Romwel Anzures

UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball champion head coach of De La Salle University Topex Robinson. Photo from UAAP Media.

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ABS-CBN News

<div style="line-height:1.5"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766226052064UAAP 88 MBB Finals G3 UP vs. DLSU- COACH TOPEX ROBINSON-9130.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball champion head coach of De La Salle University Topex Robinson. <em>Photo from UAAP Media.</em></span></span></span>MANILA — De La Salle University has reclaimed UAAP men’s basketball supremacy, but for Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson, their latest title represents a victory that extends beyond the hardwood.</div><p style="line-height:1.5">“One of the biggest victories of this season is that we found our faith,” the newly minted two-time UAAP champion said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s Rico Hizon following La Salle’s Season 88 Finals triumph over University of the Philippines.</p><div style="line-height:1.5"><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/12/17/redemption-la-salle-outlasts-up-to-reclaim-uaap-men-s-basketball-crown-1800"><strong>REDEMPTION: La Salle outlasts UP to reclaim UAAP men’s basketball crown</strong></a></div><div style="line-height:1.5"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7C0KFrGke8"><strong>WATCH: Rico Hizon sit-down with Topex Robinson: Green Archers coach on reclaiming UAAP glory</strong></a><strong></strong></div><p style="line-height:1.5">After the celebrations at the Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday, Robinson described this title as the “hardest” he has ever won.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">Among the factors were the medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries suffered by Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan, setbacks initially believed to be season-ending. There were also the separate suspensions of EJ Gollena and Vhoris Marasigan, as well as multiple stretches when La Salle found itself in danger of missing the Final 4.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">Through it all, Robinson said that faith was the glue that kept the Green Archers together, a bond sparked by senior and Finals MVP Mike Phillips.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">“Mike, all of a sudden, in one of our meetings, talked about Jesus, our journey, and why we are here,” Robinson recalled. “During those quiet times, we only had us. When there was no one to hold on to, we just held on to our faith.</p><div style="line-height:1.5"><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/12/17/uaap-god-did-it-for-him-so-finals-mvp-mike-phillips-also-did-it-for-la-salle-2011"><strong>READ: God did it for him, so Finals MVP Mike Phillips also did it for La Salle</strong></a></div><p style="line-height:1.5">“That brought everything together.”<strong></strong><strong></strong></p><div style="line-height:1.5"><br/></div><div style="line-height:1.5"><strong>Culture of champions</strong></div><p style="line-height:1.5">Robinson also credited the culture he helped build since taking helm in early 2023 as a cornerstone of La Salle’s return to the top.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">This culture, he explained, revolves around treating the sport as a gift with purpose beyond the court.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">“Personally, basketball has been good to me. It brought me to where I am now,” he said. “So I always tell them that this is a gift, and they need to use their gifts not only for themselves, but also for their families.”</p><p style="line-height:1.5">Leading by example, the former PBA mentor is currently pursuing a degree in Sports Management at La Salle and is classmates with Mason Amos and Jacob Cortez as he believes that the classroom is just as important as putting the ball into the hoop.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">“If may projects kami? Or assignments? We don’t share notes, we compete,” Robinson said. “But I really enjoy spending time with them because there, I’m not ‘Coach’ Topex. I’m one with them. I get to appreciate the sacrifices student-athletes have to make.”</p><p style="line-height:1.5">That commitment to academics, Robinson stressed, is non-negotiable.</p><div style="line-height:1.5">“We’ve had to let go of some top recruits because they didn’t realize the importance of studying,” he said. “I don’t joke around when I say that if you’re going to fail, that’s it for you.”<strong></strong><br/><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766226710588UAAP88 MBB- Coach Topex Robinson-1897.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball champion head coach of De La Salle University Topex Robinson. <em>Photo from UAAP Media.</em></span></span></span>In addition, Robinson also takes pride in how his program continues to produce leaders, and he is confident that this will be maintained by their present core.</div><p style="line-height:1.5">“One of the things we do as part of our culture is to create leaders,” he said. “We have to make sure that there’s someone ready to pass on what we’ve built.”</p><p style="line-height:1.5">Robinson pointed to some of La Salle’s Season 86 veterans — Evan Nelle and Ef Escandor — and how the same questions about leadership transition surfaced then as Phillips has now ended his five-year stint with the Green Archers following this recently-concluded Season 88.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">“We’re fortunate that we have a group of young men who are willing to pave the way for others,” he added.</p><div style="line-height:1.5"><br/></div><div style="line-height:1.5"><strong>Never Will They Fail</strong></div><p style="line-height:1.5">For Robinson, leadership and education — the roots of their faith and culture — ensure that his players are equipped for life, regardless of whether basketball remains part of their future.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">“When we set our vision, it’s about them becoming good citizens of the nation,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot of stories, personal friends of mine who used to play in the PBA who are now even worse than when they started. So I want to make sure that every player that’s been under my care will have a chance in life.”</p><p style="line-height:1.5">“It doesn’t mean that you’re gonna be a boss, or make it to the PBA,” Robinson continued. “But at least you have a chance. And the only way to have that chance is with a degree.”</p><p style="line-height:1.5">As the Green Archers eye sustained success — with only Phillips and Bright Nwankwo set to graduate — Robinson emphasized that the same approach will remain at the heart of their program.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">Whether in the short term or long term, faith and culture will remain the gifts that push La Salle toward sustained glory and a future with little room for failure.</p><p style="line-height:1.5">“Keeping the culture alive is the priority. When we do it right, the by-product of our culture is winning,” he said.<br/><br/><strong></strong></p><div style="line-height:1.5"><strong>RELATED VIDEO: <span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VazbRZqJQzI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong></div>

<p>#UAAPSeason88 || La Salle has reclaimed UAAP men’s basketball supremacy, but for Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson, their latest title represents a victory that extends beyond the hardwood. #UAAPFinals</p>

#UAAPSeason88 || La Salle has reclaimed UAAP men’s basketball supremacy, but for Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson, their latest title represents a victory that extends beyond the hardwood. #UAAPFinals

UAAP: La Salle’s latest crown a gift that extends beyond basketball, says Topex

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UAAP: La Salle’s latest crown a gift that extends beyond basketball, says Topex

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 20, 2025 07:31 PM PHT

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