Is Geo Chiu the Next Isaac Go of Ateneo?

After Coach Tab Baldwin accepted the job as head coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, one of the first things he did was to ask Isaac Go to stop eating rice so that the latter would get fit. After all, the coach once called Go as the "big, fat" kid he saw during his early practices with the team. 

Having no choice even if his mom would get upset for him not eating rice, Go not only saw himself get fit through the years he was under Coach Tab. Little did he know, his numbers will also grew with the coach and he instantly became one of the core players of the Blue Eagles in their three-year run in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) thus far.

Remember those clutch threes that he hit against Far Eastern University (FEU) and La Salle? Yes, that kid used to be a "big, fat" one if you ask Tab Baldwin. Go was among the key players of Ateneo as they wreak havoc in the league last year- en route to a 16-0 sweep of the entire UAAP season. 

For that, none was prouder than his own coach, Baldwin, who applauded now Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)- bound Isaac Go for exceeding expectations. But the big question heading into UAAP Season 83 is this: who will take over Go's roster spot as the big guy who can shoot threes? 

There are many candidates and that's a testament to how deep this Ateneo basketball program is but most pundits are pointing one man: Geo Chiu.

And in case you don't know, Go even took Geo Chiu under his wings last season along with Angelo Kouame. Most people say that both Chiu and Kouame will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. Two big men. Both can dominate the shaded area and can get the rebound. In other words, the raw talent is already there. It just needs more polishing, particularly from Tab Baldwin.

Now, if you look back at the games of Ateneo during the UAAP-National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Challenge of the Philippine Collegiate Champions' League or PCCL last month,  Chui's best game came against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers where he finished with five points, seven rebounds, and one blocked shot in 11 minutes of playing time off the bench. And that was the same stat line that Isaac Go used to have during his early years under Baldwin and look at how he became one of the stars of the blue and white squad. 

If there's one thing that we've learned over the past four seasons of the UAAP, it's that Coach Tab will always get what he wants from his players. Always.

While only time can tell as to whether or not Chiu will be able to do what Go has done for Ateneo, keep in mind that Coach Tab once called Go as the "big, fat" kid he saw in practice. And look what he did to the "big, fat" kid years later. He's the top pick in the Gilas special draft during the 2019 PBA Rookie Draft last year. Go has also been tipped to be one of the core players of Gilas Pilipinas. 

Having said that, imagine what a Tab Baldwin could do to a Geo Chiu. Just imagine the possibilities. 

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