Now reunited in Katipunan, longtime teammates Jared Bahay and Kris Porter willingly embrace the pressure of representing the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
Ateneo’s star rookies Jared Bahay and Kris Porter are well aware of the chip on their shoulders as cornerstones for the Blue Eagles’ rebuild. Everybody is aware of their potential, and expectations will always be attached to representing one of the UAAP’s most successful collegiate programs.
But for them, it’s a challenge they’re willing to accept as they seek to restore Ateneo’s winning tradition.
“Siyempre accept ko ‘yun, no? Ganito ‘yung binigay na role ni Coach Tab [Baldwin] sa’kin and ‘yun nga, pressure is a privilege and I’m going to accept it,” Bahay told The GAME after Ateneo’s second win over the NU Bulldogs over the weekend.
“Pressure is never going to go away. Especially being a rookie playing heavy minutes,” Porter told reporters. “But I don’t really let it get to my head. Especially Coach Tab [Baldwin], all the coaches, teammates, they put their trust in me. So I don’t really feel the pressure because I know they’re behind me.”
Indeed, the pair have been given huge shoes to fill within the team. Bahay has impressed as a starting point guard so far, averaging 4.88 assists after eight games with the Eagles. He’s yet to find a consistent shot, but the 19-year-old has relied on high-level passing to give his teammates open looks instead.
“Siyempre, Tab Baldwin offense sobrang hirap. And yun nga, Coach Tab trusting me to run his offense, it’s an honor. Masaya ako, and I’m gonna learn a lot,” the rookie guard said.
Porter, meanwhile, is a key member of Ateneo’s all-Filipino frontcourt. Like Bahay, Porter has impressed as he’s held his own against rival teams’ veteran frontcourts. Some teams have solid foreign student athletes, which poses an added challenge for an undersized big man like the Ateneo juniors product.
Porter is currently averaging 6.88 rebounds (55 in total) for the Eagles, placing him in the league’s top 10 rebounders. The big man has also come through in Ateneo’s twin wins, using his inside presence to score game-sealing points against Adamson and National U.
Porter also capped off his 14-point, 10-rebound game against NU with a game-saving block over the Bulldogs’ Jake Figueroa.
“Way back, since I was small, I like playing against bigger people, especially more experienced people, because nilalabas ko talaga yung tinatago na galing and sipag. So, I can’t relax…That’s the word. ‘Di ako pwede mag-relax when I’m playing against more experienced and bigger players,” Porter said of his current role.
Dreams realized
Away from all the expectations, UAAP Season 87 is a realization of Jared Bahay and Kris Porter’s lifelong hoop dreams. From two budding prospects in Cebu, they’ve found themselves representing a legendary program in Ateneo, and playing on the storied hardcourts of Araneta and MOA Arena.
“I love it. It’s more competitive and it’s a bigger mind game. It’s more physical. It’s more talent. You know, every caliber has increased by a lot and I’m happy dahil I’m learning from each and every moment…And my team is also improving by each and every game. So I take everything and become a better player because of it,” said Porter.
Bahay also noticed the stronger and smarter players at the collegiate level. While he’s yet to fully adjust, the 19-year-old vowed to “go hard” and “play his game” as he lays the foundation for his collegiate career.
The Sacred Heart-Ateneo product also cherished sharing the court with veteran point guards like UST’s Forthsky Padrigao and graduating UP playmaker JD Cagulangan. Both have given their stamp of approval, with Padrigao describing Bahay as a skilled playmaker with tons of upside in a prior interview with The GAME.
“Siyempre, it’s an honor to play with them, ‘no? Sobrang galing nila and hangang-hanga ako sa kanila. And yun, madami akong malelearn sa kanila. And yung mga malelearn ko, gagamitin ko para sa future…composure siguro ‘yung pinakaimportant thing na natutunan ko,” Bahay said.
Season 87 also marks the reunion between Bahay and Porter, who were grade school teammates in the Magis Eagles. Bahay stayed in Cebu for high school, while Porter went to the Blue Eagles’ UAAP Juniors program.
Simply put, there’s an existing familiarity between Ateneo’s two star rookies, which they hope to use for the Blue Eagles’ long-term success.
“Me and Jared haven’t really talked, played with each other for, what, four years? And then, nung nag-college kami, you know, here we are again. You know, it’s a familiar face. Grew up together. So, it’s like we never separated. And now na mas developed yung skillset namin. Na ilalabas talaga namin yung galing sa isa’t isa,”
‘As big, if not bigger’
But again, these Blue Eagles acknowledged the chip on their shoulders. As part of Ateneo’s next generation, they are taking it upon themselves to live up to their predecessors’ history of success.
“The culture in our batch didn’t have a really big impact to the community as our predecessors, but we’re working on it. We’re working to make it a culture that will be as big, if not bigger than what it used to be,” Porter said.
“Because the BEBOB [Blue Eagles Band of Brothers] has been in this situation before. And, our team especially is looking at that as an outline to be able to recreate what they did and turn all of this around.”
Ateneo currently holds a 2-6 record, but Bahay knows that a winning culture is starting to take root within this team. It’s an unfamiliar time and territory, but rest assured that the Eagles have taken the first steps to restore the winning standard in Katipunan.
“We’re getting there. We’re getting there. I can see na there’s a culture na nabubuo namin, and we needed that for us to win,” Bahay said.
And as they brave the learning curves, rest assured that these Blue Eagles will have two willing leaders in Jared Bahay and Kris Porter – two budding talents who have embraced the pressure of representing the Blue and White in the UAAP.
“Pressure’s always gonna be there, at ‘yun nga, ‘yung always ko sinasabi, I’m gonna accept it because pressure is a privilege,” said Bahay.
In the immediate term, Porter hopes to keep their momentum going: “As the second round goes on, I’m gonna keep improving, and sana I can keep this train, we can keep this train going. And with each game, we’re gonna get better and better.”
Banner images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.