Ateneo de Manila University head coach Tab Baldwin praised his former TNT player and now Far Eastern University mentor Denok Miranda for doing a “good job” as a rookie tactician.
Miranda’s Tamaraws stunned the Blue Eagles in another tightly-contested battle to complete a rare elimination round sweep of the defending champions at the start the second round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 men’s basketball tournament.
“As he learns and develops tactical sensibility and experience… he knows how to motivate, he knows how to drive his players to give more of themselves than their talent might indicate, and that’s a great sign for a coach. It’s praiseworthy,” Baldwin said of Miranda after Ateneo absorbed a painful 59-62 loss at the buzzer last Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Miranda decided to let L-Jay Gonzales take charge with 3.9 seconds left and the game tied at 59.
Gonzales showed great composure receiving the inbound pass for the last play where he froze the defense of Chris Koon at the top of the key before swishing in an off-balanced one-handed three-pointer for the cold-blooded game-winner at the buzzer.
“I’m disappointed that I’m on the side that has to compliment him after another big win, but I acknowledge the fact that he’s doing a good job,” Baldwin said of his former ward in the Philippine Basketball Association back when he was still consultant and assistant coach of the Tropang Giga.
FEU’s victory replicated its 66-61 overtime win over Ateneo in the first round last 14 October.
The Tamaraws improved to a 3-5 win-loss record and got back on the winning track after losing to University of Santo Tomas at the end of the first round last week.
Miranda also expressed respect for Baldwin as one of the great mentors that he looks up to.
“Coach Tab is one of the best coaches in the UAAP,” Miranda said.
“Coach Tab and I have a great relationship even back when I’m still a Talk ‘N Text player under him,” he added.
“And then we’re able to set up a tune-up with coach Tab’s team during the offseason. I think it’s around five or six times.”
Miranda, who led FEU to two UAAP titles back in 2003 and 2004 as its prized guard, bared that he even borrowed some of Baldwin’s system.
“I’m grateful to coach Tab because I’ve learned a lot from him. I even asked his permission if I could use his system as a blueprint when I came here to FEU,” Miranda said.
Baldwin said that he is not surprised at all about the kind of character the rebuilding Tamaraws are showing this season.
“There’s always analysis that can be done of coaches and their teams’ performances, and certainly the one thing we see in Denok’s teams is the toughness,” he said.
“I was thinking about that before the game, going back several years of coach Nash (Racela) coaching FEU, the one thing we can always say about FEU is they’re tough, just tough. Olsen takes over and still the one thing you can say about FEU is they’re tough. Now Denok is there and we remember him as a player, a really tough guy as a player, and that same characteristic comes through in FEU,” Baldwin added.
It was a tough loss for the Blue Eagles as they slid to a 4-4 card and their two-game win streak including a big win over last year’s finals rival University of the Philippines snapped.
Ateneo and UP are set to meet on Sunday for an eliminations rematch.
