Despite a rocky start to UAAP Season 88, La Salle head coach Topex Robinson remains upbeat that the Green Archers will find a way to turn things around and find their stride.
For DLSU head coach Topex Robinson, belief remains the constant amid turbulence.
Nearly halfway through UAAP Season 88, the Green Archers have yet to play like the title favorite many expected them to be.
Now with a losing record after a loss to NU and currently outside the Final Four picture, Robinson is unfazed despite an inconsistent start to the team’s redemption campaign.
“There’s no way for us but to keep persevering and fighting. We could have had all the reasons to just go down and die, but that’s the least of our priorities right now,” the champion coach said.
[ALSO READ: NU barks way to solo first in UAAP Season 88 with close call vs La Salle]
He added: “As long as we have life, we have a chance.”
Familiar Struggle
Despite boasting a roster stacked with Mike Phillips, Mason Amos, Kean Baclaan and Jacob Cortez, the Green Archers have yet to find their rhythm and stumbled out of the gates.
[Kean Baclaan and Jacob Cortez during DLSU's huddle against NU in UAAP Season 88 | Photo: The UAAP]
But for Robinson, this isn’t unfamiliar territory.
In Season 86, La Salle also struggled early, sitting at 3-3 midway through the elimination round.
What followed, however, was a remarkable eight-game winning streak to close out the elimination round before the Green Archers captured their first title in seven years.
That resilience, Robinson believes, still lives in this group.
"It’s just going to make us better,” Robinson emphasized while recalling DLSU's recent challenges in the past.
Furthermore, the 48-year-old mentor knows that criticism is part of the game — especially when you wear the green and white.
Still, outside noise will never dictate how La Salle responds on the court.
“When you go through this kind of struggle, you’re going to hear it from everybody. But whatever people outside our circle say, it’s not going to affect us as long as it can’t touch us," coach Topex said.
[ALSO READ: La Salle’s Mike Phillips finds strength through unwavering faith]
“We’re gonna be down, but with so many games to play, you could never count us out. We just have to persevere, be resilient, and go back to what worked for us,” he added.
DLSU will look to end the first round on a high note, though a tough challenge awaits against the defending champion UP Fighting Maroons on Sunday, Oct. 19, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.