Expectations are high for University of the East’s 16-under team in the UAAP Season 86 Junior High School Basketball Tournament.
Unlike the 19-under Junior Warriors who finished in fifth place in the High School Boys’ tourney a couple of months ago, this batch comprises players personally recruited by Karl Santos and his staff.
“Siyempre, right now, we are one step closer to the Final Four. Siyempre, we still aim to improve our standings, but we remain positive because we’ve won a lot against UST,” said Santos after UE’s 101-76 victory over UST that earned them a share of third place last Sunday.
“This is what we expected from this team. I think we are now adjusting to the exposure provided by the UAAP.”
There have been several standouts for the Junior Warriors so far.
But for Santos, there are two Warriors ready to make the leap to the under-19 team next year.
These are 6-foot-4 forward from Tarclac Ethan Aguas and 5-foot-10 Cebuano floor general Louie Bual.
Aguas currently averages 13.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per contest, while Bual has been the glue of the team, averaging 9.4 points and 6.4 assists per contest.
“Well, this batch is promising because they were known to the coaches when they were recruited compared to our 19-under team. We were able to recruit players we were familiar with. I can say they are blue-chip prospects. They are the top-ranked players in their age bracket,” he said.
“I highly praise Louie Bual and Ethan Aguas. Right now, they are meeting expectations. I believe they will have a significant impact on next year’s team.”
Aguas, Bual, and the Junior Warriors will face the unbeaten NUNS Bullpups on Sunday to close out the elimination round.
And they are undeterred heading into the road game.
“We hope to put on a better performance against NU as we approach the Final Four.”
