(With additional reporting from Karl Batungbacal)
Philippine basketball just had itself a genuinely good couple of weeks, between Gilas Pilipinas earning its flowers in the latest window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, and college hoops wrapping up its final tune-up before the real thing begins. But it’s what’s coming this weekend that deserves the fuller spotlight—UAAP Season 89 finally tips off, and there’s plenty worth watching before the first ball is even thrown up.
UST Enters as the Team to Beat
The clearest signal of where things stand came from Pinoyliga Cup’s “The Big Dance,” the final preseason tournament before the season proper, where the UST Growling Tigers walked away with the trophy. Preseason results can be a mixed bag as predictors go, but they’re a credible gauge of where expectations should sit once the real games start—and on that basis, UST belongs firmly among the favorites this UAAP Season 89.
Second-year big man Collins Akowe looks like the early front-runner for UAAP Finals MVP-caliber recognition this season, and it’s not expected to be particularly close. This UST roster runs deep, and the point guard concerns that lingered around the team last season look considerably overblown in hindsight.
That’s not a dismissal of the teams UST will have to get through, either. Defending champions La Salle Green Archers, and last year’s runners-up UP Fighting Maroons both remain live threats. It’s simply an acknowledgment that the race for this year’s title looks wide open rather than a two-team affair.
FEU Is Building Something Real
UST isn’t the only program worth circling for UAAP Season 89. The FEU Tamaraws under coach Sean Chambers have the look of a team that’s been carefully assembled rather than simply reloaded. Janrey Pasaol is positioned to build on what was, to outside observers, a surprising MVP campaign last season—though hardly a surprise to those who’d been tracking him closely. Kirby Mongcopa figures to spend much of the season going head-to-head with former teammate Veejay Pre for recognition as the UAAP’s best wing, while Mo Konateh continues to anchor the paint the way he always has. Jorick Bautista, playing his final season, looks primed for a scoring tear simply because he’s shown he can produce one whenever he wants to.
FEU also welcomes UAAP U19 MVP Cabs Cabonilas into the fold this season, though his role figures to be more situational than starring early on. But, with Cabonilas’ talent, don’t be surprised if he becomes a fixture in the Tamaraws’ rotation, which is looking potentially fearsome. Head coach Sean Chambers himself knows expectations are high, and he’s set a pretty high bar: win that championship.
UP in Transition
Last season’s runners-up could face an ultra-challenging year this time around, mostly because of the exodus of their key players. Thing is, Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, Terrence Fortea, Reyland Torres, and Janjan Felicilda aren’t just rotation pieces—they actually formed the backbone of the Fighting Maroons’ near title-defense, and their absence should be telling for a team that has been a UAAP basketball powerhouse for much of this decade.
But while a fall-off could be expected, it’s entirely possible that UP continues to be a legit championship contender in UAAP Season 89 because of the players coming in to replace those who’ve left. Leading the way is Veejay Pre, who brings main-man potential to Katipunan. Transferees James Payosing, Elliot Dimaculangan, and Rainer Maga, along with rookie Sean Franco, should also add depth to the Fighting Maroons, who still boast explosive guard Rey Remogat, big man Francis Nnoruka, and defensive gem Jaycob Bayla. Chicco Briones, Miguel Yniguez, Gani Stevens, and Sean Alter are also still around and could be poised for a leap.
Ateneo’s Quiet Danger
Then there are the Ateneo Blue Eagles, a team many are overlooking entirely when it comes to Final Four odds in UAAP Season 89. New head coach, largely new faces—the skepticism is fair on paper. But this particular Blue Eagles squad is playing with an energy that hasn’t been on display in quite some time. It’s the kind of team that could easily finish somewhere around 8-6 or 7-7 while still fighting for a Final Four spot, and few opponents will relish facing a team playing with that level of danger despite an uncertain record.
There’s also the lingering impact of the tragedy that put the entire Ateneo institution under the microscope just months ago. That tragic incident has snowballed into a circus of controversy, unanswered questions, social media vitriol, and unfair, unfounded accusations leveled on the players and everyone else connected to the Blue Eagles. Fair or not, all that will follow Ateneo this Season 89.
Why This Season Should Be Extra Intriguing
Season 89 arrives with real stakes for every one of the eight teams competing. And, for the first time in a while, there are genuinely no clear favorites, with as many as five teams potentially good enough to contend for the crown. Of course, the frontrunners are still the usual suspects in UP and La Salle, but UST and FEU might be ready for a takeover this time around. Even the NU Bulldogs could be sleepers.
UAAP Season 89 officially unfurls on Saturday, September 12, with the opening ceremonies to be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Basketball action then tips off on Sunday, September 13, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. And the first play date figures to be super explosive, as FEU takes on the Adamson Falcons, followed by La Salle going up against the NU Bulldogs, and UP facing off with UST.
