S74 Senior Salute: Raymond "Bacon" Austria

During his high school days, Bacon Austria was feared. Averaging double figures and points and rebounds in his last year as an Eaglet, he stepped up and became the Most Valuable Player of the UAAP Juniors' Division. With this feat, how could anyone be not excited with what he can bring once he is named as an Eagle?

Baconwas caught in the middle of two possibilities. On one hand, there was the legacy of Enrico Villanueva, who as an Eaglet, was already a dominant force to reckon with. But then, on the other hand, there was Ken Joseph Barracoso, who came out as, for a lack of a better term, a fluke once he became a Blue Eagle. Not that he was good, it's just that he was not able to adjust to life in the Loyola Schools.

It was a good thing that Bacon Austria was in the middle. Facing a different situation in the Seniors' division, he would surely need a huge adjustment. Unfortunately, what made him dominant as a Blue Eaglet would not stand against bigger and burlier centers.

Relegated as a point forward by Coach Norman Black, his primary duty is not anymore to score points and box out in the paint, but, seeing his court vision and basketball IQ, Coach Norman had Bacon play his role as a team leader, both in and out of the court. He was asked to set plays, bring in the ball when needed, and only score when there is an open opportunity.

Bacon Austria took on the role, and it had never been easy, especially for the Blue Eagles' Sixth Men. From scorer and finisher to playmaker, he rarely got those stabs and and-ones that wowed the Ateneo crowd in his high school days (in fact, the most recent feat he accomplished was to score an and-one in this Season's match against the UST Growling Tigers in the first round). He had his own share of fumbles and turnovers that only brought out groans from the crowd, to the point that most Ateneo fans, as the bloggers label it, had a love-hate relationship with him. And for those who had words that really hurt, he was one of those who cannot be relied on during crucial situations.

Thus, the question stays. Why does he remain as a Blue Eagle? Of course, Coach Norman Black saw something in him, and that is his ability to lead and make the plays. He brought a good share of intangibles, those that cannot be recorded by stats. He did his Blue Eagle duties well, which involve bringing the ball and playing team basketball, providing opportunities for his teammates to find open looks and get easy baskets. Despite judged as not having done well enough, Bacon has done his job and played his role in the team. He did what his Coach asked him to do, which does not involve scoring and trying hard to dominate but instead involves using his wits for the benefit of the team. He was there because he knows the system and the different situations that the team might face when push comes to shove.

But perhaps the best reason for Bacon Austira to be deemed as a real Blue Eagle, is that he knows what it means to win and how to do such, which includes even taking a step back to give way for his teammates to play their respective roles.

Bacon might not have a future as a dominant player in the amateur and professional leagues, but his many years of being a leader might get him a good coaching job, having learned a lot from his training from Coach Norman Black and following the footsteps of his father, Coach Leo Austria. And with that, may the Ateneo community provide all the support that he needs in order to show what he can really do.

Thank you, Bacon Austria. You belong to a winning team and a winning tradition, the only thing you ought to do is to make the most out of it.

And here's one video that shows how Bacon Austria can be tangibly great.

Credits to Fabilioh.com for the picture, MrAirWolf23 of Youtube.com for the video.