Ethan Kaw Commits to UP Fighting Maroons

Former Ateneo Blue Eaglets guard Ethan Kaw has committed to the UP Fighting Maroons, he confirmed to ALL-STAR Magazine, giving the UAAP Season 88 finalists another young perimeter piece entering Season 89.

Kaw will have five years of eligibility beginning this year and joins a UP program that continues to build around depth, development and internal competition under head coach Goldwin Monteverde.

For Kaw, the move was about stepping into a new situation after his time in Ateneo’s high school program.

“I wanted to experience a new environment for college,” Kaw told ALL-STAR. “At the same time, I felt like Coach Gold and the team would truly help me bring my full potential out.”

His other option was clear: remain in Katipunan and continue his basketball path with Ateneo. Instead, Kaw chose to cross over to Diliman, where he will now begin his college career with one of the UAAP’s most consistently competitive programs.

Kaw arrives at UP after building his name in the high school scene through Saint Jude Catholic School and Ateneo. He was part of Saint Jude’s PCYAA championship run in 2023, where he delivered one of the biggest performances of his young career with 29 points in Game 1 of the Finals against Xavier before helping complete the title sweep.

He later moved into the Ateneo system, where he had flashes as a scorer and clutch shot-maker.

Now, his next step will require a positional adjustment.

Kaw said he is working on transitioning to point guard, a role he admits does not come naturally yet. That process has shaped his early work with UP as he focuses on his reads, ball-handling, passing, finishing and overall physical preparation.

“I wanna improve a lot overall,” Kaw said. “But I really feel that the adjustment to play point guard is really tough because I’m not naturally a point. I have to work on my reads, dribbling, passing, finishing. I am currently doing a lot of individual skills outside of training and also lifting extra to be able to help my body adapt to college basketball.”

Kaw said he has already been struck by the level of competition inside UP’s practices and the way the program operates on a daily basis.

“I was really surprised with how the team is, especially the competition, practices and how they push each other to showcase their best all the time,” he said. “I also like how the coaches are very precise with details, plays and they trust their players a lot.”

Kaw’s commitment gives UP another long-term backcourt project with legitimate high school experience and room to grow. While he enters college still learning the point guard position, his background as a scorer and wing gives the Maroons a player who can be developed across multiple perimeter roles.

For his first UAAP season, Kaw said his focus is on growth, learning and earning his place in the program.

“I feel that I will truly grow as a person and player here in UP, understand the game deeper and just keep on learning from the team,” Kaw said. “For the team, I really feel that they will play well for this season and continue to play with heart and make the school proud.”