The Ateneo Blue Eagles during their second round game against Adamson in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament, November 23, 2024 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. UAAP Media

MANILA -- The Ateneo men's basketball team wrote some unwanted history in 2024, when they missed out on the semifinals of the UAAP Season 87 tournament.

By head coach Tab Baldwin's admission, it was a "tough season" for the Blue Eagles. There were warning bells ringing even before the UAAP started, as promising big man Mason Amos bolted for archrival De La Salle University in July, and the Blue Eagles labored in preseason competitions.

READ: Mason Amos bids Ateneo goodbye

READ: How Topex Robinson guided Mason Amos after transfer backlash

A 77-61 defeat at the hands of the University of the Philippines in their first game of the elimination round officially signaled the beginning of a difficult campaign. The Blue Eagles would win just once in the first round; they showed signs of promise in a brief two-game winning streak in the second round, but La Salle dashed their momentum via an 80-65 walloping. 

In the end, Ateneo closed the season with a 4-10 win-loss slate -- the worst record in the league. For the first time since 2013, they missed the Final 4, ending a streak of nine consecutive appearances. 

"It was a tough season," Baldwin told reporters after they wrapped up Season 87 with a 69-55 loss to Adamson University last Sunday. The game was a microcosm of their struggles this year -- after a fairly competitive start, the young Blue Eagles ran out of steam and allowed the Soaring Falcons to pull away in the final period.

READ: Adamson forces playoff vs. UE by trouncing Ateneo

Baldwin has maintained an even keel throughout Season 87, even after losses piled up for his squad and the glimmer of their trophy-laden campaigns of seasons past faded. He kept the same demeanor in the wake of the final defeat to Adamson, highlighting not the results but the progress that his players made through 14 games.

"Several of our players were afforded a wonderful opportunity to grow and develop, based on very, very difficult experiences in games and on-court," he said. "Because you know, the lessons of not being successful are oftentimes far more powerful and far more instructive than the lessons we can learn from success."

"Nonetheless, I think all of us would trade those lessons in a heartbeat for success," he admitted. "But you know, this is what the Lord has in store for us now, and we will in humility accept that -- and try to grow and be better because of it."

-- 'This is college sports' -- 

For at least one Ateneo sports executive, the Blue Eagles' campaign should not be a reason to panic, or to make drastic changes to the program.

"It's a very young team for the men's basketball [program]," Em Fernandez, Ateneo's athletic director, told ABS-CBN News in a recent interview.

"If you're gonna ask me, it's a fluke. I would say that we will be back in the Final 4 any time soon, and hopefully defend the title again some other time," he said.

The Blue Eagles' woeful campaign in Season 87 is part of the ebb and flow of collegiate sports, says Fernandez, who also points out that the competition among the UAAP teams has been tighter than usual.

Defending champion La Salle and UP are the clear contenders, with 12-2 and 11-3 records, respectively. But both teams suffered upset losses to National University, who failed to make the Final 4 with a 5-9 slate.

University of Santo Tomas clinched the third seed with a 7-7 record, which for Fernandez is almost unheard of.

"If you get a 7-7 record before, you're basically out of the Final 4," he pointed out. "But right now, the target for both UE [University of the East] and UST is to get seven wins."

Adamson and UE, both with 6-8 records, will contest the last spot in the semifinals on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to play the Green Archers. 

"All the schools are really competitive," said Fernandez.

"This is college sports," he also said. "All teams will go through its ups and downs."

At the moment, it is undeniable that Ateneo is in a "down" period. It is surely an unfamiliar place for the team and their supporters, given the success they've had in the past decade -- including a run of four titles in five seasons under Baldwin's guidance.

Fernandez, however, is confident that another "up" period will come sooner rather than later. Players like Jared Bahay and Kristian Porter, who were thrust in the spotlight immediately, are expected to be much-improved when the next season rolls around. They also have high hopes for the new players who will come in the program.

"It's documented that there are already students who are already taking their residency for next year. We have players coming up from the high school program also. So, it's college sports," he said.

-- Gym work, recruitment -- 

Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin during their second round game against Adamson in the UAAP Season 87 men's basketball tournament, November 23, 2024 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan. UAAP MediaThe concrete steps towards becoming competitive again began almost immediately, as Baldwin said they will be "in the gym" even after their UAAP campaign ended. 

His players will get a break for Ateneo's exam week, but there is no such rest for Baldwin.

"I'll be recruiting," he said. "And the week after that, we'll start practice, formal practice."

"I'm excited about next year," the coach added. "I think that when you have a dip in the standards that you believe should be part of how you work and who you are, when there's a dip there, there's an immediate reaction to that, to get back in the saddle."

"I've always been a person driven by challenges," Baldwin said, "And certainly this is a big one, and it's never a bad thing to be humble, never, and we are."

Baldwin paid tribute to his graduating seniors, Chris Koon and Sean Quitevis, hailing them for their leadership and steadiness amid stormy waters in Season 87. He also expressed his confidence in his returning players, who will now bear bigger responsibilities when they get back to work.

"I just hope that they're up for the challenge. And I'm certain that most of them will be," said Baldwin.

There is no assurance, of course, that Ateneo will immediately return to the Final 4 in UAAP Season 88. As Fernandez himself said, the league is very competitive, and schools have poured resources to make sure that their basketball programs will shine brighter than others. 

Nonetheless, the athletic director has reason to be confident: recent history has shown that when Ateneo reaches the top of the mountain in UAAP men's basketball, they tend to stay there for a while.

"You know us in Ateneo," Fernandez said, "Hindi lang kami minsan manalo. Back to back, three-peat, four-peat, five-peat."

"So the challenge is not to win once but to always be competitive yearly."