From a silent operator to a swashbuckling defender.
Ateneo forward Severino “Nonoy” Baclao metamorphosed into a celebrated Blue Eagle as he bagged the UAAP Finals MVP with a superb all-around performance in the championship.
The 6-4 Baclao, 21, provided the defense, the hustle and tenacity to earn for him the coveted title.
“I didn’t expect to win it. I just want to help the team win the championship,” said Baclao, who dedicated his feat to his graduating teammates Chris Tiu and Yuri Escueta.
Baclao underscored his claim as the league’s Defensive Player by averaging 5.5 shot blocks in the finale. He also normed 8.5 rebounds and 6.5 points in the series.
His block on Rico Maierhofer in Game One provided one of the highlights of the bitter showdown of the feuding schools.
Baclao, a transferee from West Negros College in Bacolod City, also offered his apology to Maierhofer for his taunts after that block, being carried away by the emotions and excitement of the game.
“I would ask for his (Maierhofer) forgiveness because what I did was wrong, I was just carried by my emotions,” said the third year inter-disciplinary studies student. – Joey Villar