CJ Cansino bid farewell to his collegiate basketball career in the UAAP in heartbreaking fashion.
Forty minutes of back-and-forth action in the winner-take-all Game 3 of Season 86 Men’s Basketball between University of the Philippines and De La Salle University concluded with the Green and White on top, 73-69, ruining Cansino’s comeback year.
Back-to-back second-place finishes spelled the end of a tumultuous collegiate career for Cansino, one marred by multiple ACL injuries, a controversial change of school allegiance, and ultimately, a championship.
Despite the ups and downs in the former University of Santo Tomas captain’s time in the UAAP, that one taste of victory in Season 84 ultimately made all the struggles he faced worth it.
“Well, siyempre, kapag nag-champion ka kasi madadala mo na iyon for every day life eh. Sobrang thankful ako na nakakuha ako ng championship kahit isa lang sa UAAP career ko,” explained Cansino.
Despite how it ended, Season 86 remains a triumph for Cansino individually. Barely a year off of his last ACL tear, the 6-foot-3 wing led UP with averages of 12.46 points (a team-high) and 3.15 rebounds, impressing with his ability to score on all three levels.
With his impressive resume, the future ahead for Cansino outside of the Diliman campus remains bright, but he admits he has yet to consider his options.
“Well, naghihintay pa kami kung anong opportunity yung dumating. Hopefully, kong ano mang dumating siyempre… As of now hindi pa namin pinaguusapan ng agent kung meron man o wala, so wala pa akong idea,” the 24-year-old shared.
As he readies himself for a career in the pros, Cansino, alongside Malick Diouf, who is also set to graduate, gave his thanks to the UP community for their continuous support in his brief three seasons.
“Unang sa lahat siyempre nagpapasalamat kami ni Malick sa walang sawang suporta ng UP community. Malakas talaga sila makamahal, manalo, matalo, nagsusuporta sila so nagpapasalamat kami sa career namin sa UP.”
