After making a name for himself with University of the East in UAAP Season 85 in 2022, Gani Stevens surprised everyone by transferring to University of the Philippines in Katipunan.
Due to the league’s residency rules, the 21-year-old banger from Minnesota had to sit out for a year before finally donning the colors of the Fighting Maroons.
While a year may seem like a short time, for Stevens, it felt like an eternity. He navigated constant changes and adapted to an unfamiliar environment alongside a stacked frontline that includes Mark Belmonte, Dikachi Udodo, Sean Alter, and Quentin Millora-Brown.
However, Stevens’ patience and hard work finally paid off when he delivered his best performance for the Fighting Maroons, scoring 10 points on 3-of-3 shooting and grabbing four rebounds against the Adamson Soaring Falcons.
UP’s 70-59 victory over Adamson on Sunday afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Arena not only secured their sixth consecutive Final Four ticket, but also marked Stevens’ first trip to the semifinals in his UAAP career.
“Obviously, it’s my first year at UP, so sitting out was definitely hard. I was trying to find my rhythm and get adjusted. It’s nice to see the results of my hard work over the past two weeks. We’ve really focused on our defense and executing our offense,” shared Stevens, who played limited minutes for a total of four points in his first eight games at UP.
“One thing that has been on my mind since I had the chance to play in the UAAP was to at least make it to the Final Four and hopefully play for the championship,” he admitted.
To finally reach the Final Four definitely excites me, but just like coach (Gold Monteverde) and JD (Cagulangan) say, the job’s not done. We’ll continue pursuing our goals until we reach the championship.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Stevens downplayed the challenges of transitioning to his new role with the Fighting Maroons, crediting his teammates and coaches for supporting him during his move from Recto to Katipunan.
His adaptation was evident in their second-round victory over Adamson, where he doubled his previous scoring output from four points to 10 in a crucial win for UP.
“It feels good and is definitely something I can use to improve myself. Easing into this role has been easy because my teammates have been supporting me,” revealed the North Community High School product.
“My coaches have been working with me off the court, knowing what I can do. They’ve helped me find the fire I had and bring it to the games.”
Despite peaking at the right time and settling into his role with the Fighting Maroons, Stevens acknowledged the need for improvement as they shift their focus to clinching a vital twice-to-beat advantage and reclaiming the championship.
“Obviously, I think there’s a lot of room for improvement. I would have liked to have started this strong in the first round, but I’m here now and hope this trend continues as we aim for the championship and the Final Four,” he concluded.
“I’m just going to keep working hard and listen to my coaches and teammates.”
