UAAP Finals Coaches Know Each Other from Way Back

MANILA, Philippines—  For the third time in his UAAP coaching career, Ateneo’s Norman Black will go up against an opposing coach who once was his former player in the PBA.

This time, Black will pit his vast experience against Far Eastern University’s Glenn Capacio when the best-of-three UAAP basketball championship series begin on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.

"Actually, my experience with Glenn as his coach was quite short," Black said during Tuesday's PSA Forum at Shakey's UN Avenue.

Black and Capacio were together with Mobiline during the 1997 PBA season where they reached the semifinal round in the All-Filipino Cup. After the conference, they parted ways with Black moving to Pop Cola.

The two have since became friends, even spending time playing in friendly basketball games. 

Norman Black & Glen Capacio

Next season, Black is set to coach Capacio's son Gwynne Capacio, who is playing for the RP team in the FIBA Asia U-18 Championship in Yemen, at Ateneo.

"Glenn and I play together every Thursday night and he's still a pretty good player," said Black, looking at Capacio who was smiling seated beside him at the forum.

Capacio has fond memories of his former mentor.

"Alam ko si coach Norman (Black) dahil sa system niya talagang disciplined yung team niya at alam ko gaano siya kahigpit in terms of defense," he said.

Capacio is the third former player Black will face in the finals. The first two were University of Santo Tomas' Pido Jarencio and ex-La Salle taskmaster Franz Pumaren.

Jarencio, who Black coached at San Miguel in the 1980's, met in the finals in 2006 which Jarencio won in three grueling games. Two years later, Black beat Pumaren, a former player of his with San Miguel and Mobiline.

"It's going to be about execution in the finals," said Capacio, who played against Black's San Miguel teams five times in the PBA finals as an opposing cager for Purefoods.

"Hindi ganun kadali manalo against Ateneo," Capacio added. "Kailangan pagtrabahuan namin at expect namin na for 40 minutes pahihirapan kami."

The Blue Eagles will miss the services of Jason Escueta who incurred a one-game suspension for committing his second unsportsmanlike foul of the season.

Escueta committed the infraction during a rebound play against Adamson's Jan Colina in Ateneo's 68-55 victory in Sunday's Final Four.

"There's not much we can do about it. It's going to hurt us as far as size is concerned because we need big bodies to match up with FEU's big men but we'll do the best we can without him," said Black.

The suspension came after commissioner Ato Badolato spared FEU's JR Cawaling of a one-game ban as he was only given an unsportsmanlike foul, his first of the season, and a technical foul that led to his ejection in the team's 69-59 win over La Salle in the semis.