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| A huge challenge awaits UST at the start of its UAAP title defense. UAAP Season 87 Media Team (file photo) |
MANILA—Defending champion University of Santo Tomas opens its title-retention bid in the UAAP Season 88 Boys’ Basketball Tournament with a daunting challenge, squaring off against Far Eastern University–Diliman on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
The clash between two of the tournament’s perennial contenders is set for 12 noon, following the curtain-raiser between the University of the East and Ateneo de Manila University.
Over in the girls’ tournament, with UST also the reigning champion, National University Nazareth School—bannered by new head coach Ai Lebornio and Aubrey Lapasaran—opens its redemption campaign against Ateneo at 8 a.m. to kick off the day’s five-game slate.
In Season 87, the Tiger Cubs leaned on the quartet of Finals MVP Racine Kane, Koji Buenaflor, Charles Bucsit, and Carl Manding to secure the program’s first title in 24 years, outlasting the National University Nazareth School Bullpups in a thrilling three-game Finals series.
However, with Buenaflor and company moving up to the collegiate ranks, head coach Manu Inigo is counting on skipper Kirk Canete, co-captains Charles Esteban and Wacky Ludovice, and forward Liam Acido to emerge as UST’s new leaders.
“Well, kami naman, talagang may program naman kasi kami pagdating diyan. Talagang lagi kami naka-ready na pag may graduate, may papalit na batch na sila naman yung mag-handle and magpakita ng leadership and maturity sa team,” Inigo said.
“Ngayon yung pumalit naman sa core nila, ayon nga, sila Wacky, Kirk, Liam, tsaka si Charles. Talagang every year, ganon naman, talagang step-by-step kami. By the process lang talaga kami. Kaya hindi naman ako nag-alala kasi mas na-ready naman yung bagong core,” he added.
Across the court will be a largely intact Baby Tamaraws side composed of Gilas Youth member Cabs Cabonilas, Marc Burgos, Jheremy Godoy, Yosef Raneses, and JB Cagurungan.
Inigo believes that opening the season against a perennial contender like FEU-D will benefit a UST side carrying a target on its back as the defending champion.
“Well, syempre, maganda rin sa amin ‘yon na FEU agad yung kalaban sa first game. At least, makikita na agad namin ano yung mga kailangan i-adjust. Makikita rin namin kung nasaan yung team natin ngayon,” Inigo said.
However, FEU-D will be led by a new head coach in Mike Reyes, brother of TNT tactician and former Gilas Pilipinas Men head coach Chot Reyes.
Taking over from Denok Miranda last June 2025, Reyes admitted there is pressure to deliver in his first year with the program. Still, he believes that the Baby Tamaraws’ offseason progress puts them in a position to reclaim the title they last won in Season 85.
“Yes, definitely, there is pressure nga. Ako, personally, as their coach, I do not pressure them. I do not talk about winning. Lagi ko lang sinasabi compete, play well kasi malalim ang bench. Right from the start, I've been preaching na alam naman natin hindi pwede lima lang maglaro. First group knows, kailangan yung second group, and the third group. I've been preaching we all just learn to play with each other,” said Reyes, who steered Ateneo High School to the top in seasons 57 (1994) and 59 (1996).
Following this matchup is a 2 p.m. showdown between the NUNS Bullpups and the Adamson University Baby Falcons.
With NUNS losing 10 key players to graduation last season—led by Season 87 inaugural Best Foreign Student-Athlete Collins Akowe, Migs Palanca, Mac Alfanta, and Jid Locsin—head coach Allan De Castro will lean on the continued development of Moussa Diakite, Shaun Lucido, and Rob Celiz as the program chases its first UAAP 19-under title since Season 82 in 2020.
“Facing Adamson, alam naman natin na nag-champion din ‘yan nung Season 86 ‘eh. Kahit papaano, yung program ng Adamson, maganda rin with coach Mike. Siguro, we’ll just have to compete na lang kung sino man yung kalaban namin on Sunday and at the same time, come sa next few games namin,” De Castro said.
“Ang preparation namin this year siguro na iba kasi ang daming nawala tapos ang daming bago. So malaki yung challenge na adjustment period na ginawa namin this year. So like I said, sinasabi ko lagi sa mga players na yung goal naman nandyan palagi pero at the same time, yung minamold ko sa kanila, yung goal ko naman sa kanila is for their future,” he added.
Meanwhile, long-time Adamson head coach Mike Fermin preached patience as the Baby Falcons enter a rebuilding phase following the departures of Earl Medina, Allen Perez, Zahir Sajili, and Season 87 Mythical Five member Mark Esperanza.
“Like our previous seasons, we’re going to take it one game at a time, especially now that eight players from last season are gone (graduated and transferred), and those are rotational players that get heavy minutes. Then we lost three players also from last year that weren't able to reach their average academically,” Fermin said.
“It’s going to be a tough season and at the same time exciting because we also don’t know who will step up, but for sure we’ll be there fighting,” he added.
The tournament’s opening game will feature the Blue Eagles, under new head coach and Ateneo lifer Bacon Austria, against third-year mentor Karl Santos and the Junior Warriors at 10 a.m.
Eager to return to the postseason for the first time since Season 82 (2020), Austria welcomes a deeper Blue Eagles roster led by Nigerian big man Jude Eriobu, alongside Noah Banal, YJ Lacsamana, Jay M Leal, and Zane Kallos.
On the other hand, UE—coming off back-to-back fifth-place finishes in Seasons 86 and 87—hopes to return to the postseason with Ethan Aguas and Gilas Youth members Gab Delos Reyes and Jolo Pascual in its fold.
The day’s final game at 4 p.m. pits a rebuilding De La Salle Zobel side, led by new head coach Gian Nazario, against King Vergeire and the University of the Philippines Integrated School Fighting Maroons.
