Two more wins and De La Salle University head coach Topex Robinson will join the elite club of first-year Green Archers mentors who went on to capture the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament title right in their debut seasons.
But to get his name listed beside champion Green Archers tacticians Franz Pumaren, Juno Sauler and Aldin Ayo, Robinson would have to rally his wards past the last team that stands in their way back to the throne: The well-experienced University of the Philippines.
The Green Archers ended a six-year finals drought after beating National University in a snoozer of a Final Four, 97-73, last Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to challenge the Fighting Maroons in the best-of-three title series.
Game 1 of the finals is on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“When I took this job, I told them that it’s either you win a championship or you die trying,” Robinson, who replaced Derrick Pumaren, said.
“If you’re representing a program that’s rich with tradition, you’re putting yourself in a situation to honor the things and the players that came before you.”
The two teams are facing off for the title for the first time since La Salle joined the UAAP in 1986 and they split their elims head-to-head.
The Green Archers defeated the Fighting Maroons in the second round during its nine-game winning streak heading into the finals, giving Robinson a good chance to become the fourth La Salle coach to win it all in his maiden gig.
