UP Fighting Maroons Season 80 team preview – Keeping the fire alive

MANILA, Philippines – In the world of sports, lighting a fire symbolizes a beginning. Over the centuries, the Olympics have been started with the lighting of a torch. Its fire blazes for weeks while the world’s best athletes compete for the highest honor available in sports – the Olympic gold medal. 

Two years ago, however, the lighting of a torch symbolized an end for the University of the Philippines. On the fateful afternoon of August 9, 2014, the UP Fighting Maroons defeated the Adamson University Soaring Falcons to give the country’s national university its first win in two years. It took the team 28 tries with 27 straight losses, but they finally pulled themselves together. 

They were welcomed back on campus with a bonfire. Such an overblown celebration told the world enough about how much the program has suffered throughout the years. Winless seasons, coaching changes – UP has seen it all in its 31-year title drought.

Rekindling “UP Fight” 

The much-celebrated win over a fellow bottom-dweller proved to be UP’s only win of Season 77, but they took it as the stepping stone they needed for further success. Sure enough, with fans from all schools watching the opening ceremonies, Season 78 host school UP shocked everyone by dropping the University of the East in the very first game. The Maroons would then get two more wins before ending their host season with a 3-11 record. 

Season 79 rolled along and UP just kept improving. Led by veteran team captain Jett Manuel in his final playing season, the Fighting Maroons went from annual punching bag to Final Four dark horse. Unfortunately, their fire didn’t burn hot enough as they fizzled to 6^th place at 5-9, albeit their best finish in a decade. Former champions National University finished with the same record as the AdU Falcons soared away to the final playoff spot with an 8-6 record.

Passing of the Torch

Manuel certainly made the most of his final season in UP, finishing as the league’s fourth-best scorer and fifth-best three-point shooter with a blistering 15.0 points per game average including 1.7 threes made. While his numbers will prove difficult to be replicated, the newly-licensed civil engineer can start working in peace knowing that someone is more than ready to lead the Maroons: his backcourt mate Paul Desiderio.

Season 79 proved to be the Cebuano guard’s breakout season as he averaged 15.4 points per game, leapfrogging Manuel as the league’s third-best scorer. Aside from leading the team in scoring, he also posted an anomalous team-high 7.1 rebounds per game, making him and Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena (7.8) the only guards in the league to lead a team in rebounding.

Oh, and he also led UP in assists (2.6), steals (0.9) and blocks (0.4). Just putting that out there. 

The Future is “Bright” 

Despite hogging the statistical leaderboards, Desiderio isn’t the only player worth a look in the Maroons. The roster is full of shining prospects such as the blindingly quick Diego Dario, Noah Webb – son of Letran legend Freddie Webb – and the sibling duo of Javi and Juan Gomez de Liano. While Javi wowed crowds with his athleticism and game awareness in his Season 79 rookie debut, younger bro Juan collected the UAAP Juniors MVP award as a member of the UP Integrated School.

But none of these players have generated the same amount of excitement as Bright Akhuetie, the very best of NCAA’s University of Perpetual Help and UP’s newest acquisition.  

In his final season in Perpetual, he averaged 12.7 rebounds per game and a league-leading 21.3 points per game. Such monstrous numbers had him being compared to De La Salle University’s own Ben Mbala, the reigning UAAP MVP. He is currently sitting out this season as per residency rules, but if all goes well, he will be ready to wreak havoc once again come Season 81.

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With the present having #nowheretogobutUP and the future secured, UP’s past may soon be burned away as their competitive fire burns on. 

The only problem left now is what the team’s next slogan would be. #NowheretostaybutUP perhaps? – Rappler.com