Dave Ildefonso by Ateneo. Tristan Tamayo’s photo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin will never lose faith in Dave Ildefonso despite swingman fouls during the UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball tournament.
Ildefonso struggled in attack again, missing all seven shots in the first half against the defending champions University of the Philippines on Saturday.
But Baldwin knows exactly what to do to get his precious ward and help him out of his prank.
With helpful advice from Baldwin, Ildefonso came to life in the second half, where he scored all of his 15 points, including 12 in just the third half.
“I think what really helped me was when Coach Tab really pulled me aside and just talked to me and gave me a little bit of Tab Baldwin’s wisdom, which I’m always willing to take. ,” said Ildefonso, who shot 3/4 from deep in the second half and picked up seven rebounds, following Ateneo’s 75-67 win.
He just told me to have fun. It’s a big moment, it’s a big game, a lot of people are watching. He told me he had a lot of faith in me, and he told me he would support me no matter what.
Despite the 6-foot-4 Ildefonso’s decline this season, Baldwin reiterated that he will continue to believe in him no matter what.
“I have to say that Dave is facing a lot of pressure from many different angles. And, I told him no matter what, he’s my guy. There’s no way that could have caused me to give up on this guy,” Baldwin said. “I have known him for over three years, and this is a man of real character. This is a man with substance, like a human being. He can go out there and play like a dog, he doesn’t lose a thing from me. But he won’t.”
Ildefonso is extremely grateful to have a coach like Baldwin by his side.
“I told him I would support him as well. That has helped me a lot, and the caliber of coach that he is, and just hearing that from a great coach like him, it will boost your confidence by a thousand. percent,” he said.
“It was a big boost in confidence because my shots still went into the net. They protected me very well, especially in the finals. It’s hard to look back on it, my performance in the final, I just tried to keep my head down and keep working, and just try to do the shots that I could take,” Ildefonso said. “And keep going, and just be confident, this game is really going to help me. And it really helps the team.”
The win over the Fighting Maroons gave the Blue Eagles a golden chance to take the top seed with a win over Adamson Falcons on Wednesday to close out the knockout stages.
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