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From España to Katipunan: CJ Cansino looks back on his UAAP career

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Rom Anzures, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/07/20231206-uaap86-up-dlsu-2md_4518-md.jpg"/><figcaption>UP’s CJ Cansino and Malick Diouf. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- This was not the ending that CJ Cansino envisioned for his storied collegiate career. Ahead by five in the last six minutes of the game, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons were primed to win UAAP Season 86 men’s basketball finals. Instead, they went scoreless over that span up until the dying seconds of the game.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/12/06/23/la-salle-outlasts-up-to-become-season-86-champions">La Salle outlasts UP to become Season 86 champions</a></li></ul>The 6-foot-1 Cansino could just watch reigning MVP Kevin Quiambao sink his free throws to extend De La Salle University&#x27;s lead to two possessions and seal the contest. It was over. The Green Archers were UAAP champions.<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/12/07/20231206-uaap86-up-dlsu-2md_4140-md.jpg"/><figcaption>UP’s CJ Cansino. Photo by Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.</figcaption></figure></div>For Cansino, however, this was not the most heartbreaking moment that he got to experience in his young career. “Ang pinaka-toughest, &#x27;yung namatay &#x27;yung mom ko. After no&#x27;n, naging blanko lahat. ‘Di ko alam kung anong gagawin ko, pero buti na lang andon &#x27;yung basketball,” Cansino said after the game Wednesday night. His mother Rowena passed away in January due to COVID-19 complications, he said in an interview with ESPN Philippines.Cansino said he used basketball as a platform for him to cope with his loss.“Sige gagawin ko lang ‘to, tignan natin kung saan ako aabot,” he said,But even in the sport, the former University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Cub had gone through many adversities and challenges.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/23/20/uaap-ayo-breaks-silence-says-it-was-best-to-part-ways-with-cansino">UAAP: Ayo breaks silence, says it was best to part ways with Cansino</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/23/20/cj-cansino-still-unsure-of-reason-he-was-kicked-out-of-ust">CJ Cansino still unsure of reason he was kicked out of UST</a></li></ul>In 2020, after a magical run in Season 82 with the UST Growling Tigers, Cansino and the university parted ways following the infamous &quot;Sorsogon Bubble,&quot; when the school&#x27;s basketball team trained in Bicol at the height of the pandemic.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/26/20/uaap-ust-shuts-down-basketball-bubble-in-sorsogon-says-report">UAAP: UST shuts down basketball ‘bubble’ in Sorsogon, says report</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/23/20/ust-probes-basketball-teams-alleged-breach-of-quarantine-protocols-vows-appropriate-action">UST probes basketball team&#x27;s alleged breach of quarantine protocols, vows appropriate action</a></li></ul>Cansino got a lot of flak in social media, with some even calling him &quot;Boy Mantika&quot; among many other names, after he supposedly complained about the quality of the food that was served during their training. But for Cansino, what matters is how he handled the things that he could control. “Siyempre ganon talaga &#x27;yung buhay, may mga pagkakamali tayo. Kung ano man &#x27;yung [sabihin] sa &#x27;tin ng social media, well, tuloy lang &#x27;yung trabaho,” he said.“Sa &#x27;kin hindi [nakaapekto]. Dun lang ako sa mga bagay na kaya kong control-in. ‘Di ko kayang control-in &#x27;yung mga sinasabi ng tao; kaya ko lang control-in yung emotions ko.”“Kita naman natin sa social media, &#x27;yung mga tao, pabago-bago &#x27;yan eh. Minsan coach, minsan kung ano &#x27;yung gusto nilang opinion, so ‘di ko masasabing na-silent ko, pero sana na-inspire sila sa kung ano man &#x27;yung napagdaanan ko.”And speaking of UST, the Growling Tigers’ former team captain also looked back on their run, as he mused about how things could’ve been had they stayed together.“Sobrang saya ko kasi naka-experience kaming magkakaibigan ng championship. Pero sa kabilang side ko, sobrang sad kasi &#x27;yun &#x27;yung goal namin nung nasa UST kami,” he said.Aside from his Season 84 championship with the Fighting Maroons, his former teammates Mark Nonoy of La Salle, and Rhenz Abando and Brent Paraiso of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, have also managed to win at least one collegiate title -- and it is as bittersweet as it could get for Cansino.“Sobrang sad na nag-champion kami sa iba-ibang school, pero ‘di namin nagawa sa UST,” he said, while also sharing how they could have won a title for UST if they stayed intact.“Kung sa &#x27;kin, oo. Alam ko &#x27;yung bonding naming teammates, magkakapatid. Talagang alam naming kaya namin.”On the other hand, the former UAAP Juniors’ MVP was still glad of what he was able to contribute to UP, especially since he was a vital piece in ending the Maroons’ 36-year title drought.“Sobrang saya ko na naka-experience ako ng championship sa UP and sa UAAP career ko,” he said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/13/22/up-ends-ateneo-dynasty-for-first-uaap-title-in-36-years">UP ends Ateneo dynasty for first UAAP title in 36 years</a></li></ul>“Nagpapasalamat ako kasi nung pumunta ako ‘don, buo na sila eh. Naging part ako ng kung ano man &#x27;yung binubuo nilang culture. Sobrang happy ko na nakapagbigay ako ng isang championship,” he continued. After all, he will not leave the league a loser.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/04/22/ups-cj-cansino-undergoes-surgery-for-acl-tear">UAAP: UP&#x27;s CJ Cansino undergoes surgery for ACL tear, to miss Season 85</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/09/23/cansino-primed-to-lead-up-after-recovering-from-acl-injury">CJ Cansino primed to lead UP after recovering from ACL injury</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/10/01/23/ups-cansino-cant-contain-excitement-after-uaap-return">UP&#x27;s Cansino can’t contain excitement after UAAP return</a></li></ul>After enduring two ACL injuries, numerous personal and career hardships, and two heartbreaks in the championship round, there is one thing that cannot be taken away from him — CJ Cansino will graduate as a UAAP champion. <div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Photo by UAAP Media. " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/10/01/20231001-cj-cansino_1.jpg"/><figcaption>CJ Cansino celebrates as UP defeats Adamson at the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament, October 1, 2023. Photo by UAAP Media. </figcaption></figure></div>“Sobrang laking tulong ng mga pinagdaanan ko. Tinuruan ako no&#x27;n maging tough, and hopefully, madala ko &#x27;yun sa susunod na journey ng buhay ko,” he concluded.<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2895189" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

This was not the ending that CJ Cansino envisioned for his storied collegiate career. 

From España to Katipunan: CJ Cansino looks back on his UAAP career

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From España to Katipunan: CJ Cansino looks back on his UAAP career

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 07, 2023 06:36 PM PHT

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Basketball

UAAP

UAAP Season 86

UAAP Finals

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University of the Philippines

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De La Salle University

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