Determined, relentless, and unafraid to chase big dreams, Cebuano guard Fran Flores has carved his name into the UAAP spotlight — all by proving that talent and heart can outweigh size and early doubts.
Flores poured everything into his time with Casili Consolacion Cebu, treating each game as a proving ground to catch the attention of coaches from the NCAA and the UAAP.
Despite only drawing limited recruitment interest, Flores’s persistence never wavered.
His determination ultimately led him to Manila, where he showcased his skills with San Juan in the Milcu Sports Got Skills Basketball Tournament over the summer.
All he needed was one chance — and it came from the only school that believed in him.
With coach Alex Barrera extending an offer, the 15-year-old Cebuano found his breakthrough as Adamson University’s newest cornerstone for the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Basketball Tournament.
“Adamson lang talaga nag-try mag-recruit sa akin. Nakita nila ako maglaro sa San Juan doon sa isang Milcu na tournament tapos mula noon, sunod-sunod na,” Flores admitted.
Flores quickly justified the faith placed in him. He finished the first round sixth in the MVP race with 83.286 statistical points, averaging 16.71 points, 5.29 assists, 4.71 rebounds, and 3.29 steals across seven games — numbers that reflected his steady rise among the league’s top talents.
But Flores wasn’t done.
Eager to prove Adamson’s overtime first-round win was no fluke, he erupted for a career-high 31 points, leading the Baby Falcons to an elimination round sweep over defending champions University of the East Junior Warriors, 84-71, Wednesday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
With Flores’s consistent brilliance, Adamson maintained its pursuit of a Final Four berth, solidifying solo fourth place in the eight-team field with a 5-3 win-loss record.
Yet the 5-foot-6 guard remains grounded, insisting that his performances are simply his way of honoring the trust of the program that gave him a chance.
“Nagpapasalamat ako sa malaking tiwala na binigay nila sa akin at pangako ko na tuloy-tuloy na ito para sana makaabot kami ng Final Four,” he shared.
“Masarap sa feeling kasi first time ko lang makatapak sa ganitong stage ng UAAP ‘eh, tapos nakakakuha agad ako ng ganitong performances. Nagpapasalamat na lang talaga ako kay God.”
For head coach Dante Tongco — who took over from Barrera after Adamson finished Season 87 at seventh place with a 3-11 record — Flores has been instrumental in the Baby Falcons’ resurgence.
His efforts have allowed Adamson to compete toe-to-toe with perennial UAAP powerhouses like UE, National University-Nazareth School, FEU-Diliman, and UST.
“It’s a big thing na he can give a big effort, but it’s still going to be a team effort. Noong nakita ko nga na nandiyan na yung skills niya, sabi ko malaki yung magiging development ng team kasi meron kang cornerstone,” Tongco said.
Beyond scoring, Flores’s presence transforms the team by drawing defensive attention and creating opportunities for his teammates to shine.
“Napakalaki. I have to be honest with that, malaki ang tulong ni Fran. It makes the other teams focus on him rather [than] on focusing on the other players. That’s why the other players can step up anytime,” said Tongco.
“Kung titignan mo today, that 31-point performance was actually silent, but kung mapapansin mo nga, may points talaga na na-distribute sa lahat. Because of him, nagiging maganda yung development nung other players.”
