The Cabañero brothers made UAAP basketball history this season.
Hailing from Cebu, the siblings achieved a remarkable feat by both earning spots on the Mythical Teams of their respective divisions – an accomplishment unprecedented in the Final Four era of the league’s 87-year history.
Nic Cabañero secured his first-ever Mythical Team selection after leading the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers to a third-place finish.
He averaged an impressive 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Andwele finished as the runner-up in the MVP race, steering the Tiger Cubs to a second-place finish.
Andwele put up stellar numbers of 16.86 points, 9.43 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.79 steals, and 0.14 blocks per game.
“Yung sa akin, hindi ko talaga inexpect na magkakaroon ako ng individual award,” Nic admitted. “So happy and blessed. Hindi ko makukuha yung individual award kung hindi dahil sa team ko at sa UST community, especially sa family ko.
“Pero kay Andwele, talagang ine-expect ko na makukuha niya yung award niya. Malaki talaga yung expectation ko sa kanya,” added Nic, who is six years older than Andwele.
Nic has always been Andwele’s biggest supporter, even waking up early in the morning despite his own school and training commitments to watch his younger brother’s Junior High School games.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
However, Nic was heartbroken when Andwele was suspended for the deciding Game 3 of the Junior High School Finals after receiving two unsportsmanlike fouls (Category 2) during Game 2.
“As a brother, siyempre malungkot ako kasi nawala yung moment na yun para sa kanya,” Nic shared.
But Nic believes the setback will only make Andwele stronger in the long run.
After all, Andwele still has at most a decade of eligibility in the UAAP if he continues on to both the 19-and-under high school division and collegiate competition.
“Matuto siya sa nangyari na ‘to and it will only make him stronger,” Nic concluded, drawing from his own experiences of heartbreak and defeat before not only winning an individual award but also earning a spot on the UAAP podium.
“Nandito lang ako to support him.”
