DLSU Inserts Ritualo as Assistant Coach for One Main Purpose
For years, DLSU fans have had to live with a cruel irony.
In a program known for its grit, athleticism, and championship pedigree, the Achilles’ heel has always been the same: free throws. You’d think by now the team would’ve turned a corner. But time and again — season after season, heartbreak after heartbreak — the Archers have left crucial points at the line.
Last year’s UAAP Finals was just the latest chapter in this ongoing saga. Game 3. Do-or-die. A four-point loss to UP. La Salle went 12-for-28 at the stripe. UP? 14-of-17. That’s your margin. And just in case the lesson wasn’t clear enough, UP came back again in the FilOil semis, knocking out an unbeaten La Salle squad after another free throw collapse: 23-of-43.
That’s not just a pattern. That’s a curse.
So DLSU is finally doing something about it. Something real.
They’ve brought in Ren-Ren Ritualo, arguably the greatest shooter the program has ever produced, as an assistant coach — specifically to fix this problem.
PHOTO: UAAP Media Team
“Mainly the free throws.”
That’s how Ritualo himself puts it.
In a recent interview, he was clear: “I have to take care of the free throws. Mainly the free throws.”
His voice didn’t carry frustration — it carried purpose. This isn’t just about helping. This is personal.
Ritualo knows the pain of close games and how details like free throws swing championships. But he also knows what it’s like to shoot in big moments. To deliver when it matters. Four UAAP titles with La Salle. Finals MVP. A retired jersey. One of the coldest shooters in PBA history. The man didn’t just hit free throws. He buried them.
Now, he’s back. Not for legacy. Not for the spotlight. For a mission.
It’s Not the Form — It’s in the Head
Ask most fans what’s wrong with La Salle’s free throw shooting, and they’ll start with mechanics. Release. Arc. Footwork. Ritualo? He’s not touching any of that.
“I’m not going to change their mechanics, their form,” he says. “As long as you guys mentally [are] prepared.”
He believes the issue isn’t physical — it’s up there. The pressure. The noise. The weight of past misses. “Sometimes you’re all hyped up, drums are there. So sometimes you have to calm yourself.”
It’s the same shot, 15 feet, unguarded. But when you’re thinking about the crowd, the score, the stakes? You’re already missing. Ritualo’s plan isn’t about reps. It’s about rewiring the mindset.
Focus. Calm. Control.
Photo: UAAP Media Team
DLSU Full Circle
This return to the Green Archers isn’t just a gig for Ritualo — it’s something deeper.
“Ever since I retired from playing basketball, I see to it that I want to give back to La Salle,” the La Salle Greenhils mentor says. “La Salle has really helped me a lot.”
There’s a sincerity in his tone. No bravado. No promises of overnight fixes. Just a man coming home to solve the problem that’s haunted his alma mater for two decades.
“Can you guarantee the shooting will be better this season?”
He chuckles. “I want to guarantee it if I’m the one shooting.”
Let’s be real — this won’t be fixed in a week. Ritualo knows it. The team knows it. Free throw shooting is a slow build. But the fact that DLSU has created a dedicated role, brought in a specialist, and targeted the root cause says one thing loud and clear:
They no longer want to lose games at the line.
And with Ritualo in the gym, on the bench, and in their heads — maybe, just maybe — the curse could be ended.
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