“My goal is just to help the team make it to the Final Four before thinking of anything else” – Letran coach Aldin Ayo
June 26, 2015
The Letran Knights are pinning their hopes on the return of their wounded leader and a new coach when they seek a Final Four return in the 91st NCAA basketball tournament unfolding tomorrow (June 27) at the MOA Arena in San Juan City.
A year after falling out of grace and getting eliminated from the Final Four, Letran returned by bringing in an unknown Aldin Ayo to replace Caloy Garcia as head coach with hopes at starting its rebuilding process.
But who is Ayo?
Ayo is part of the team headed by Kerby Raymundo and Christian Calaguio that won it all in the late 90s and started coaching in Sorsogon where is a Councilor before taking part in the KIA Carnival coaching staff in the PBA under playing coach Manny Pacquiao.
And now Ayo has a chance to boost his stock with the Muralla-based school.
“My goal is just to help the team make it to the Final Four before thinking of anything else,” said Ayo.
Ayo though will carry on his shoulder the pressure of coaching a team known for its championship tradition.
He will also be out to match, if not surpass, of his the three coaches before him–Louie Alas, Binky Favis and Garcia.
Alas won three titles in his long stint with Letran, Favis won one crown in 1999 while Garcia steered the school to a finals stint before losing to reigning five-peat champion San Beda two seasons ago.
The Knights also got a big boost from the return of co-team captain Kevin Racal, who tore an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) late last year that helped send them out of the Final Four race.
“I’m ready, good to go,” said Racal.
Racal will re-join co-skipper Mark Cruz and Rey Nambatac in forming one of the league’s best backcourt combinations.
“We have a new system anchored on them,” said Ayo referring to the troika of Racal, Cruz and Nambatac.
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