More than talent or tactics, it is the bond forged through triumphs and heartbreaks that has carried the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons to the UAAP men’s basketball championship stage for three straight seasons.
This was the reflection of head coach Goldwin Monteverde as he looked back on UP’s Season 88 campaign, where the Fighting Maroons once again reached the finals but ultimately yielded the crown to the De La Salle Green Archers. It marked UP’s fifth consecutive finals appearance—an unprecedented run built, according to Monteverde, on shared experiences and collective resilience.
“Siyempre, maganda iyung magkasama kayo sa panalo. Pero ang true test ay magkasama kayo sa panalo at pagkatalo,” Monteverde said. “So being with them, naging solid sila together.”
That sense of togetherness was tested in Season 88, a year filled with expectations and pressure, but Monteverde believes it also strengthened the group.
“Sa akin, nakita ko klase ng samahan na meron sila,” he added. “I can see that they gave their best.”
The end of the season also marked the close of a chapter for UP, with key veterans Harold Alarcon and Gerry Abadiano graduating in 2025. Monteverde expressed deep appreciation for the departing leaders, who had been central figures in the program’s rise since Season 84.
“Binigay nila lahat. I have been with them since Season 84 until now,” Monteverde said. “Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa kanila.”
UP will also feel the absence of other contributors such as Terrence Fortea, Reyland Torres, and Janjan Felicilda—players who provided depth and energy during the Maroons’ sustained championship run.
Yet even with those departures, Monteverde remains optimistic. The Fighting Maroons, he said, are already setting their sights on another return to the finals in Season 89, anchored on continuity, system, and collective growth rather than individual stars.
“Kailangan collective effort pa rin at tuloy-tuloy na improvement sa sistema,” Monteverde stressed.
Season 89 will revolve around a core of 10 players expected to bring experience and leadership. Leading that group is guard Noy Remogat, the high-scoring transfer from University of the East who made an immediate impact in his debut season. He will be joined by winger Jacob Bayla and big men Gani Stevens and Sean Alter, who are expected to solidify UP’s inside presence.
Forwards Mark Belmonte and Josh Coronel are tipped to take on bigger roles, alongside Seven Gagate, Miguel Yniguez, Miguel Palanca, and Francis Nnoruka, giving the Maroons a mix of versatility and size.
Adding intrigue to UP’s Season 89 campaign is a promising batch of recruits. Headlining the newcomers is Veejay Pre, the Season 87 Rookie of the Year from Far Eastern University, now eligible to suit up for the Maroons. He is joined by Fil-Canadian guard Elliot Dimaculangan and former San Beda star James Payosing, an NCAA Finals MVP known for his big-game composure.
Completing the new faces is American center Dionte Miles, a 7-foot-1 foreign student-athlete who previously played two seasons at Moorhead College, giving UP another towering option in the paint.
