Just a week after his stint at Utah Prep, Kieffer Alas has made his decision on where he will attend college.
He is coming home to the Philippines, but instead of wearing green, he will don blue.
Yes, the 6-foot-2 winger has committed to Ateneo de Manila University.
He made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon (Manila time), saying he chose Ateneo over a couple of other UAAP programs and some NCAA Division II schools because of one person: Tab Baldwin.
Over the past year, Baldwin made sure to keep tabs on Alas during his stay at Utah Prep, a gesture that ultimately played a major role in his decision.
“Coach Tab visited me multiple times here in the US, and I could tell he was really interested in me. They laid out their plan for me, what I could do in the future, and how they saw me as a big part of their program,” Alas told Tiebreaker Times.
“That was the main thing for me — the management and especially Coach Tab putting in the effort just to visit me here multiple times.”
(C) FIBA.basketball
Prior to heading to Utah Prep, Alas was the star not just of De La Salle Zobel but also of Gilas Pilipinas Boys.
During the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship 2023, he led Gilas Boys to a berth in the Under-17 World Cup. He averaged 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while earning a spot on the All-Star Five.
After missing the World Cup due to injury, he made sure his Grade 11 year with the Junior Archers would serve as redemption.
Alas averaged 20.07 points, 11.14 rebounds, 4.93 assists, and 1.07 steals per game over 14 outings, capturing the UAAP Season 87 MVP crown.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Following that breakout year, he decided to move to Utah Prep to play under Mark Dickel, a protégé of Baldwin.
“Firstly, it helped me in all aspects of my game. Other than that, my head coach here is Mark Dickel, who runs things somewhat similarly to Coach Tab since they’ve worked together for a long time, which would help with my transition to playing for Coach Tab,” shared Alas.
“As a person, it taught me to stay the course even when it’s hard, which helped me mature both on and off the court.”
Now, Alas looks forward to further growth under Baldwin, a former Gilas head coach known for developing players not just for the PBA but also for opportunities overseas.
“Playing under Coach Tab Baldwin is a great opportunity. He has developed a lot of successful players, and I’m excited to learn from him,” said Alas.
The 18-year-old now joins a bumper crop of Ateneo rookies for UAAP Season 89 that also includes Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Davao’s Rene Baterbonia, Ateneo de Cebu’s Jelo Rota and Jacob Lacson, and Ateneo de Manila’s Jay-M Leal.
He will also reunite with Jared Bahay, with whom he trained during his early days in the Gilas Boys pool.
“I will give my best to help hopefully bring Ateneo back to its winning ways.”
