The recent acquisition by the De La Salle University Green Archers of the services of Coach Michael “Topex” Robinson, in my view, is a good management move that will likely bring DLSU back to where it was before in college basketball.
Before his appointment, La Salle, after winning the championship and a runner-up finish under Coach Aldin Ayo, went down a slippery slope with the only notable performance being in Season 84 when it managed to get to the Final Four. But then an end-game collapse against the UP Fighting Maroons relegated the Archers to third place, their best finish in five years.
What seemed to be a big problem for the Archers was their tendency to do “patchwork” after Ayo left the fold. Several coaching changes did not yield the desired result.
After the “Mayhem,” the fighting identity or swag — as some basketball pundits called it — was no longer there. In their last knockout game against Adamson, it was evident that the game was over when the Falcons came from behind and erased a big lead, thanks in part to the brilliant coaching adjustments of Nash Racela, whose system brought out the best in his players.
A known winner, Coach Topex was part of the five-peat San Sebastian Stags that dominated the NCAA in the early 1990s. As a professional player, he donned both the Red Bull and Alaska jerseys and was part of both championship teams.
As a coach, he was instrumental in giving the Stags and the Lyceum Pirates respectable finishes despite what was then perceived as a weaker lineup on paper compared to the other teams. This time, Coach Topex has a loaded La Salle arsenal with an intact lineup except for Schonny Winston, who has exhausted his playing years with the Green Archers.
After failing to reach the Final Four last season, many in the La Salle community expect a return to the hallowed group. Coach Topex, in a recent interview, said he would aim for that or will die trying. The management and leadership style he brings is that of inclusivity, accountability and servant leadership.
From a basketball management and coaching perspective, it is apparent that with his particular coaching strategy, there is now a plan to build up the team and prepare for the future as well. But the Green Archer faithful needs to understand that a quick fix is not a solution. Instead, a long-term program is what’s needed to bring them back in contention, and it looks like Coach Topex has what it takes to take La Salle to the promised land.