Six years after studying at Ateneo de Manila University but never taking the court in the UAAP, Dwight Ramos finally returned to the storied Blue Eagle Gym — this time not as a hopeful, but as a Gilas Pilipinas veteran, sharing the floor with familiar Ateneo faces like assistant coach LA Tenorio, Chris Newsome, and Japeth Aguilar.
The pandemic derailed Ramos’ chance to leave his mark in the UAAP and propelled him toward a professional career in the B.League.
Yet stepping back onto Ateneo’s campus stirred memories of a chapter that never fully materialized.
Though he never logged a single minute of UAAP basketball, the love and respect between Ramos and the Ateneo community runs deep.
“I was at Ateneo for a short time, so I’m not really sure if Ateneo claims me because I didn’t play,” Ramos admitted after contributing 19 points, seven rebounds, and two steals in the Philippines’ 95-71 win over Guam in Window 1 of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. “However, the love is mutual. I had some good memories here, and it was great to be back.
“Just being back at Ateneo makes me happy. I can remember my days and what my daily life was like before going pro.”
Carrying lessons from Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin — who also briefly led Gilas from June 2021 to 2023 — Ramos has evolved into a leader for a young Philippines squad featuring talents like Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, AJ Edu, and Quentin Millora-Brown.
In his fifth year with the national team at just 27, Ramos’ veteran presence was evident on Monday evening, helping Gilas withstand Guam’s second-half surge and secure a 2-0 start in the qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.
“I already feel old because I’ve been with the team for so long. Maybe I’m one of the younger guys, but I’m now also one of the veterans,” the 6-foot-4 guard said with a smile.
While Ramos celebrated his triumphant return to the Blue Eagle Gym, the Levanga Hokkaido guard is already setting his sights on the Philippines’ next challenge: a daunting two-game home stretch against regional powerhouses New Zealand (February 26) and Australia (March 1) in Window 2.
“Yes, we’re 2-0, but the next one is going to be tough because we’re facing New Zealand and Australia. Obviously, we need to keep getting better, but I think from the Asia Cup to now, we’ve already improved,” he said.
“We just need to keep building on this progress.”
#WATCH: Dwight Ramos — a former Ateneo commit who never had the chance to play in the UAAP due to the COVID-19 pandemic — relishes his return to the Blue Eagle Gym#ReadMore 👉https://t.co/0OhoMBBKgi
📹 Ernest Tuazon/Tiebreaker Times#LabanPilipinas #FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/nWhZTFtiRN
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) December 1, 2025
