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NOY Baclao meets with Meralco coach Norman Black after signing the old Ateneo center for a new contract for the 2020 PBA season.
Baclao’s and Black’s relationship has come a long way since the days of the Blue Eagles. In fact, Black said Baclao is his most memorable recruit with the Blue Eagles.
“The one that stands out in my mind is probably recruiting Noy Baclao from West Negros,” Black said during the Hoop Coaches International training webinar led by Blackwater team consultant Ariel Vanguardia.
Black said Athenaeum was very active playing in every available league when he was a coach and that the annual Bacolod College Games were one of them. It was in that tournament where Black saw a skinny Baclao jumping from the gym, blocking any type of shot.
Black, who officially became the Athenaeum head coach in 2005, was immediately impressed.
“Athenaeum really didn’t shy away from playing against teams when he was with Athenaeum. We played everyone. We played everywhere. People only remember all five championships (in the UAAP) but we won 16 championships. We played in every possible league and usually won the most of them.
“Noy Baclao was around 6-5 but he was very skinny. He was just a skinny boy at the time. He was in his first year at university. He was blocking everyone and I mean everyone coming to the basket. I was just throwing it away, ”Black said.
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Baclao became Black’s radar due to his defensive prowess in the Unigames despite his pole build.
“I was talking to Paolo Trillo (Ateneo team manager) and I said, ‘Boy, it would be nice to have someone like that on our team.’ All we have to do is eat a little so that he can complete and gain some weight. His time was impeccable at both ends of the court, “said Black.
Black started talking to the owner of the school at the time in Tony Agustin for Baclao and even went back and forth to Bacolod only to recruit the then great West Negros U man.
“It became a chore. It became a chore for us if we can really recruit Noy to go to Athenaeum. We talked to Tony and we went to Bacolod over and over and over and over again. We met with Noy’s parents. Finally, we were able to get him to come to Athenaeum, ”said Black.
Baclao was formally recruited by Ateneo in 2006 and played for the Blue Eagles in the UAAP the following year. It had an immediate impact on the Athenaeum championships and even won the final MVP in 2008 when the Blue Eagles defeated La Salle, the first of Black’s five mobs.
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Black said that Baclao was not only the most memorable recruit due to the talent they gained, but also with the relationships that formed from the process.
“We were so happy to be able to recruit him. Until now, I still have a relationship with Tony Agustin and Noy was a big part of the team, “said Black.
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