For families deeply rooted in a school, there is always pride when one of their sons or daughters becomes a student-athlete for their beloved alma mater.
Such is the case of Miguel Yniguez, University of the Philippines’ 6-foot-5 forward, whose family includes not just alumni but even members of the UP academe.
As one of the Fighting Maroons tasked with defending their crown in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament, the transferee from San Francisco State carries the legacy of his grandparents Michael and Cinty Yniguez, and his father Alfredo Yniguez, among others in his family who studied at UP.
“My lolo and lola from my dad’s side; my dad studied at UP for a little bit; titos and titas; and I had some family that were professors in UP Los Baños,” he said.
“Feels good to make them proud and continue our last name in the school. I hope to just continue to make them proud and do what we do.”
Alfredo, in particular, played a pivotal role in his son’s transfer to UP. Life in NCAA Division II in the U.S. wasn’t progressing as hoped, and the opportunity to return home became appealing.
Being “maroon-blooded,” Alfredo encouraged his roots, and Miguel spent a year in residency while UP reclaimed the crown in a hard-fought series against De La Salle University. What drew him to follow in his family’s footsteps was the key figures behind the winning program.
“My Dad was actually super involved. I was looking for options after high school in terms of colleges, and my dad was like, ‘University of the Philippines, where I went to, is there for you if you wanna play there,’” explained Yniguez.
“At first, it was Coach Gold (Monteverde) and Coach Tom (Chua). I talked to them mostly. Once I was able to visit here in the summer 2-3 years ago, all the coaches gave me the confidence and all the players gave me all the confidence to end up in UP.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Given Yniguez’s size and skill, it was only a matter of time before he would make an impact in the UAAP — and he did just that inside the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, a venue considered “cursed” for the Fighting Maroons.
Coming in for Nigerian center Francis Nnoruka at the 4:54 mark of the third quarter with UP down 38-47 to National University, he seized the moment, scoring all eight of his points in that period to bring the Fighting Maroons within 48-49 of the Bulldogs.
In the UAAP, all student-athletes need is a chance to prove themselves to their teammates, coaches, and fans — and that’s exactly what the 22-year-old did. He became the spark off the bench that helped UP turn the game around.
“It feels super good. It just really feels good to have the trust of my coaches and my teammates, who hit me when I’m open. It felt good to finally deliver for them and help them win this game,” said Yniguez.
“Props to the game plan, all my coaches executing the game plan, and all my teammates executing defense and offense — we really pulled through in the end. It felt really good, honestly. Those were my first points in the UAAP. It just feels super great. It felt great to make the community proud.”
Now at 2-2 in the standings, UP is beginning to look like the defending champion everyone expects it to be. If the Fighting Maroons learned anything from their tough start, it’s to never take a game for granted.
With neighbor Ateneo de Manila University looming this Wednesday, Yniguez will certainly be a marked man after his breakout performance against NU. Not that he’s intimidated — he’s ready to lean on his coaches and teammates’ guidance to continue making his family proud.
“It’s a huge game,” he said.
“They have a lot of new talent, but I really trust in our game plan. I trust in all the players and coaches.”
#WATCH: Miguel Yniguez scores his first UAAP points, dedicating them to his lolo, lola, and dad, who are also all from UP ✊🏀
📹 @lorenzodelc /Tiebreaker Times
#UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/SxNQy3d6f0
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) October 4, 2025
