Quimpo on Ateneo's Silence During Recruitment Craze: "Don't Want to Get Players and Put Them on the Side"

As Benny Benitez said, "Ateneo has a target on their backs" which refers to the Blue Eagles being hailed as the team to beat in the upcoming Season 83 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). With the number of players that the four-peat-seeking Ateneo team lost to graduation after their 16-0 run in Season 82, many thought that Ateneo would be active in recruiting players to fill in the void left behind by Thirdy Ravena, Isaac Go, Mike, and Matt Nieto, and Adrian Wong who are now rookies in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). 

Nope. It was the De La Salle Green Archers and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons who are actively winning the ongoing recruitment craze. But that doesn't mean that the Blue Eagles aren't loaded with young talents to carry their One Big Fight for Season 83 and beyond. As Ateneo Team Manager Epok Quimpo quipped, "This is the year we've prepared for"

For the second straight episode, "Bull By the Horn" by Benny Benitez talked about the crazy recruitment war that has rocked the collegiate basketball scene as Benitez had Quimpo, San Beda Red Lions Team Manager Jude Roque, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Coaches Academy Program Director Jong Uichico and, former Fighting Maroon Benjie Paras as guests. And for the second straight episode, Dwight Ramos, one of Ateneo's most talked about recruits, emerged as the top recruit among all recruits in the collegiate level this with Jong Uichico even tagging Ramos as one of the young players whose PBA dream will be realized. 

And while Dwight Ramos will be joined by his brother, Eli, as well as former La Salle Greenhills standout Inand Fornilos, and Edward Maagdenberg as the new guys in Katipunan Avenue, Epok Quimpo has  an explanation as to why the defending champions have gone silent during the recruitment craze that has erupted in the past few weeks: "We don't want to get players and put them on the side (Team B or Team C)"

Quimpo also noted that Dwight Ramos is included in Ateneo's recruitment part in preparation for Season 84 along with the return of Dave Ildefonso to the Blue Eagles' nest as Ildefonso was, according to the member of the 2002 Ateneo champion team, "a part of our (Ateneo's) original program" Epok Quimpo also shared that the "imports" that have been reported to be joining the Blue Eagles in Kofi Agyei and Joseph Obasa, is also a part of their preparations for Season 84 and beyond as current Blue Eaglets Forthsky Padrigao and Joshua Lazaro already committing to play for Ateneo's college team after their playing years in high school. 

As silent as they are during the recruitment craze lately, expect the Tab Baldwin-coached Ateneo squad to bring their One Big Fight if and when Season 83 happens as them not jumping into the craze doesn't mean they don't have the talents to fill the void left by Thirdy Ravena and company. They are still loaded with talents. Talents who can fly high until Season 83 and beyond. 

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