While the fight for UAAP Season 85 is ongoing, but the fight for next season -- and even beyond -- has already begun.
Ateneo fans were shocked last month when top ranked high school prospect Jared Bahay announced his decision to join the University of the Philippines after his final year at Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu. Two of his SHS-Ateneo teammates, Raffy Celis and Michael Asoro, announced they were taking their talents to the Blue Eagles.
In their introductory news conference, head coach Tab Baldwin said this would be the start of Ateneo's closer connection to its sister schools all over the Philippines -- much-welcome for a powerhouse already enjoying a trusty pipeline of talents from its Ateneo high school squad.
"We see that link will be greater. We see that link will be forged on the blue blood that are two Ateneo schools -- and we'd like to see that extended to the other Ateneo schools in the country as well," Baldwin stated.
The Jesuit-run institution counts a total of eight campuses in the Philippines. And while Celis and Asoro are the first Magis Eagles to commit to Ateneo in recent memory, several former Blue Eaglets were key in the blue-and-white's sustained success in the modern era.
Enrico Villanueva. Larry Fonacier. Wesley Gonzales. Kiefer Ravena. Thirdy Ravena. Mike and Matt Nieto. SJ Belangel. And now, Lebron Nieto is a near-lock to take the same route, too.
"If you look at every Ateneo basketball team that won a championship, there was always a strong core that came up from grade school and high school," said Rick Olivares, a veteran sportswriter who has long kept an eye on the Blue Eagles.
Ateneo's plan to tap into its wealth of talent across the Philippines comes on the heels of UP's own plot to unify its seniors and juniors programs. The hope is to provide head coach Goldwin Monteverde -- who has had success at both the high school and collegiate levels -- with his own maroon-and-green pipeline.
UP Integrated School (State U's high school) produced players like Diego Dario and the Gomez de Liaño brothers Javi and Juan, but there hasn't been a singular sight for the Diliman teams. That's the change they're urging now as they hope to land even younger promising prospects.
It's far from a guarantee of a championship, but having a sustained source of talented players already associated with a school and squad is an enviable advantage to have. No need for introductions. No need for adjustment.
Aside from Ateneo, San Beda University and Far Eastern University have long done this. Both programs have used their juniors teams to repeatedly restock their rosters. Terrence Romeo and RJ Abarrientos were Baby Tamaraws-turned-Tamaraws. Baser Amer and Javee Mocon were Red Cubs-turned Red Lions.
San Beda and FEU set the standards then, but many have caught up now. Of eight UAAP teams, five have unified basketball programs. Ditto for six of 10 NCAA teams. Unified programs here are defined as those that have a single director, official or unofficial, or those that have seniors and juniors staffs and management that work closely together.
Jeff Napa, who has already turned around National University, took control of both the Bulldogs and Bullpups when he put on the blue and gold once more. He had also sharpened his saw in the high school ranks and knew firsthand the advantages of continuity.
John Lloyd Clemente was one of his stars in the Bullpups and is now one of the leaders for the Bulldogs. He's hoping lighting strikes twice after securing the services of No. 3-ranked high school Rein Jumamoy who was the Bullpups' court general and will now become the Bulldogs' point guard of the future.
"Siyempre, iba talaga 'pag may continuity mula juniors going to seniors. Dun mo talaga masisigurado yung pagkakaroon ng iisang mindset," Napa said.
Collegiate basketball has become as competitive as it has been in a long time -- with half of the field in both the UAAP and NCAA having legitimate championship hopes. School officials and team management have turned to a new-old, tried-and-tested blueprint: Construct a pipeline from high school will flow continuously and collectively to college.
Recruitment has always been the game within the game in collegiate sports. Most, if not all, teams now realize they can gain an advantage when they embed school spirit and squad system into promising prospects at the youngest age possible.
Success in the juniors may very well lead to success in the seniors. Ateneo, San Beda, and FEU have already proven that time and again. They're no longer the only ones with that edge, though. Now, high school is where it all begins.