IT has been 20 years since the UAAP held a men's basketball game inside in Ateneo's Blue Eagle Gym.
On Saturday, the country' premier collegiate basketball league returns to Ateneo's nest when the Blue Eagles take on the UST Growling Tigers and the UE Red Warriors battle the Adamson Falcons.
The last time the league hosted a men's basketball venue in Katipunan was back in September 8 when Ateneo, under coach Norman Black, beat National University 70-65 and Arwind Santos and the FEU Tamaraws survived the Growling Tigers, 64-63.
To put into perspective at how long it's been -- Black, who spent eight seasons with Ateneo and steered the school to five straight UAAP titles, was only in his first year with the team.
Santos, who bannered the Tamaraws in that game against UST, have already consummated a legendary professional basketball career - spending 17 years in the PBA where he won nine titles with two finals MVP awards, a season MVP award, building a resume enough for him to be included in the PBA's 50 Greatest Players list.
Pido Jarencio, who already has two runs with the UST Growling Tigers including the current era, is yet to handle the squad with Nel Parado still coaching the Tigers at that time. He won't be steering the Tigers to a title, their last, until a year later.
Now the UAAP returns to the refurbished Blue Eagle Gym in a whole different landscape.
The Blue Eagles - who've only won three UAAP men's basketball titles the last time a game was played there - are now owners of 12 titles thanks to the five-peat run of Black and another four later on courtesy of Tab Baldwin, who will be coaching in the gym for the first time in his nine-year run with the team.
UST is now being bannered by Collins Akowe, a guy who was born three months after the last game was played in the venue.
Around the league, University of the Philippines have won two UAAP men's basketball championships, while La Salle has been suspended, reinstated and have added three more titles to their trophy cabinet.
Unfortunately for the two teams who'll also be playing in the venue this Saturday not much has changed.
While Adamson and UE have had winning seasons, the two squads are yet to get their breakthrough in the UAAP in that two-decade stretch when the league played away from the Blue Eagle Gym.
