Andwele Cabañero, the younger brother of Nic Cabañero, has solidified his role as an integral part of the University of Santo Tomas’ basketball grassroots program over the past year.
At just 14 years old, he played a pivotal role in the Tiger Cubs’ Final Four finish during the UAAP Season 86 Junior High School Basketball Tournament, alongside Lorenz Cinco, who has since moved up to the senior high ranks.
Looking ahead to Season 87, with UAAP’s 16-and-under basketball tournament now an official event, Cabanero found an ideal partner to elevate UST’s championship hopes – Junior MPBL MVP, Jhon Canapi.
Four games into Canapi’s UAAP debut, he made an immediate impact, setting a new scoring record with 35 points in the Tiger Cubs’ 100-77 victory over Ateneo on September 11.
He also averaged an impressive 29.6 points per game during UST’s three-game winning streak, which included triumphs over Adamson and inaugural champions National University Nazareth School.
For Cabanero, however, his teammate’s stellar start came as no surprise.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“He’s a good shooter and a go-to man when it comes to fast breaks,” Cabanero remarked, sitting beside Tiger Cubs head coach Noli Mejos after the game.
“Yes, inexpect ko na magiging ganito performance niya because I know that he can do it, but he needs to adjust to every game.”
With Lorenz Cinco now part of UST’s 19-and-under team, Canapi’s scoring ability provides immediate support to the Tiger Cubs, significantly easing the pressure on Cabanero.
The Cebuano guard observed that while Cinco primarily served as the team’s ball handler, Canapi is the offensive threat UST can rely on in clutch situations.
(C) UAAP Season 86 Media Team
“I think Canapi and Cinco are both scorers, but Cinco is more of a point guard. Canapi, on the other hand, is a shooter from the outside,” Cabanero explained.
This dynamic allows Cabanero more opportunities to run the offense and fulfill his duties as team captain.
He credited Canapi’s arrival with relieving some of the burden, but he also highlighted the contributions of UST’s entire Tiger Cubs squad – including co-captain Dustin Bathan, a transferee from San Beda-Rizal.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“We all have our own unique roles,” Cabanero shared. “As their team captain, I’m just doing what I can for the team to win… There are still other good players as well, like Bathan and my other teammates.
“Everyone is a shooter. I really have big trust in each one of them.”
