After a tumultuous off-season that saw all four of their seniors leave Adamson University for other schools, this batch of Baby Falcons has chosen to stay together and take flight as one.
Legit 3-and-D winger Earl Medina, along with twin towers Allen Perez and Jireh Tumaneng, have committed to Adamson for their collegiate careers.
They join four other seniors — Zahir Sajili, CJ Umali, Gabe De Jesus, and JR Abayon — who have all pledged to continue playing for the Soaring Falcons in the UAAP collegiate division.
The announcement comes just a day before the defending champions take on the top-seeded NUNS Bullpups in the Final Four, where the Baby Falcons must overcome a twice-to-beat disadvantage to keep their title hopes alive.
“Siyempre, good news ito para sa program namin at sa program ni Coach Nash (Racela),” said Baby Falcons head coach Mike Fermin, confirming that all seven players have committed.
“Nakita siguro nila yung nangyari sa amin at sa mga kuya nila last year kaya nag-decide sila na this time around, sama-sama sila hanggang college.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Medina, a 6-foot-2 winger, was the ironman of the UAAP Season 87 Boys’ Basketball elimination round, averaging 33 minutes per game across 14 contests.
He put up 11.0 points, 6.71 rebounds, 3.07 assists, 2.14 steals, and 1.57 blocks per game, solidifying his reputation as one of the premier defensive stoppers in the high school ranks.
Meanwhile, Perez and Tumaneng provide an imposing presence in the frontcourt, both standing at least 6-foot-7.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Perez played a crucial role in Adamson’s Final Four push, averaging 8.79 points and 4.07 rebounds per game.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Tumaneng contributed 3.0 points and 2.36 rebounds per contest.
Now, both big men will have the opportunity to learn under the legendary Rommel Adducul.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Among the other committed players, Umali, a 5-foot-11 guard, had a breakout Grade 12 campaign, posting 7.71 points, 2.79 rebounds, 2.36 assists, and 1.29 steals per game.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Sajili, a 6-foot-4 small forward, also made an impact, averaging 6.0 points, 4.93 rebounds, and 3.43 assists per contest.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
De Jesus, a 6-foot shooting guard, shot 30 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 4.86 points per game, while Abayon, a 6-foot-3 forward, provided steady contributions with 3.42 points and 3.08 rebounds per outing.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Fermin expressed his gratitude that he and Racela’s vision of a unified high school-to-college pipeline is coming to life through this committed group of Falcons.
“Yan talaga yung goal namin from the start — na streamlined yung programa ng high school at college,” said Fermin, who also serves as an assistant coach for the Soaring Falcons.
“Thankful ako sa mga boys, pero for us, the job is not yet done dahil may championship pa kaming dedefend.”
