We lost a talent but not our edge

PHOTO: PATRICK ROMERO

CHICAGO – When coach Tab Baldwin got wind last Saturday that his ace forward was about to make the leap to La Salle, he immediately reached out to Mason Amos via text message.

Amos assured Baldwin that there has been “no discussion with La Salle.” So coach Tab went to bed that night secure in the knowledge that his prized 6-foot-7 asset was staying home.

And then the dam broke. And reality became unreal.

“I’m a bit surprised and we are all somewhat disappointed,” Baldwin told me in a telephone interview on Monday night. And as he juggled his emotions, he made it clear feels no rancor or bitterness.

“The landscape has changed since the pandemic. We’ve seen players not finish their eligibility years, transfer to other schools or sign pro contracts,” the former Gilas Pilipinas coach added. “That’s just the business.”

IT STILL DOESN’T MAKE MASON’S DEPARTURE LESS PAINFUL.

“Mason is a good player who can really shoot the ball. His loss is surely negative to us and a knock to our already-challenged frontline depth,” Baldwin said.

And while losing a key player is part of the vagaries of team life, Baldwin explained that Mason’s void will be felt differently because, unlike a season-ending injury, this one has a layer of an emotional letdown where the rest of the team feels that Amos turned his back on them.

“Mason felt that he had better opportunities elsewhere and chose to pursue it. Who am I to get in the way of his business?” Baldwin surmised.

Although he envisioned it in a different form, Baldwin had already expected to lose Amos.

“As many schools have experienced, it is not a surprise for a player to forego some years of eligibility and turn pro. So a player leaving school early shouldn’t necessarily be a shock.”

Under the new UAAP transfer rules, Mason will sit out one year and lose two years of eligibility. Which means the B.League will have to wait at least until 2026, if he ever decides to take his talents there.

“NEXT MAN UP.”

Meanwhile, there is a power forward vacuum at Ateneo that needs to be addressed. Baldwin hasn’t decided yet on who will take Amos’ place in the starting lineup but he has a plan.

“This is a call to arms for the rest of the team to step up. Mason’s minutes and production will be replaced by committee. Here at Ateneo we’ve always had that ‘next man up’ mentality.”

Does one man down mean a dynasty has been shaken and rattled?

Maybe, but don’t expect the Blue Eagles to roll over.

“We still have a lot of quality players. We lost a talent but not our edge. We will compete hard and let’s see where that takes us.”

Baldwin could have railed about losing Amos and how the system is broken. Wisely, though, he chose the long road.

It’s less traveled, quieter. And life moves on faster.