WHERE TO, KQ? A WAY-TOO-EARLY LOOK-AHEAD TO UAAP SEASON 88

KEVIN Quiambao in La Salle is no more.

The Green Archers gear up for the upcoming season without their top gun who had led them to a championship and who had brought back their first MVP trophy since Ben Mbala's in 2017.

Wait… What? Quiambao will no longer be in green and white in the UAAP?

Well, yeah. Definitely. Maybe. But that's in Season 88.

If you went here expecting to read about Season 87 themed 'Stronger. Better. Together.' opening on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum, you've come to the wrong place.

Here's the right place if you want them now - or you can also just bookmark them for later:

UST Growling Tigers PREVIEW

FEU Tamaraws PREVIEW

UE Red Warriors PREVIEW

ADAMSON Soaring Falcons PREVIEW

ATENEO Blue Eagles PREVIEW

NATIONAL U Bulldogs PREVIEW

This right here, though… Is all about 2025, Season 88 hosted by University of Santo Tomas - the future when we don't even know who's going to be defending the title.

There's a good chance it'll still be La Salle. Quiambao is seemingly in his last go-round in green and white, as the beckoning of the professional leagues and/or international offers come closer and closer.

That just means that, true to his nature, he'd go all-out and leave it all on the floor. So it's highly likely he and the Green Archers go back-to-back in Season 87.

Just as likely is the University of the Philippines, still stinging from a second straight silver medal, finally getting a return on its investment from the past few years.

Safe to say, all due respect to perennial dark horse National U or revitalized UST or still-scary Ateneo, it's still La Salle's throne to lose.

Target locked, still, for La Salle

And even in Season 88, the Green Archers project to be the team-to-beat.

No more Quiambao, perhaps, but in come Jacob Cortez, Kean Baclaan, Luis Pablo, and Mason Amos. That's, like, 80 percent of any other team's starting five coming in as transferees all together.

PHOTO: Madayaw Sports Davao

They join forces with holdovers Doy Dungo, Alex Konov, and Henry Agunanne for what would be Topex Robinson's third year on the job.

The Fighting Maroons will have something to say about that, of course, with their own talented transferee in Rey Remogat just biding his time in residency to go with promising Junior Maroon prospects in Jaime Gomez de Liano and Bruce Tubongbanua.

Jacob Bayla will be in his second year, just as Gerry Abadiano, Harold Alarcon, and Janjan Felicilda close out their collegiate careers, still under the watchful eye of Goldwin Monteverde.

Look out for the Growling Tigers a year from now, too, with Nic Cabanero, Forthsky Padrigao, and Kyle Paranada with grand plans to go out with a bang, while Amiel Acido and Leland Estacio begin rounding into form.

PHOTO: UAAP Media Bureau

Too bad that Pido Jarencio and his coaching staff can't pluck Joaqui Ludovice up from the Tiger Cubs just yet, as he'd be yet another weapon in their fully-loaded arsenal.

National U will stay as dogged as ever, in the image of their battle-tested mentor Jeff Napa, with Steve Nash Enriquez and Jolo Manansala in their last seasons and Reinhard Jumamoy and Tebol Garcia wiser and better.

They may very well lose Jake Figueroa to international offers, but Vince Reyes - who'll sit out the upcoming season due to injury after winning the UAAP Juniors title with Adamson - is hopefully good to go to take his place. Even better? Reigning Juniors MVP Collins Akowe will be done with high school by then.

FEU and shot-caller Sean Chambers will be using Season 87 as an incubator of sorts, warming up star-caliber talents in Veejay Pre, Janrey Pasaol, and Jedric Daa before getting ready to unleash them once they have a year under their belts.

Add tantalizing talents such as Cabs Cabonilas from their high school squad and ex-Gilas Pilipinas Youth player Mur Alao as transferee, as well as a fully-healthy Kirby Mongcopa, and the Tamaraws are sure to charge as hard as always.

PHOTO: Filoil Preseason

Questions will be asked about Jack Santiago, with UE seemingly bound to continue its playoff drought, and Nash Racela, who'll have to endure his first year in Adamson minus Jerom Lastimosa.

But both are already looking forward to getting another fresh batch of recruits for next year.

That means more Fil-foreigners for the Red Warriors, and perhaps a continued commitment to the school from their Junior Warriors such as NBTC All-Star Edry Alejandro.

On the other hand, the Soaring Falcons are confident about the promotion of Baby Falcons like Earl Medina and Jireh Tumaneng - after missing out on all of Figueroa, Garcia, and Reyes - to go along with transferees in Kobe Demisana and Renzo Competente.

The most interesting team, then, is Ateneo, which may very well be sunsetting the Tab Baldwin era. To be clear, the four-time champion coach has stated that he's under contract until 2025, but at the same time, acknowledged that his future may very well hinge on the Blue Eagles' flight in Season 87.

READ: Coach Tab Baldwin's future 'up to Ateneo, boss MVP'

A ready-made replacement, if ever, is already on the bench in Louie Alas. Or perhaps, a Norman (come)Black is on the cards?

Whoever will call the shots, Jared Bahay, Kristian Porter, and Femi Edu will be back for more, and the same goes for Lebron Nieto in his return from an unfortunate ACL injury.

PHOTO: Patrick Romero

And that, that is our way-too-early look-ahead to UAAP Season 88.

But first, let's get to and through Season 87, shall we?

2024-09-04T12:13:48Z dg43tfdfdgfd