The Captain’s Promise: Yukien Andrada’s Last Roar
San Beda Red Lions team captain Yukien Andrada enters NCAA Season 101 with one goal: leave as a champion.
Drafted sixth overall by the Magnolia Hotshots in the 2025 PBA Draft, Andrada made headlines when he chose to delay his pro debut and return for one last ride with San Beda. For him, unfinished business comes first.
“Of course, I want to win a championship with San Beda. That’s why I stayed here for my last year in San Beda to play. Because I want to win another championship before I go to the PBA. That’s the only way I can go out to the NCAA — to win a championship,” Yuki tells ALL-STAR.
Despite being picked in the first round, Andrada clarified that Magnolia gave him space to finish his college journey.
“Yes, they’re okay with it, actually. Coach LA (Tenorio) and I talked to their management. They’re okay with me still playing my last year with my team, San Beda. And they’ll wait for me until December, until the season ends.”
That kind of support only fuels Andrada’s fire. With the confidence boost from the draft and the backing of both his college and future pro teams, he’s stepping onto the NCAA stage with more grit than ever.
“Of course, it gives you a lot of confidence being drafted. Of course, it’s expected of you to play for the NCAA. You’ll be much more confident. You’ll be much calmer, more composed as you enter the draft already. And most of the guys in the NCAA are still in college and just going to the draft. So it’s a big thing that I got drafted early, before the season. And I think that will really boost my confidence going into the NCAA season.”
San Beda opened Season 101 with a 96–85 statement win over the Benilde Blazers, a rematch and turn of events of last year’s Final Four ass-kicking for the Red Lions. Yukien had a slow start — scoreless in the first half — but regrouped in the second, finishing with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and a clutch triple. He was later named Best Player of the Game.
“I think my teammates and my coaches helped me a lot. They kept reminding me that, you know, keep shooting, even though I haven’t made any shots in the first half. That really gave me confidence, you know. They really trust me as their leader, as their team captain. And I think that’s what boosted my confidence during that third-quarter run that we had.”
Yukien and pro-bound teammate Bryan Sajonia made sure their team didn’t fold under pressure, even when Benilde tried to pull away early.
“Well, at the beginning, I told my teammates, Bryan and I, that no matter what happens, we’re not going to lose this game. Because the way they beat us last year in the NCAA, in the final four, in FilOil, there’s no way that we’re going to lose this game. That’s what I told them before the game. And even during halftime, our fight was still close, you know. We need to keep fighting. Even make a run or play better defense throughout the game.”
Now, with the first win on the board, Yukien is laser-focused. For him, every game is another step toward redemption.
“Maybe we just need to, you know, keep our focus or our vision on our goal, which is the championship. We just take it one game at a time. Preparation for each game is very important for us, crucial. So we really need to lock in some of our practices for the next coming games.”
Yuki’s basketball dream started with family. His older brother, Yutien, who once played for San Sebastian and De La Salle, inspired him to chase a similar path.
“When I came back here to the Philippines in 2017, I was able to play with San Beda Red Cubs. And that’s where it all started. From high school, from San Beda, and then all the way up here at my collegiate level. Because I saw my brother, my older brother. He was playing with San Sebastian in his high school days and De La Salle for his college days. So when I was a kid, our age gap was a bit big. So he was the one I idolized. Hopefully, I’ll be able to play in the high school NCAA or UAAP in my college days, too. So he was my biggest inspiration when I was a kid.”
While Andrada is known for his leadership and hustle, what truly transformed his game over the past two years is his elite three-point shooting—something he didn’t always have in his arsenal. Back in NCAA Season 97, he made just 10 three-pointers. But by Season 99, that number jumped to 55 threes on 140 attempts, shooting at an impressive 39 percent clip. According to GMA Sports, this improvement is the result of deliberate, consistent effort. Andrada reportedly shoots 300 to 400 three-pointers per day in practice, often alongside teammate Josh Tagala, who rebounds and pushes him to stay sharp.
“Every day we shoot around 300 to 400 threes,” Andrada said in an earlier interview with GMA News Online. “We try to go over that so we can be more confident.”
That kind of work ethic — on top of natural leadership and in-game poise — is what makes Andrada a rare two-way threat and a key reason San Beda remains a title favorite in Season 101.
From Red Cub to Red Lion to future Hotshot, Yukien Andrada is writing his final college chapter with purpose. He’s not just playing for a title — he’s playing for legacy.
