The news that he emerged as the MVP frontrunner to close the first round of the UAAP Season 88 Junior High School Basketball Tournament barely excited University of the East team captain Goodluck Okebata.
Instead, he stressed that his main priority is successfully defending the title for the Junior Warriors.
The Filipino-Nigerian center is the clear favorite for the top individual award. He amassed a total of 99.714 statistical points, built on 19.57 points, 14.29 rebounds, 2.71 assists, 2.86 blocks, and 2.43 steals in the first round — holding a wide margin over University of Santo Tomas’ pint-sized guard Rowie Cabanero (91.286 SPs).
However, Okebata emphasized that personal accolades take a backseat. The 6-foot-4 standout from Lambunao, Iloilo, remains focused on upholding UE’s proud winning tradition in the UAAP 16-and-under division — a commitment he dedicates to the entire Junior Warriors community and to his former teammates like Mav Mesina, Gab Delos Reyes, and Jolo Pascual.
“Actually, I didn’t even know that I was one of the highest in the MVP rankings because I wasn’t even thinking that I was a part of the top 10 in the MVP race,” Okebata told Tiebreaker Times.
“Yung actual goal ko is to defend the title because I know how hard we are working now to defend the title and how hard we did to get the title last year. We are not only doing this for UE but also for our kuyas last year.”
Beyond the desire to keep the championship in Recto, Okebata stressed that winning MVP is the least of his concerns. He acknowledges the responsibility of stepping up as UE’s team captain amid a rocky title defense campaign in Season 88.
Despite his strong showing through the first eight games, a retooled Junior Warriors squad currently sits fifth in the eight-team field with a 5-4 record — struggling to keep pace with perennial contenders NUNS Bullpups, rival UST Tiger Cubs, and the FEU-D Baby Tamaraws.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Of course alam namin yan na ang panget ng record namin ngayon — not a good seed to be in because we’re aiming for the Final Four. And alam ko din halos all of my teammates is rookie, so I really need to step up as team captain,” the Gilas Pilipinas Boys’ pool member said.
“I also know na hindi papayagan and hindi susuko yung mga teammate ko kasi alam ko na lalaban sila and mag-step up sila. Alam ko din na alam na nila mga role nila sa team so I don’t need to keep reminding them because for me, they already understand the level of this game and they are ready for the challenge.”
To solidify his role as UE’s cornerstone, Okebata vowed to draw from the invaluable lessons he absorbed during the Junior Warriors’ championship campaign in Season 87 — wisdom passed down by his “brothers” Mesina, Delos Reyes, and Pascual.
Okebata was seen as the next man up to lead UE’s title drive after Mesina took his talents to the NCAA with Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Meanwhile, Delos Reyes and Pascual moved up to the Junior Warriors’ 19-and-under squad under head coach Karl Santos.
“Yun binabaon ko lang po na advice po is our saying from last year na one game at a time, kasi hindi ka pwede pumunta sa page one tapos page six ka agad. Kailangan mo muna mag-focus sa page one. Another advice na binabaon ko is walang iwanan kasi sa larong basketball is a team game,” he said.
“You cannot only [rely on] one player — kailangan mo lahat ng players na magtulungan. Not only in the court but also outside the court, kasi I see my teammates as family.”
