After a rocky debut season in black and gold, Kyle Paranada has finally found his rhythm — and a home — at the University of Santo Tomas.
The 5-foot-9 sharpshooter from San Diego, California, transferred from the University of the East after UAAP Season 85. He joined UST in Season 87 with hopes of revitalizing his career.
But the adjustment wasn’t easy.
His first year with the Growling Tigers was marred by inconsistency and limited touches as the team tried to rebuild from the ground up.
Now in his final year in UAAP Season 88, Paranada is finally showing what he was brought in to do — space the floor, hit big shots, and steady UST’s backcourt.
And just when fatigue threatened to drag the Growling Tigers down after a draining triple-overtime win against Ateneo, it was Paranada who rose to the moment.
UST, coming off a 98-94 thriller over the Blue Eagles last Saturday — the first triple-overtime game in the Final Four era — faced a quick turnaround against a youthful Far Eastern University squad on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
“I think it was a team effort for everyone — for me and my teammates. This game, we just came back from a triple overtime game, so the coaches said that it was gonna be a tough game no matter how [many] losses [FEU] got or how many wins we got,” Paranada said.
“We just kept playing hard until the end, and that’s the result.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The senior guard answered that call with one of his best performances yet. He dropped 19 points on a blistering 7-of-8 shooting clip, along with four assists, two rebounds, and a steal — leading UST to a commanding 92-80 victory and their best start (5-1) since 2015.
It was a statement game not just for UST, but for Paranada himself — proof that his shooting touch and leadership have finally come alive at the right time.
“I’m happy that anyone in our team can score, basically. That’s how deep our team is. In the next game, you don’t know who’s gonna get player of the game or who’s gonna score the most, and that’s how good our team is. We got a good and deep team where everyone is ready to play,” Paranada shared.
That depth has become UST’s backbone in its resurgent campaign, with the likes of Collins Akowe, Nic Cabanero, Forthsky Padrigao, and Gelo Crisostomo leading the charge. Meanwhile, role players Mark Llemit and Amiel Acido continue to provide timely boosts.
Against Ateneo, the quartet of Cabanero, Akowe, Padrigao, and Crisostomo combined for 80 of UST’s 98 points. Together, they spoiled the Blue Eagles’ home hosting of a UAAP game for the first time in over two decades.
But against FEU, it was Paranada’s turn to shine — the steady senior who reminded everyone of UST’s depth and maturity as a team.
That breakout could not have come at a better time. Before the FEU game, Paranada had been averaging just 6.4 points on 33.3-percent shooting through UST’s first five outings — far from the numbers expected of a senior guard.
“I’m happy to score and help my team win. They’re gonna need all the help they need because they’re getting scouted every game, so I am gonna relieve stress off their back by scoring and playmaking for them,” he said.
