Some would think the Perpetual ALTAs' garnering of an 9-4 elimination round record that assured them a historic top spot in the NCAA Season 101 could already be considered success in itself.
While it may already be a milestone worth savoring for a team that hasn’t always been in the spotlight, for head coach Olsen Racela, they haven’t proven anything yet.
If anything, he’d rather they continue treating themselves as underdogs moving forward to the playoffs.
"Ang meaning ng success ay subjective e. Para sa akin, wala pa ‘yung success. We've achieved something, it’s worth nothing pero kulang pa ‘yun," Racela said on the heels of Perpetual's 72-57 win over LPU on Sunday.
"We just showed na something’s working doon sa ginagawa namin, ginagawa ng coaching staff, ginagawa ng players. But until we make it to the next level, for me ‘yun ‘yung definition ng success. I wanna keep them grounded and really make them still focused on the prize."
(The meaning of success is subjective. For me, success isn't there yet. We've achieved something, it's worth nothing, it's not enough... We just showed that for what we are doing, from the coaching staff to the players, something is working. But until we make it to the next level... for me, that's the definition of success. I wanna keep them grounded and really make them still focused on the prize.)
Perpetual has achieved something the program has not done in the last 21 years.
For the first time since Season 80 in 2004, the ALTAs sit atop the Group A standings with an impressive 9-4 record — a feat that Racela credits to collective effort despite the absence of a true “star” player.
Even in the preseason, the ALTAs weren't exactly the favorites.
Early chatter revolved around the perennial contenders San Beda University and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde with defending champion Mapua University likewise in the mix. A rejuvenated Colegio de San Juan de Letran squad was also widely viewed as one of the top title threats.
But for Racela, that very perception may have fueled their surprise run in Season 101.
"And gusto ko rin na underdogs kami, walang star sa amin and I think it shows in the way we play na no nonsense, laro lang talaga. Walang pa-star. And I think that’s the way the game should be played," Racela added.
"If we take a look at what we achieved, sasabihin mo hindi kami underdogs. But if you take a look at the lineup and you compare man for man, I think we’ve overachieved. But like I said, work is not yet done."
(And I like that we're underdogs, that we don't have a star on the team, and I think it shows in the way we play, no-nonsense, we just play. No one acts like a star. And I think that's the way the game should be played... If we take a look at what we achieved, you'd say we aren't underdogs. But if you take a look at the lineup and you compare man for man, I think we’ve overachieved. But like I said, work is not yet done.)
The ALTAs now hope to continue that running success in the playoffs, where they will take on the winner of the play-in round between Group B teams Jose Rizal University and Emilio Aguinaldo College.
And while they have now achieved something that had been elusive in the past for Perpetual, Racela hopes to see his wards embrace the underdog mentality as they chase for the school's first-ever men's basketball crown.
"I’m happy for the community, for the supporters, for the players, for the alumni, but it’s not how you start but how you end," the Barangay Ginebra assistant coach said.
"It’s good na may marka kami nang kaunti, may na-achieve kami but we’re after the bigger prize."
(It's good that we made a mark, that we achieved something, but we're after the bigger prize.)
—JMB, GMA Integrated News