UAAP HS Hoopers to Keep an Eye Out for in College Ball
The future of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament hinges heavily on the talents coming up from the juniors’ division. As we march on towards the Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament, now’s the perfect time to make a shortlist highlighting the new blood who might soon steal headlines.
Below are five departing standouts (and some honorable mentions) from Season 88’s 19U Boys’ Basketball Tournament that you should keep track of:
Jay-M Leal
School: Ateneo de Manila
Position: Forward
University Committed To: ADMU
Cheers could be heard throughout Loyola Heights as they recently secured a much-needed talent in the form of 6-foot-7 forward Jay-M Leal.
One of the key pieces in the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ (11-3) long-awaited return to Final Four action, the Carmona City, Cavite native, has been a true two-way player.
Leal put up averages of 13.6 points with so-so shooting splits of 47.6% FG, 29.3% 3PT, 67.2% FT, along with 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks in about 28 minutes over all 14 elimination games.
What makes him effective under head coach Bacon Austria’s system is that he can be anything the team needs him to be at the moment. A basket amidst a scoring drought? Sure. If the jumper’s not falling, he has the awareness to drive to the lane and go up for a potential and-one opportunity. Go out and defend the opponent’s best wing or four? He’ll do it, no questions.
As with all young players, however, Leal still needs to work on his free throws. 67.2 percent from the line just will not cut it for a senior’s team that is looking to improve on their dismal 65.5 percent outing from the line this season. Aside from that, the Ateneo faithful will need to give him time to develop his muscles in the hopes of eventually becoming a force in the paint alongside Divine Adili.
Cabs Cabonilas
School: Far Eastern University – Diliman
Position: Forward (6’5”)
University Committed To: TBD
The FEU-D Baby Tamaraws (11-3) felt they had left a lot on the table last season after being ousted in the semifinals by the eventual champions, the UST Tiger Cubs, and Cabs Cabonilas took the experience to heart.
The former Gilas Youth star gave everything he had during the eliminations, and he turned in averages of 15.8 points while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 72.9 percent from the line. He also posted 8.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks, to go along with those impressive shooting numbers — all in about 26 minutes of game time across 14 appearances. Good enough to win him league MVP.
Cabonilas’ greatest asset is not that he can outmuscle his fellow wingers and smaller defenders at will, but in his blink-and-you-miss-it quickness, coupled with his aggressiveness in hunting for opportunities. Throughout the season, all seven opposing teams hoped to contain the 6-foot-5 forward as best they could. Based on the numbers above, the rest of the field could not do much else.
Unsurprisingly, he is not without his flaws. Cabonilas’ aggression puts him in positions to succeed on offense, but it’s that same drive to stop opponents’ possessions that puts him into foul trouble. Just like Leal, he also needs to put on muscle if he hopes to duke it out with the Philippines’ best college ballers in the seniors’ division.
Maco Dabao
School: De La Salle Zobel
Position: Guard (5’11”)
University Committed To: Unknown
If all eight universities in the upcoming UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament are searching for a pure three-level scorer to improve their offensive capabilities, De La Salle Zobel’s Maco Dabao should garner a ton of attention.
DLSZ (8-6) found itself in the Final Four picture once again as the fourth seed, mainly thanks to Dabao’s contributions in the scoring category, averaging 17.3 points per contest in over 27 minutes while appearing in all 14 games. He was the engine that head coach Gian Nazario has relied upon all season, making it to the Boys Elite Team.
Built like an absolute tank for his height of 5-foot-11, Dabao can cut through opposing defenses like a hot knife through butter, usually off the dribble. When they get wise to his moves, he’s quick to let others take charge and operate off the ball, making himself a threat off the catch-and-shoot.
If he wants to flourish in the seniors’ division, though, he must learn how to operate as a point guard to complement his scoring abilities, especially since other universities will put their lengthiest and most athletic players on him to slow him down. Becoming a dual-threat guard will make his game even more unpredictable, which will put him in position to succeed.
Chad Cartel
School: National University Nazareth School
Position: Forward (6’2”)
University Committed To: Unknown
The NUNS Bullpups (12-2) marched their way to the top spot in the standings after going undefeated in the second round, and Chad Cartel’s contributions across the box score as a steadying presence on the floor played a major part in it.
Logging around 21 minutes per contest and 11 starts in 14 appearances, the forward posted 9.9 points, 2.9 boards, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals to just 1.4 turnovers. Those numbers might not jump out at anyone immediately, but for an important piece off the bench, Cartel should be on every hopeful Final Four squad’s radar.
UAAP fans know all too well the success that the NUNS program has brought to the seniors’ division, and Cartel has been a perfect fit for what head coach Kevin De Castro wants to do this season. The Bullpups have the devastating trio of Shaun Lucido, Moussa Diakite, and Kurl Figueroa leading the charge, with Cartel serving as their do-it-all glue guy.
Entering the seniors’ division, however, he might need to focus on transitioning into a full-fledged two guard. Being a 6-foot-2 winger has its place in the men’s ranks, but he may run into difficulties when guarding much taller and longer players. If he leans into his three-point shooting and slashing abilities, while also working on his agility and footwork, he should eventually become a matchup nightmare at the two.
Kirk Cañete
School: University of Santo Tomas
Position: Guard (5’10”)
University Committed To: Unknown
Even though the UST Tiger Cubs (5-9) will not have the opportunity to defend the throne they claimed in Season 87, the entire program still has reason to celebrate, as Kirk Cañete has blossomed into one of the best pure point guards in the 19U division.
Head coach Manu Iñigo understood that he would be asking for a lot from his young wards heading into Season 88, following the graduations of key players Koji Buenaflor, Carl Manding, Racine Kane, and Charles Bucsit. It took time for Cañete to fully adjust to his new role as UST’s co-captain alongside Wacky Ludovice, and he showed glimpses of being a future star at the next level.
Cañete averaged 7.2 assists across 14 appearances, and he was second in plus-minus for the Tiger Cubs, with +63. Looking at the larger picture, the Malaybalay City, Bukidnon talent amassed 101 assists in the division — good for second-most behind Ateneo’s Zane Kallos, who tallied 104.
His playmaking abilities will surely net him a roster spot, but he needs to work on being a more efficient scorer and knowing when to take over a game. Setting the table and ensuring that everybody on the floor eats is absolutely essential in the college game, though there will be times when he will be relied upon to do the dirty work himself. If he wants to be a constant rotational player, he needs to hover around his average of 9.6 points while bumping up his field goal shooting from 37.1 percent to somewhere close to 45 percent.
Honorable Mentions:
Jamal Diaz
School: University of the East
Position: Guard (5’7”)
University Committed To: Unknown
Jarl Artango
School: Adamson University
Position: Guard (5’11”)
University Committed To: Unknown
Jetlee Melano
School: University of Sto. Tomas
Position: Forward (6’3”)
University Committed To: Unknown
Marc Burgos
School: Far Eastern University – Diliman
Position: Forward (6’5”)
University Committed To: Unknown
