Coming off a highly-decorated UAAP high school boys’ basketball career that ended with back-to-back Finals appearances, do-it-all guard Mac Alfanta was expected to make an immediate impact for National University in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Instead, the highly-touted prospect from Muntinlupa had to take a backseat and defer his rookie debut to Season 89, as a stacked Bulldogs roster featured seniors Jake Figueroa, Jolo Manansala, Steve Nash Enriquez, Mark Parks, and Gelo Santiago during Season 88.
Knowing this, Alfanta is now more eager than ever to step up with the departures of Figueroa and company, which left a significant hole in the Jeff Napa-mentored squad’s core in the National University Bulldogs.
“Gutom na gutom ako, siyempre, kasi malaki yung nawala sa amin ngayon: sila Kuya Jake at Kuya Jolo at iba pa. Lahat ng graduate na. Malaki ang role nila before ‘eh,” the 20-year-old guard told Tiebreaker Times after finishing with seven points, two assists, and one steal in a 74-66 win over Adamson University on Thursday afternoon at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
“Ngayon, hindi naman ako ganoon ka-pressured kasi gagawin ko lang yung role sa team.”
Rather than sulk over the delayed start to his collegiate career, Alfanta used his time away from the UAAP spotlight to quietly hone his craft behind the scenes.
In a productive gap year that saw him play a pivotal role in Abra’s title run in the Junior MPBL 21U division, Alfanta gained valuable experience that helped prepare him for the physicality of UAAP men’s basketball. That preparation has translated into early contributions for the Bulldogs’ 2–1 start in the country’s premier off-season league.
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Over three games, the 6-foot guard has maximized his 18 minutes per contest, averaging 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists.
“Siyempre, unang-una, noong hindi ako na-line up, ginawa ko lang yung mga bagay na makakatulong sa pag-improve ko. Ayon nga, marami akong time para mag-improve, kaya inuunti-unti ko hanggang sa maabot ko. Hanggang ngayon, medyo malayo pa, pero sinusubukan ko naman,” Alfanta shared.
Despite the pressure and expectations that come with stepping into a bigger role for NU, Alfanta remains grounded and focused on blocking out external noise.
For him, the goal is not to replicate the production of players like Figueroa, Manansala, or Enriquez. Instead, he aims to excel in whatever role is assigned to him by Napa.
“Hindi ko na pupunan yung role nila dahil gagawin ko lang naman yung role ko and siyempre, iba-iba naman kami ng role. Hindi naman namin makukuha yung laro nila Kuya Jake, and yon lang, gagawin lang namin yung role namin hangga’t sa kung saan kami makaabot ngayon,” Alfanta expressed.
For Napa, Alfanta’s maturity and patience during his gap year spoke volumes about his character. After a year of development behind the scenes, the Bulldogs are now ready to unleash him on the UAAP stage.
“Nag-give way siya sa mga veterans [last year]. Good thing pa rin naman sa kanya dahil may five playing years pa naman siya. Grinab lang niya yung opportunity na binibigay sa kanya. Yon naman yung usapan namin from last year na at least he understands yung situation niya. Hindi siya nagmadali, he was patient,” Napa said postgame.
“Hinintay talaga niya yung time niya for this year na magkaroon talaga siya ng opportunity. Yon talaga yung napag-usapan namin kasi alam namin at ng mga teammate niya kung ano yung capabilities niya talaga. We’re just waiting for the right time to showcase kung ano pwede niya ipakita.”
