INHERITING a La Salle squad which missed the UAAP men’s basketball Final Four in three of the last four seasons in January, coach Topex Robinson is ready for the challenge.

Taking over the hot seat for the Green Archers from coach Derrick Pumaren, Robinson is aware of the tough job, especially with all the outside noise regarding his performance.

“The moment I stepped in, I always remember the saying that ‘Once you get hired, you will gonna be ready to get fired.’ But I always remind them that we built, we keep our circle safe and making sure that these guys are gonna grow from that circle and we always have to remind the rule No. 1 is you always use your best judgment,” said Robinson after his troops eliminated National University, 97-73, Saturday night.

“These guys are just doing everything. Our job is only 10 percent of what they do, 90 percent is credited to the players that we have. I guess what’s important again is how the trust we built through all these challenges especially in the first round. We really woke up and making sure that those losses are learning opportunities for us,” he added.

“We will still gonna make mistakes but it became more aware sila na that when they make a mistake, they know na they made a mistake. We don’t blame each other here. Somebody step up to the plate and take the responsibility. That’s why they were able to really just grow in this team that we are building and making memories.”

In his return to collegiate coaching, Robinson steered La Salle to its first championship appearance since losing to fabled rival Ateneo in 2017, as the team is bracing for University of the Philippines in the best-of-three series starting Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Robinson is on course join the likes of Franz Pumaren, Juno Sauler and Aldin Ayo as rookie coaches to steer the Taft-based school on top right on the first try.

Entering the Finals with a nine-game winning streak, Robinson simply wants his Green Archers to savor every moment in their showdown with the Fighting Maroons.

“That nine games is already done and over with. It brought us to the Finals but it’s not gonna define this championship,” said Robinson.

“We know UP, they have been here for the longest time. They have a great team and we just wanna to keep on competing against the best,” he added.

“Whatever happens, we will gonna come here as somebody from the outside. For six years, we haven’t reached the Finals so we just wanna make sure that we have to remember what brought us here. What brought us the wins, the culture that we have built. The winnings is gonna be the byproduct of that.

“We will gonna through a lot of challenges but we have to always remind ourselves to always enjoy the moments that we share together because just like what I always remind them, you will always go back to your UAAP career. Where ever you go in your basketball, babalikan mo ito and we want to make sure that we will enjoy each moment of it.”

La Salle and UP, which will face for the championship for the first time in the UAAP, split their head-to-head in the eliminations.

With a bevy of talents in MVP contender Kevin Quiambao, Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy, who is bringing back the old from his rookie season in 2019, the Green Archers are determined to give Robinson the triumph that eluded him in his previous collegiate coaching stint.

Games Wednesday

(Mall of Asia Arena)
8 a.m. – AdU vs Ateneo (Boys)
10 a.m. – UST vs UPIS (Boys)
12 noon – NU vs UST (Women/Finals)
6 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Men/Finals)