MANILA, Philippines – For the past two decades, the Ateneo Blue Eagles have maintained an unprecedented level of success in UAAP men’s basketball.

However, there have been hiccups, including this year’s Season 87 tournament where the Blue Eagles crashed to the bottom of the standings with a 4-9 record, with just a game left before they wrap up their woeful campaign. 

Former Ateneo star and UAAP Most Valuable Player Kiefer Ravena said the painful run should light a fire in the team.

“I think this should make them hungrier, this should make them want it more for next season,” said Ravena, the Japan B. League stalwart who’s in Manila for a quick visit. 

“You know, it’s not a good feeling to be at the bottom of the standings,” he added.

“At the same time, you know, you’re representing Ateneo, representing culture, a tradition of winning. But, you know, their time will come.”

“So now, it’s time for them to develop, learn, and take the positives from this season to the next,” Ravena said. 

In Ateneo’s penultimate game of the season, the Blue Eagles hacked out a 71-67 upset over the semifinal-seeking UE Red Warriors last Wednesday.

With virtually nothing to play for but pride, the Blue Eagles also previously scored victories over UST and Adamson in the second round after finishing with an embarrassing 1-6 card in the first round. 

“[There] was a time that the team lost consecutive games, and for a young team, that’s really hard to recover from,” said Ravena, who watched the Blue Eagles win over the Red Warriors. 

“They just need time, a little bit more time. The whole experience in itself is the biggest learning lesson for them,” he added.

‘Cancel out the noise’

As the Blue Eagles try to rebuild the team around the Cebuano duo of Kristian Porter and Jared Bahay, Ravena offered advice to the rookie combo.

“[Ateneo] has a great coaching staff, great support system,” said Ravena, who’s affectionally called manong (elder brother).

“They just have to cancel out the noise and filter in what the important things are and keep it within the circle, as we always do in Ateneo and all the teams that I’ve played with.” 

Ravena also advised Bahay to “embrace” the pressure that comes with being a blue-chip recruit as the Ateneo freshman also dealt with controversy early after committing to play for the UP Fighting Maroons while still playing in high school with Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, then later backtracking to play for his alma mater instead.

“I know somebody who’s gone through that before…[It’s an] opportunity more than anything,” said Ravena. “I hope he takes it that way so that he could face reality quicker, that that will be the kind of life he has at Ateneo.”

‘Right timing, right person’ 

Two weeks before his Manila visit, Ravena, 31, announced his engagement to beauty queen Diana Mackey.

“More than anything else it’s the right timing, right person,” he said of Mackey, who also works as a flight attendant.

“I told myself, I think I needed a different sense of motivation, of inspiration in my career.” 

“So this is it,” he added, noting that wedding plans are on the “surface level.”

“ My family is very supportive, her family is very supportive. And yeah, we were just focusing on us, more than anything else.”

Ravena returns to Japan on Thursday, November 14, to resume training with the Yokohama B. Corsairs, who are running 16th out of 24 teams with a 6-8 record. – Rappler.com