University of the Philippines’ basketball program has just gotten bigger with the addition of 19-year-old Fil-Am Sean Alter to its already-massive frontline.
Alter, who stands at 6-foot-8, recently committed to play for the Fighting Maroons, adding another valuable piece to the team’s puzzle.
Alter formalized his commitment just before he and the Fil-Nation Select squad went head-to-head with NU-Nazareth School for the 2023 Smart-NBTC Division 1 championship.
His addition to the team was met with enthusiasm by UP basketball program director Bo Perasol, who sees Alter as an important piece to help the team stay competitive in the UAAP.
“Sean’s another important piece to the puzzle for us to keep competing in the UAAP,” said Perasol.
During the NBTC National Finals, Alter has been a standout player for Fil-Nation, averaging 5.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in the team’s unbeaten run so far.
He joins the maroon-and-green rotation of bigs, which already includes 6-7 NCAA 98 Juniors MVP Luis Pablo and 6-8 Seven Gagate, as well as the 6-11 UAAP 85 Men’s MVP Malick Diouf.
Goldwin Monteverde, the head coach of the Fighting Maroons, went all the way to the US to see Alter in person and was impressed with what he saw.
“The team will benefit with the addition of a player with the work ethic and the desire to win displayed by Sean,” said Monteverde.
“We understand that the team’s success is tied to the proper development of our players, kaya commitment talaga namin sa coaching staff na tutukan ang growth at training ng mga rookies na papasok sa team.“
The State U is looking to secure its second title in the last three seasons, following a runner-up finish last year.
UPMBT Manager Atty. Agaton Uvero revealed that management, together with alumni of the University, “continue to work to provide Coach Gold and our players with the tools and resources they need to be competitive.”
Uvero admitted that there are limitations to resources since UP is the only state university in the UAAP, but they are doing everything they can to support the team.
JD Cagulangan, Harold Alarcon, and the returning CJ Cansino continue to lead the team.
