The Blue Eagles rookie might be one of the most high-profile players this season.
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UAAP Season 87 has no shortage of storylines to follow. One of the most-watched is Ateneo’s redemption arc as they aim to leave their flop era and prove their worth with a new team. A key player in that story is 19-year-old Jared Bahay. While any athlete would have a moment playing in their rookie year in the UAAP, Jared is on another level given the hype and history the Gen Z athlete brings. Even if you don’t follow the UAAP scene, Jared Bahay is a name you’re probably going to hear a lot more this season and beyond. Get to know more about the basketball prodigy below.
A TRUE-BLUE ATENEAN FROM CEBU
INSTAGRAM/JAREDBAHAY
In a time when many of the UAAP’s most talked-about players are either from Manila or abroad, it’s refreshing to see someone outside those regions get the attention. And that’s the case for Jared, who is from Visayas, Cebu, to be specific. Jared, who stands at 5 ‘9, hails from the Queen City of the South and his history with Ateneo goes back years. He’s a homegrown player who’s been studying in Ateneo since grade school and most recently finished high school at Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-ADC).
HIS CAREER STATS ARE NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT
INSTAGRAM/JAREDBAHAY/PHOTO BY GELAY DAVOCOL
Jared’s entry to the UAAP was anticipated by many, and for good reason. For a time, the Ateneo de Cebu alumni was the country’s No. 1 high school player. Among the notable pre-UAAP achievements for the point guard include being ranked the top spot of the 2023 and 2024 SMART-National Basketball Training Center’s 24 (NBTC) best under-19 high school talents in the country, in the process being the first non-UAAP and non-NCAA player to do so and first player since Kai Sotto to top the list twice in a row.
Jared is also a two-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) champion, Season 22 juniors MVP, and a standout player for the Magis Eagles. He was winning championships at every level and, as a cherry on top, can add being a member of Batang Gilas to his resume.
HIS ENTRY TO THE UAAP HAD A FEW TWISTS AND TURNS
INSTAGRAM/JAREDBAHAY
Before he joined the roster of the Blue Eagles, Jared was initially set to play for the UP Fighting Maroons. In 2023, Jared announced that he was committing to the state university after he finished his final year in high school. “I chose UP because of the good education they will provide and the lovely community they have. I believe they will help hone my skills to my fullest potential,” he said in a statement at the time.
However, in January 2024, Jared lowkey shook the local basketball community when he announced that he would decamp UPD and instead transfer to ADMU. “I have decided to continue my studies at Ateneo de Manila and play for the Ateneo men’s basketball team. I believe that sustaining my Jesuit education will help unlock and sharpen my potential to the fullest, both on and off the court,” said the star recruit in a statement.
THERE’S NO BAD BLOOD BETWEEN THE FIGHTING MAROONS AND JARED
INSTAGRAM/JAREDBAHAY
Jared’s decision to switch schools has reverberated even after the start of UAAP Season 87, with ADMU fans cheering him on while UPD fans are less than kind towards the rookie. It even reached a point where UP fans booed Jared during the first match between the Blue Eagles and Fighting Maroons of Season 87. But that bad blood doesn’t extend to the actual team, at least for co-captain JD Cagulangan. “First of all ‘no, I feel bad for Jared kasi nung lumabas ‘yung mukha niya sa screen, ‘yung ibang fans nag-boo sa kanya, which is ang pangit ng simula niya sa UAAP,” he said.
He went on to defend Jared by imploring fans to stop booing him during games. JD added that whatever beef people assumed he had with Jared is non-existent and is instead happy he made his UAAP debut. “Wala naman akong against kay Jared kung maglaro siya kung anong school niya. Ang gusto ko lang na malaman niya ay ‘yung team ng UP wala kaming problema sa kanya. Kung saan niya gusto, wala kaming problema. Happy lang ako sa kanya na nag-debut na siya dito sa UAAP.”
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