll have a training camp in Greece. That’ll be pretty brutal to be honest,” pahayag ni Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin matapos makamit ng Cignal-Ateneo ang kanilang unang D League crown noong Martes ng gabi sa Ynares Sports Arena sa Pasig City.

“Then we’ll go to Singapore and play against the Singaproe national team before heading down to Australia. We have a few games in Perth and also in Melbourne,” aniya.

Ang Greece training ang ikalawang taong sunod na para sa Ateneo kasunod ng pagsasanay nila sa nakaraang taon na nagbunga ng back-to-back title nila sa UAAP.

Ngunit, para kay Baldwin, nais din niyang makita ang mas pagbuti pa samahan ng kanyang mga players. “It’s a great experience, I think, for the boys to understand the difficulties that long tours represent. They got to be away from home and get to bond together as a team.”

“That’s where we learn to help each other through everything that we face. And you know, that’s a lot when you go on tour.”

Gagamitin din ng coaching staff ang nasabing biyahe at training abroad upang alamin kung sino ang ipapalit sa mga nabakanteng posisyon ng mga nagsipagtapos nang sina Anton Asistio at Aaron Black gayundin ang dalawa pang puwestong posibleng mabakante nina Raffy Verano at Jolo Mendoza dahil sa academic deficiencies.

“We’ve had to expand the pool a little bit so we’ll take those guys overseas. There, we’ll let them fight it out,” ayon pa kay Baldwin.

-Marivic Awitan