Chris Koon and the Ateneo Blue Eagles after their remaining elimination spherical recreation within the UAAP Season 87 males’s basketball recreation. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
MANILA, Philippines — It could not have been the ending they wished for his or her collegiate careers however Ateneo seniors Chris Koon and Sean Quitevis relished their lifetime experiences in being the Blue Eagles leaders within the UAAP Season 87 males’s basketball event.
Koon and Quitevis performed their hearts out, just for Ateneo to lose to Adamson, 69-55, in its remaining recreation of the season to wound up with a 4-10 end on Saturday at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan Metropolis.
Article continues after this commercial
Ateneo, which received 4 championships underneath coach Tab Baldwin, ended up because the cellar-dwellers of the season.
READ: UAAP: Adamson beats Ateneo, performs UE for final Last 4 spot
“The locker room, it’s undoubtedly disappointing, not the usual that the varsity has set that we’ve had. Me and Sean have been part of totally different phases of Ateneo, however this one, simply one other studying expertise. However we’re grateful for the chance. It’s a recreation that we want we may have received, however on the finish of the day, this stuff occur,” mentioned Koon, who had 10 factors, three rebounds, and two steals in his remaining UAAP recreation.
Article continues after this commercial
“We transfer on to the following section of our lives, and we hope that the following group is ready to come again sturdy and hopefully uphold the usual that Ateneo has. So we want them one of the best, and so they know that we’re going to be watching them subsequent yr.”
Graduating guard Quitevis mentioned he discovered so much this season in main a rebuilding group regardless of the disappointing end.
Ateneo Blue Eagles’ graduating participant Sean Quitevis hugs coach Tab Baldwin after their remaining elimination spherical recreation within the UAAP Season 87 males’s basketball recreation. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
“I assume the lesson I take from my journey is de facto simply to by no means quit on in your goals. I’m truthfully on this place the place I’m in proper now, I didn’t even envision this for myself. To placed on the Ateneo jersey is such an honor and I actually hope that the following batch of Ateneans embrace that, how a lot of an honor simply to place this jersey on it,” mentioned Quitevis.
“And to the Ateneo group, I didn’t actually develop up as a real blue and Ateneo wasn’t actually my dream college, however simply with all of the years I’ve been right here, I perceive why individuals fall in love with Ateneo. Simply the group, the values that they stand by and it’s actually win or lose, it’s the varsity we select.”
READ: Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin strikes on from worst UAAP loss
Baldwin heaped reward on the management and the years of dedication of his two champion gamers for his group.
“The job that these two guys did, in a really unenviable state of affairs, instructions my respect and I’m positive, as you noticed from the response of our group after the sport, the respect of our group and I feel that’s greater than effectively deserved and I simply wanna go on the file publicly and inform them as I simply did within the dugout, how a lot I really like them, how a lot I respect them, and pay them due homage for the job that they did this yr as leaders and nearly all of it behind the scene,” mentioned the Ateneo coach.
As they go away Ateneo, Koon and Quitevis hope the Blue Eagles will study from this robust season and proceed to honor the varsity they play for as they attempt to rise from the ashes subsequent yr with incoming sophomores Jared Bahay and Kristian Porter embracing larger roles.
READ: UAAP: Tab Baldwin hopes Ateneo can end Season 87 sturdy
“I simply need the blokes we’re taking part in with now simply to not take something as a right. If you placed on this uniform, it means a lot. All through the years we’ve had success, though this season has been record-wise the least profitable, I really feel like I’ve discovered essentially the most this yr nearly myself, about this system, the power of the Ateneo group, and it’ll at all times be there, win or lose,” Koon mentioned.
“Coach Tab was relentless each day, pushing us to our limits. And at occasions it actually, it actually put a lot adversity on us. And we, we actually, it actually gut-checked us, like who we’re, who we’re as athletes. And I wouldn’t change that,” Quitevis added.
Koon and Quitevis have a scrimmage to settle subsequent week however as soon as they take a break, each seniors search to recharge and get well from their accidents to organize for his or her highway to the professionals.
