When all is said and done, these athletes had a season to remember.
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After months of competition, the UAAP Season 87 basketball competition has reached its climax with the NU Lady Bulldogs taking home the W for the women’s category and the UP Fighting Maroons winning their 2nd championship in four years following a tense Game 3 against the DLSU Green Archers. From the hoops, adrenaline, sweat, and a little drama, the UAAP Season 87 basketball competition had its fair share of moments to remember, including the athletes who made Season 87 ones to watch. These student-athletes can definitely say their season was anything but boring. From much talked-about debuts to milestones to cap collegiate careers, these basketball stars were lowkey the main characters of the season.
JD CAGULANGAN
The King Maroon himself. From LSGH, DLSU, and UPD, JD Cagulangan has had a rollercoaster of a UAAP journey, and he ended his collegiate career on a high. The 24-year-old 5-foot-10 point guard has always been one of the Fighting Maroons’ biggest stars, and it showed during Game 3 as he played a pivotal role in UP securing their fourth UAAP Men’s basketball title. His final game as a Fighting Maroon ended with JD being a UAAP champion, named Finals MVP, and also showing respect to his former school and teammates. Quick, tell us a better way to end your college career, we’ll wait.
KEVIN QUIAMBAO
Let’s recap some of Kevin Quiambao’s highlights from his latest and last UAAP season. For starters, the De La Salle University star player bagged his second consecutive regular Season MVP, becoming the first local player in history to do so since Kiefer Ravena back in Seasons 77 and 78. Also, the two-time UAAP Men’s Basketball MVP, like ADMU’s Kacey dela Rosa, has the cool distinction of being the holder of the UAAP Season 85 Rookie of the Year award and Season MVP the following two seasons.
Finally, while the Green Archers missed the Season 87 championship win, it still doesn’t diminish the heights Kevin reached in his three seasons in the UAAP. This is on top of the fact that he also became a father and played for Gilas Pilipinas this year, too. KQ is on to new adventures with his recent announcement that he’s going pro and joining the Goyang Sono Skygunners in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), but he will always be remembered as a legend in the UAAP. And besides, the Green Archers won’t be lacking in firepower next season.
KACEY DELA ROSA
UAAP royalty status was solidified when Ateneo Blue Eagle Kacey dela Rosa was named MVP in the women’s division for Season 87, making this the second year in a row she’s received the honor. While ADMU didn’t take home the crown, the Blue Eagles did make it to the Final Four in the women’s division, and Kacey herself has much to celebrate with how dominant she was in Season 87.
With her MVP title, the 20-year-old 6-foot-tall center made history as the fifth women’s basketball player in the UAAP to achieve back-to-back MVP honors. She’s also the second Blue Eagle to win consecutive women’s MVP honors, after Cassy Tioseco in Seasons 69 and 70. With her UAAP Season 85 Rookie of the Year award also to her name, the third-year college student will play a big part in the Blue Eagles aiming for the UAAP championship next season.
JARED BAHAY
Jared Bahay came into Season 87 with the hype and a dash of drama. After initially committing to the UP Fighting Maroons, he switched courses and joined his alma mater, the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Still, that didn’t diminish the fact that the Cebuano prodigy was a rookie to watch out for given his high school achievements. While the end result was decidedly mixed, this wasn’t the first time a touted rookie had a rocky UAAP debut (see the first entry). Jared got people talking this season, and we hope in Season 88, he’ll find his groove.
CIELO PAGDULAGAN
Okay star rookie, we see you. Cielo Pagdulagan came through this season for the NU Lady Bulldogs who completed their redemption arc by claiming the Season 87 championship in a tight Game 3 against UST. The 5-foot-5 20-year-old guard from Antipolo not only got her first UAAP title on her debut year, but she also bagged Season 87 Rookie of the Year and Finals MVP, achievements nothing to sneeze at. The whole thing is made even better by the fact that it coincided with Camille Clarin, Princess Fabruada, and Maymay Canuto getting their final dose of UAAP glory before their time as collegiate athletes came to an end.
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