Armed with Tab Baldwin’s trust, rookie Jared Bahay’s hitting the big shots for Ateneo was a matter of when, not if.
Jared Bahay took matters into his own hands on Wednesday as the Ateneo Blue Eagles faced the Final Four-seeking UE Red Warriors at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
In a battle between pride and playoff hopes, the Sacred Heart-Ateneo de Cebu product hit timely shots in crunch time that sealed the Eagles’ fourth Season 87 win, while adding another layer of uncertainty to the Red Warriors’ playoff hopes.
Five of Bahay’s points came in the final minute of regulation, the first being a huge triple at the 1:07 mark to give the Eagles a 67-65 advantage after erasing a five-point deficit.
After Devin Fikes’ game-tying deuce at the 43.7-second mark, Bahay responded with a drive to the basket, attempting a layup off an explosive spin move. Despite a block by Fikes, officials ruled it as goaltending, which gave the Eagles a 69-67 lead with 19.6 ticks left.
Bahay, though, has been long prepared by head coach Tab Baldwin for these moments. To be exact, he’s been given the green light since day one of joining the Eagles’ nest in Katipunan.
“Before niya ako kinuha, actually during na kinuha niya ako, kinakausap niya ako na parang your role is going to be different for this year, knowing that our team’s young. You need to parang, get out of your comfort zone, and on your rookie year, lead it,” he told The GAME after finishing with 11 points, two assists, and two rebounds on Wednesday.
“So parang I expected naman na it’s [going to be this way], you know?” he added after the 71-67 victory.
Understandably, the 19-year-old is flattered by this level of trust, despite being a rookie and still getting used to life in UAAP collegiate men’s basketball.
“Siyempre, having your head coach trust you to take those shots, parang sobrang gusto mo talagang itira ‘no? And I think that’s it na…’yung word ni Coach Tab na giving me the green light, ‘yun siguro ‘yung pinakamalaking factor na gusto ko, na parang ‘di ako natatakot na itira ‘yung clutch shots,” said the Cebuano guard.
‘Yung Jared na gusto ko…’
As a rookie, Bahay is averaging a team-high 10.38 points in 13 games played, along with 4.08 assists as the Eagles’ lead guard. The 19-year-old is also top 10 in scoring, and top five among assist leaders with his passing as Season 87’s elimination rounds slowly come to a close.
“After round 1, I just promised to learn from my mistakes and grow from it. So I think hindi pa naman sa fully grown, but I can see progress and I’m proud of myself na I got that progress,” he said.
Bahay adds, “Sobrang layo pa talaga [to his best version]. ‘Yung Jared na gusto ko, very mature leader. ‘Yung may responsibility sa team niya and knows his role, so ayun.”
Still, the 19-year-old knows that Season 87 will be crucial for his development. It’s a transition phase in Katipunan, but this season also brings challenges that will help Bahay reach his true potential.
Ateneo will miss its first Final Four under Tab Baldwin but will have a bright core led by rookies Bahay and Kris Porter alongside sophomores Andrew Bongo and Shawn Tuano.
“Yung rollercoaster, siyempre, sabi ko kanina, daming learnings na. And parang ‘yung learning experience na ‘yun, parang ‘yun ‘yung ginagamit ko to be mature, be ready for the next season,” said Bahay, who has learned how to handle pressure through his rookie year.
Jared Bahay will also have the trust of his teammates and coaches as he moves forward with his UAAP career.
“Even if some of my shots are not falling, I still have that confidence kasi alam ko na capable ako kasi pina-practice ko ‘yun everyday. And sa words ni Coach Tab, ng coaches namin, ‘yung trust ng coaches namin, sakin. And sa teammates ko, ‘yung trust nila sakin,” he said.
Banner image courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.