While De La Salle University remains locked in the heat of the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament, the Green Archers already have one eye on their future campaigns.
Torijetsu “TJ” Adams — formerly of New Era University — has officially made the switch to Taft Avenue, joining La Salle as one of its future cornerstones.
The 6-foot-10 Nigerian center will be eligible to play for three seasons beginning in UAAP Season 89.
“We got the services of TJ Adams as one of our possible FSAs moving forward for Season 89,” said Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson after their hard-fought 72-69 victory over the UP Fighting Maroons last Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“We’re excited to have him and hopefully he will continue to help us with a lot of responsibilities that have been bestowed on him together with our other FSAs. He’s just gonna be another guy who will contribute to our cause.”
The addition of Adams could not have come at a more crucial time for La Salle, as veteran big men Mike Phillips and Bright Nwankwo are both in their final playing year.
Adams joins a stacked foreign student-athlete pool that already includes former Centro Escolar University standout Henry Agunnane and St. Clare College big man Moses Mandiria.
Competition among the three imports will be fierce, especially with the UAAP set to implement a rule starting next season that allows teams to enlist two foreign student-athletes but field only one per game.
Interestingly, the Green Archers already got a glimpse of what Adams can bring to the table earlier this year.
During their clash against the Hunters in the 2025 PinoyLiga Next Man Cup last March, Adams impressed with a dominant performance of 22 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks in La Salle’s 80-74 victory.
That preseason encounter also produced a memorable moment when Adams, still with New Era at the time, famously restrained former teammate Serafin Duarte after a brief scuffle with the Green Archers — a fiery scene that, in hindsight, served as an early introduction to his new squad.
For Robinson, Adams’ maturity and familiarity with Philippine basketball make him a valuable addition to La Salle’s long-term plans.
“He used to play for New Era. He’s about 6-foot-10. He’s been here for two years now so he’s pretty much aware of how basketball in the Philippines is being played. There’s a lot of experience from him and we’re just excited to get him on board,” said the Season 86 champion mentor.
