Jake “The Snake” Figueroa Has Finally Arrived
Remember Jake “The Snake” Roberts? He was a pro wrestling legend whose heyday was in the 80s, when the WWE was more of a cartoon show than combat theater.
A television mainstay alongside the likes of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, Roberts was a smooth operator—a fundamentally sound grappler who favored technical proficiency over flashy moves. With a microphone in his hand, he was a soft-spoken psychological menace who got in his opponents’ heads without raising his voice.
Having said all that, I’ll give Naveen Ganglani credit for rightfully giving the “Jake the Snake” nickname to the NU Bulldogs’ superstar on Wednesday’s episode of The Navs Effect.
Over the past few years, the term “superstar” seemed like an awkward fit for Jake Figueroa. On offense and defense, he was fundamentally sound, not flashy. Figueroa was by no means a screamer, and he didn’t possess the loud personality of Kean Baclaan or the jaw-dropping athleticism of Jolo Manansala.
That was Season 87 and earlier. Now, I’ll go ahead and say that Figueroa is the big dog of National University.
In the last two UAAP seasons, we’ve been waiting for the 6-foot-3 Kapampangan standout to take over games and embrace the mantle of go-to guy. Heck, when I wrote my reaction to the 2025 FilOil EcoOil finals, I called for head coach Jeff Napa to make one key adjustment. “Let Jake Figueroa be the main man,” I wrote. “Maybe, just maybe, that will help NU finally get over the hump.”
What better way to announce your elevation to bona fide main man than by taking responsibility for the final moments of a game, win or lose? Figueroa didn’t have to grab a microphone and announce to the world that the Bulldogs are his team now. He just went ahead and got the job done.
Think back to October 1, when NU faced the UST Growling Tigers in the fearsome lair known as the Quadricentennial Pavilion. With under two minutes to go in this battle of undefeated teams, the Bulldogs held a precarious 68-67 lead. Needing to create more distance, what did Figueroa do? Well, he created more distance between himself and the tough defense of Mark Llemit, then unleashed a step-back jumper that A+ players tend to have in their arsenal.
Swish.
The Tigers refused to give up their unblemished record, though, and stayed on NU’s heels with the score at 70-69. This time, rookie behemoth Collins Akowe stood in Figueroa’s way. Undaunted, the super senior took a couple of dribbles, squared up, and let it fly. Another swish.
After the Bulldogs secured the 76-69 victory, Napa acknowledged the personal transformation of the Bacolor native, who finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one block that night.
“Kung ano man ‘yung na-a-achieve niya ngayon, siya ‘yun kasi tinrabaho niya ‘yun,” the NU head coach told reporters in the post-game interview. “Kumbaga, gina-guide ko lang naman talaga siya. Masaya ako sa transformation ng laro ni Jake. Every year, nag-i-improve.”
I can talk about Figueroa’s struggles against Jacob Bayla in their fourth game of the season, but I’d rather not focus on that. Instead, let’s put things into perspective: After being held to single-digit scoring and getting utterly frustrated because of it, Figueroa could have curled up in a corner and cried. Sources say that this never, ever happened.
Three days after UP hung the first loss on NU’s record, the Bulldogs had to bounce back against a constantly dangerous Adamson squad. Yet again, the ball found itself in the hands of the former UAAP juniors MVP.
Wait, that sounds so passive. Figueroa put himself in position to take matters into his own hands. As the game clock read 55 seconds and Adamson stayed in the driver’s seat with a 54-52 lead, Figueroa had a chance to swing the rock to Gelo Santiago or Steve Nash Enriquez on the perimeter.
Season 87 Jake might have done just that. Instead, he backed down Manu Anabo, got one foot in the paint, and rose up for a bank shot. Anabo ended up fouling Figueroa, who made the bonus shot to give NU the lead for good.
None of these game-winning plays ever saw Figueroa (who is averaging 15.8 ppg on an efficient 44.9% clip) outrunning defenders or rising above 6-foot-10 centers to ferociously dunk the ball. If anything, the moves that he pulled out have been in his bag all these years. Here’s the difference with Season 88 Jake: Whether or not the cameras capture it, he now has a fearless resolve to steer the fate of the Bulldogs when the chips are down and a basket is badly needed.
Of course, there are areas for improvement, including those that are specifically geared for franchise players. Case in point: Figueroa should not be missing free throws in crunchtime, like he did with 12.1 seconds to go in NU’s Oct. 12 showdown against DLSU. Two made free throws would have given the Bulldogs a three-point lead against a dangerous Archers squad. Though NU went on to secure the victory and the solo lead on top of the standings, it’s little things like these that Figueroa will have to clean up.
Despite his foul line miss at a critical juncture in that game, the 23-year-old’s expression remained mostly stoic. Don’t mistake this for apathy, though: There’s been an unprecedented fire engulfing him every time he’s made a clutch play this season. Now that’s a lethal competitor: a smooth operator who can cause devastation in both overt and covert ways.
So yes, he’s Jake the Snake. The Hulksters and Macho Mans of the UAAP better prepare for a fight when Jake Figueroa steps on the hardcourt.
Read more of Simoun’s UAAP and Philippine basketball features here.
