Romwel Anzures

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UAAP Season 88

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502993697UAAP87 MBB - Harold Alarcon-8082.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="UP’s Harold Alarcon in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media."/>UP’s Harold Alarcon in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.MANILA — The battle for collegiate hoops supremacy is set to be played under brighter lights and on a bigger stage as UAAP basketball returns in less than two weeks.</div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/8/27/what-to-expect-in-the-uaap-season-88-opening-ceremony-1618">READ: What to expect in the UAAP Season 88 opening ceremony</a></div>Hosted by University of Santo Tomas, the UAAP will welcome its Season 88 on September 19 at the UST Grandstand in España, and what follows is the opening weekend at the Quadricentennial Pavilion wherein all men’s squads will make their much-anticipated season debuts.“You can expect every team to be more competitive,” said University of the Philippines’ deputy Christian Luanzon, who is also a product of UST. “Nothing is automatic to anything in life, let alone a competition between eight teams wherein all are invested.”The Fighting Maroons, champions of the Season 87 men’s basketball tournament, have returned to being the hunted after being among the hunters since their title in early 2022.After heartbreaks to Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University in Seasons 85 and 85, respectively, State U is back on top following their valiant stand against the Green Archers in three games last year.However, the Goldwin Monteverde-coached team understands that they now again have larger targets on their backs especially with all schools raring to outlast everyone for college bragging rights.“The basketball season always starts in January especially for the teams that fell short the season prior,” said Luanzon. “Imagine, preparing for nine months, and then basically only playing for 14 games? Kaya every season is more competitive.”UP, which is facing the departure of Season 87 Finals MVP JD Cagulangan, Quentin Millora-Brown, and Francis Lopez, is set to lean on the leadership of their seniors in Season 88 dubbed the “Maroon 5.”<div>However, while Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Janjan Felicilda, Terrence Fortea, and Reyland Torres are primed to head the Maroons’ title defense, each squad is also equipped with a more-than-capable core of star veterans and young stars. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502386516UAAP87 MBB - MIKE PHILLIPS-4221.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="La Salle’s Mike Phillips. Photo from UAAP Media."/>La Salle’s Mike Philippines in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.Last year’s runner-up La Salle, despite dealing with the exit of former Green Archers superstar Kevin Quiambao, will still have “Motor” Mike Phillips to man the paint for Topex Robinson’s troops.</div>Aside from the 6-foot-7 athletic big, the Green Archers will also boast new stars: former National University star Kean Baclaan, ex-Ateneo sniper Mason Amos, San Beda University’s former gunner Jacob Cortez, and ex-Maroon Luis Pablo.Rookies like Lebron Daep, the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament and Finals MVP, and former La Salle Greenhills hotshot Guillian Quines are also expected to join the quartet of transferees.<div>Meanwhile, much like UP, the UST Growling Tigers can also bank on their seniors as they look to rise even higher from their Season 87 Final 4 finish. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502513256UAAP87 MBB - Forthsky Padrigao-6731.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="UST’s Forth Padrigao in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media."/>UST’s Forth Padrigao in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.Season 88 will be Forthsky Padrigao and Nic Cabañero’s last playing year in the UAAP, and the two prolific guards are more than eager to finally end the more-than-a-decade wait of the España faithful for a men’s title.</div>Fortunately for the Pido Jarencio-led team, Forth and Nic will have plenty of help to back them up, with Collins Akowe just waiting to be unleashed after starring for NU-Nazareth in the high school ranks, and Amiel Acido raring to spread his wings further in his sophomore year.<div>Aside from UST, Adamson University also wants to build on its semifinals finish last year. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502563954UAAP S87 MBB Final Four - Cedrick Manzano-08279.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Adamson’s Cedrick Manzano in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media."/>Adamson’s Cedrick Manzano in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.Led by Nash Racela and the likes of veterans Cedrick Manzano and Matthew Montebon, the boys from San Marcelino Street are hoping to defy the odds much like how they did in Season 87.</div>Adamson U also has on its belt preseason championships in the 2025 AsiaBasket Invitationals and the Cebu Inter-collegiate Invitational, and Racela is also expected to add to the mix their promising rookies Earl Medina, Zahir Sajili, and Allen Perez among others.<div>University of the East, for its part, is motivated to move on from its heartbreak in Season 87 wherein the Red Warriors blew their multiple chances of making the Final 4 for the first time since 2009. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502627856UAAP87 MBB - JOHN ABATE-2809.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="UE’s John Abate in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media."/>UE’s John Abate in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.Under the leadership of new head coach Chris Gavina, and with his staff which consists of former PBA stars Alex Cabagnot, KG Canaleta, and Paolo Hubalde, and ex-UST gunner Louie Vigil, the Recto-based school is eyeing to be the best defensive team in the UAAP in order to hang with the powerhouses.</div>A more mature Precious Momowei as well as his co-team captains John Abate and Wello Lingolingo are also seen to hold the fort for the Red and White, while newcomers, Filipino-Americans Dray Coile and Mo Tanedo will also be in the mix.<div>Ateneo de Manila University, just like UE, will also be parading a couple of Fil-Am aces as the Blue Eagles seek to rise from the setback of a year that was Season 87. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502686496UAAP87 MBB - JARED BAHAY-3841.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Ateneo‘s Jared Bahay in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media."/>Ateneo‘s Jared Bahay in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.Facing the exits of former young star Amos and homegrown Kristian Porter, Tab Baldwin will not only have a much-better Jared Bahay who is set to enter his second year, for 6-foot-8 Kyamani Ladi, 6-foot-5 Dom Escobar, and 6-foot guard Jaden Lazo will be suiting up in what would be their first and lone year in Katipunan.</div>But the weight for the Fil-Am trio and Bahay will be heavy especially with Ateneo only racking up four wins in 10 games last season, only two years removed from their most recent title in the UAAP.<div>On the other hand, while the Blue Eagles are to parade Fil-Ams, Far Eastern University will be banking on its US trip in Sacramento which includes workouts with ex-Los Angeles Laker and Golden State Warrior Kent Bazemore and the lessons that the Tamaraws got there. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502765854UAAP87 MBB - JANREY PASAOL-3010.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="FEU’s Janrey Pasaol in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media."/>FEU’s Janrey Pasaol in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.Even with the departure of now UP Maroon Veejay Pre, Sean Chambers and his men are prepared to lock horns against the UAAP’s best, and charging them forward are the likes of Jorick Bautista, Mo Konateh, and Janrey Pasaol in their bid to return to the postseason.</div>Last but not least, the NU Bulldogs are hungry to bite their way back to the Final 4 after only logging five wins in Season 87.<div>With the leadership of Jeff Napa and team captain Jake Figueroa, the hoopers from Jhocson Street are hoping to build on their impressive Finals finish in the 18th FilOil Preseason Cup, only falling to UP in the knockout championship game. <img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757502828677UAAP87 MBB - Jake Figueroa-4257.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="NU’s Jake Figueroa in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media."/>NU’s Jake Figueroa in UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball. Photo from UAAP Media.Napa also has the bruising PJ Palacielo at his disposal to bang bodies versus the UAAP’s other stars inside, and Steve Nash Enrqiuez and Reinhard Jumamoy are also available to provide stability for the Blue and Gold.</div>UAAP men’s basketball opens on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, with Ateneo going up against FEU at 2:00 p.m., while La Salle battles Adamson at 4:30 p.m.National U and UE will then open the Sunday offering at 2:00 p.m., while hosts UST and defending champs UP rekindle their Season 87 Final matchup to close the weekend at 4:30 p.m.

The battle for collegiate hoops supremacy is set to be played under brighter lights and on a bigger stage as #UAAP basketball returns in less than two weeks.

The battle for collegiate hoops supremacy is set to be played under brighter lights and on a bigger stage as #UAAP basketball returns in less than two weeks.

UAAP: Brighter lights, bigger stage expected in Season 88 —‘Every team is more competitive’

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UAAP: Brighter lights, bigger stage expected in Season 88 —‘Every team is more competitive’

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 11, 2025 09:00 AM PHT

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