A Knights Tale they let him in; he makes them believe

MANILA, Philippines – He was stopped at the gate. The first time coach Aldin Ayo went to Letran, the guard wouldn’t let him in. He didn’t know the school’s new mentor.

“That’s when I realized it wouldn’t be easy coaching the team. If the guard doesn’t know me, what more of the players?” he recalled the day after the Letran Knights made an amazing finish to be crowned the NCAA kings over the fallen champs – the San Beda Red Lions.

And the Knights pulled it off in the most thrilling fashion, claiming an 85-82 overtime win before a record 20,158 fans at the MOA Arena in an explosive showdown that had the place literally left with a smell of cordite in the end.

How did Ayo do it, how did the Knights come out smoking from the depth of a 10-year title slump to foil the Lions’ bid for a record sixth straight championship when just a season ago they missed the Final Four.

“Honestly during our team building before the season, I asked the players what’s their goal this year,” said Ayo, who became the first rookie coach to win a title since Boyet Fernandez steered San Beda to a crown two years ago.

“Making the Final Four would be an achievement,” he said quoting the players.

How could the Knights make the Final Four when they were coming off a miserable season and left with a small lineup.

But Ayo made them believers the moment they beat the Jose Rizal Bombers in the early going of the season, gaining confidence as they wiped out the rest of the serious contenders like San Beda, Arellano, Perpetual Help and Mapua one after the other.

“When we beat JRU in our second game, then everybody started to believe. When we beat all the other teams, including the contenders, then everybody really believed we could actually win it,” said Ayo.

“Even Fr. Vic said making the Final Four would be an accomplishment. But when we went 7-0 (win-loss) at the start of the season, he was telling me to go for the sweep,” said Ayo referring to Letran athletic moderator Fr. Vic Calvo, OP.

Ayo knew from the moment he entered Letran after he was named as its new coach that it was going to be tough.

Even Racal admitted he had no idea who Ayo is.

“I really had no idea who coach is although I was told by the team utility that he played for Letran before,” said Racal of Ayo, who played for the Knights when they won a championship in 1998.

Now Ayo, Manny Pacquiao’s assistant coach in Mahindra team in the PBA, as well as the Knights, is the toast of the collegiate league.

In fact, hundreds of cars owned by the Letran folks made the Lawton area one huge parking lot as jubilant alumni, students and diehards celebrated the victory with a late night party at the Intramuros campus. Among them, for sure, was one security guard who knew the storied win will open more doors and gates to Aldin Ayo.