The Eagles are facing their worst UAAP start since 2013. But, Shawn Tuano is choosing to focus on putting in the necessary work.
Ateneo is currently on their worst UAAP start under head coach Tab Baldwin.
The Blue Eagles opened their Season 87 campaign with a 16-point loss to the UP Fighting Maroons. A few days later, they lost to the UST Growling Tigers for the first time since 2015. And although they looked like they were gaining confidence as they put DLSU to the test in the first half of their rivalry game on September 15, Sunday, the Eagles still found themselves overpowered by the defending champions and suffered their third straight loss.
Ateneo now sits at the bottom of the pack with a 0-3 win-loss record, their first 0-3 start since 2013. To make matters worse, all three losses were decided by double-digits.
This is a far cry from what Ateneo’s many youngsters would have hoped for at the start of their season, especially for Shawn Tuano, who is finally getting to live a dream of his by representing Ateneo in the UAAP.
“Obviously, last year I didn’t play a lot, so [playing this season] is really fulfilling my dream,” Tuano shared with The GAME.
Despite Ateneo’s early struggles this season, Shawn Tuano has been a bright spot for the team from the get-go. His abilities on both sides of the court are helping to keep the team afloat, as he brings good energy to Ateneo’s defense and even scored 13 points against UST and a game-high 18 points against DLSU. In addition, with the temporary loss of Chris Koon due to an injury he sustained in their opening game of the season, Tuano has been one of the team’s more reliable players in getting numbers on the scoreboard.
However, on a personal note, one thing that he does not fail to recognize is his need to improve from the free-throw line. Against the Green Archers, he missed all six of his free-throw attempts.
Reflecting on his performances so far, he said, “I think I was able to penetrate [DLSU’s] defense really well. Obviously, I didn’t knock down the free throws which frustrated me a lot, but I’ll get to work on that.”
It isn’t just Tuano who needs to work on his free-throw shooting. After the Eagles’ opening game against UP, Baldwin described it as “horrendous,” after they shot just 19 out of 40.
Ateneo’s shooting leaves a lot to be desired at the moment. In fact, their field goal percentage against La Salle was only 30.8% and 14.8% from the three-point line. This is all a part of the journey that this team is on as they undergo a phase of rebuilding.
Growing pains
Struggles are all a part of the growing pains that will inevitably come with a young team like Ateneo. With many youngsters on the team including rookies Jared Bahay and Kris Porter, there will definitely be a learning curve to overcome, and this is something that Tab Baldwin expected from the get-go.
Yet, even though these challenges are to be expected, foreseeing them does not prevent the Blue Eagles from tasting the bitterness of losing starting a season 0-3.
However, Shawn Tuano assures that the team is still pushing forward with the season. Despite the big losses, they are taking whatever silver linings they can get, focusing on their strengths, and of course, working on their weaknesses.
“I think the team is really good defensively, [as shown against La Salle] in the first half. But I think we can improve rebounding for sure,” he shares. In addition, he also notes that shooting is another one of the biggest fixes Ateneo needs to make.
Now, the team turns their focus from the last three results and towards their upcoming tasks — and it all starts at their next training session.
“The team dynamic is good. We’re coming together, we’re gonna practice hard this week, and bounce back…Nothing practice can’t fix.”
Banner image courtesy of UAAP Media Bureau.