At the end of the first round of eliminations in the ongoing UAAP Season 87, two rookies have already stood out to show fans that they are gunning for the Rookie of the Year (ROTY) award given at the end of the season.
Two rookies have played like veterans in their respective teams, although they finished as the cellar dwellers after the first round of eliminations. Veejay Pre of FEU already had one double-double performance with many almost, while Ateneo’s Jared Bahay showed everyone why he was a highly recruited player out of high school.
Unfortunately, the FEU Tamaraws and the Ateneo Blue Eagles have finished the first round of eliminations as the seventh and eighth-placed teams, respectively.
Aside from these two rookies, one player still gives these young guns a run for their money. Vlair Christopher “Wello” Lingolingo of the University of the East Red Warriors has been leading his team in its highest standing recently with a 6-2 win-loss record at the end of the first round.
Get to know more about these players who shocked their fans and made basketball exciting for everyone.
FEU Tamaraws’ Veejay Pre
The UAAP Season 87 is not the first time that Veejay Pre wore and donned the school colors of green and gold as he has already proudly done so in the past seasons as a member of the school’s boys’ basketball team. In his last season for the Baby Tamaraws, he averaged 14.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks. His game was also recognized as a member of the National Basketball Training Center All-Star for two consecutive years.
Playing in the collegiate league, Veejay had a first-game jitter in a rookie-laden team as he only tallied eight points and five rebounds in his first game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons. However, he quickly got his usual game back in their game against the National University Bulldogs when he tallied 15 points and nine rebounds.
At the end of the first round of eliminations, the FEU Tamaraws only tallied one win in seven games, and that win was against the Ateneo Blue Eagles in a close 66-65 match. In that game, Veejay performed well, tallying his first double-double performance in the collegiate rank with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Although he has yet to show his full potential in the collegiate ranks, the way Veejay has performed so far impressed everyone and proved that his future is bright, especially under the tutelage of legendary PBA import, Sean Chambers.
Ateneo Blue Eagles’ Jared Bahay
Even before the start of the season, Ateneo rookie Jared Bahay was already making the news after he withdrew his commitment to play for the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. Just a look back, Jared, who played for the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu during his high school years, committed in March 2023 to play for the Fighting Maroons beginning Season 87.
However, just months before the UAAP Season 87, Jared shocked everyone when news broke out that he would be playing for the Ateneo Blue Eagles, who were the Fighting Maroons’ rival in the past seasons. Jared was a highly recruited high school player, especially after leading his Central Visayas team to dethrone reigning champions National Capital Region in the Palarong Pambansa 2023. Jared was also ranked No. 1 by the National Basketball Training Center in its 2023 class, the first time that a non-UAAP and non-NCAA player topped the class.
Now donning the blue and white jersey, Jared’s debut in the UAAP was a challenge, to say the least as he played against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, the first team he committed to. In that game, the Fighting Maroons got the last laugh when they beat the Blue Eagles, 77-61. However, the hostile crowd of the Fighting Maroon forced Jared to be on the receiving end of boos and jeers, but that didn’t stop him from recording a team-high 13 points with five rebounds and four assists.
In the Blue Eagles’ sole win in the first round against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, he only recorded five points and five rebounds. Regardless, Jared has already shown his potential and made the team’s proud supporters excited, especially in the future when he becomes one of the superstars who learned from Tab Baldwin, who once coached a national team in the Olympics.
UE Red Warriors’ Wello Lingolingo
Unlike the highly recruited rookies who are playing in the UAAP, Wello Lingolingo, now a third-year business management student, was not on the radar of many coaches, except for University of the East Red Warriors head coach Jack Santiago. Wello Lingolingo’s name was forgettable in his first two seasons, but now he has successfully introduced his name to both their fans and casual viewers alike.
In the ongoing UAAP Season 87, Wello did not play for the Red Warriors when they faced the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in their first game of the season. In that game, the Red Warriors absorbed a 55-70 loss against the Growling Tigers.
In their second game against last year’s runners-up, the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, Wello made his season debut with 11 points and eight rebounds. Unfortunately, his efforts came to waste as they suffered a 71-81 loss.
Since then, the University of the East Red Warriors has been on a winning streak after the end of the first round of eliminations. In their shocking win against the defending champions De La Salle Green Archers, Wello recorded 18 points and three rebounds. In this game, Wello already introduced himself to the fans for his athleticism and skills.
In their last game against the Adamson Soaring Falcons, Wello made sure everyone remembered his name as he scored the game-winning shot to complete the first round on a high note, 63-62. In that game, Wello recorded 10 points and five rebounds, alongside three steals.
Currently, the University of the East Red Warriors is third in the standings with a 5-2 win-loss record, behind last season’s finalists De La Salle Green Archers and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, who both have an identical 6-1 record.
Now that the tougher and much harder second round of elimination begins, it is up to these players to lead their respective teams if they want to enter the playoffs.
