Ateneo Blue Eagles’ Chris Tiu: Will this be the year?
30 August 2008Six years waiting seems far too long for someone who has the world in the palm of his hands. Nonetheless, Chris Tiu has put in the time, endured the harsh criticisms (remember that momentum breaking missed wide open layup against DLSU in his sophomore year?), and deferred long enough to senior Eagles in years past (from Fonacier to Tenorio to the Macky-Doug-JC troika). And make no mistake, he has come back to play for the Blue and White for a 5th and final year because he wants that championship in the worst way possible. Over the last three years, he has established himself as one of the all time greatest clutch performers in Ateneo, if not UAAP history.
Here are a few of his pressure packed highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4PrOtVqzV8#
This year he has showcased an even more well rounded game. His court smarts were already a given but he has taken even that to a whole new level, giving the team rebounding, playmaking, leadership, scoring and a little bit of everything else exactly when they need it, boosting the Eagles to a league leading 11-1 record so far despite preseason projections putting them at 4th or 5th. His excellent instinct for knowing when and how to take over and rare unselfishness has not only allowed his younger teammates to flourish (Rabeh having a career year, Nonoy continuing his ascent, Ryan coming along as a freshman and Eric getting ready to take on the leadership mantle), it has also made it easier for Norman Black's team oriented offensive and defensive system to thrive. Gone are the days when other Eagles would stand around and watch Rico Villanueva, LA Tenorio or JC Intal do their thing one on one and live and die with their skills. Instead, the 2008 Eagles have shown that they can win via a different manner from previous editions. With Tiu at the helm, every Ateneo follower is hoping that this is the year they take back that UAAP crown.
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