The Final Score: After 29 straight losses, Adamson breaks through
By MICO HALILI
Adamson's record against Ateneo in their last 30 games: 1-29. That sounds horrible. It seems to reek of ineptitude. It's probably the paragon of hopelessness. Yet Adamson's Leo Austria is the happiest coach in the UAAP.
By finally beating Ateneo after 29 straight losses (Austria is not accountable for the 29 straight losses dating back to 1997 but he coaches in every Adamson-Ateneo game like God expects him to make up for each one), Austria knows his team's preparation for the ultimate next step is complete.
I talked to Coach Leo right before a PBA D-League game back in June. He was optimistic about the coming UAAP season. He discussed graduating seniors Lester Alvarez, Jeric Cañada, Janus Lozada and Jan Colina like they were his sons. He saw them join the program, make mistakes, learn new things, make more mistakes, win some games, gain valuable experience and grow. Listening to his fatherly tales, it felt like they've all been together since 1997.
Back in June, Austria didn't know Adamson (10-4) would clinch the second seed and twice-to-beat advantage by smashing Ateneo's bid for a sweep three months later. He didn't know Alex Nuyles would play the game of a lifetime. He didn't know Alvarez would repay a coach's stubborn trust by leading the Falcons to a breakthrough win. All Austria knew weeks before the season opened was this: to reach the Final Four with a twice-to-beat advantage, Adamson's players needed to play smarter than ever before and the coach needed to be patient like he always is.
"Sa experience ko talaga dito sa Adamson, talagang itong mga players ibinalik ko sa basics ng offense and defense," Austria recalled. "Dahil noon hindi sila fundamentally sound. Hindi sila ganoon ka-athletic pero inilagay ko sa sistema."
After missing the Final Four in the early years, losing all those close games, Austria could've blown his team apart. I mean, literally, with his massive arms, he could've ripped his players into pieces. And, like some mad scientist, put them back together into something new, something better.
Instead, he persisted, stuck with his core of players, and turned Alvarez, a walk-on from Candelaria, Quezon, into Adamson's version of Hector Calma (the last time Adamson won a UAAP title, Calma was a Falcon) and Nuyles, once a maddening mix of athleticism and indecisiveness, into the Falcons' version of Samboy Lim.
The Falcons will face FEU on Thursday. They just need to win once to enter the Finals. Alvarez just needs to direct. Nuyles just needs to skywalk. And Austria will just feel the need to painstakingly coach like he's responsible for Adamson's 33-year title drought. Ganun talaga si Coach Leo.
Because by removing Ateneo from the ranks of the unbeatable, by joining the ranks of the unperturbed, Adamson can talk about winning a championship again.
"Right now," Austria admitted in June. "I think we're on the right track."
And I think he was right. --GMA News
