Seven Gagate admitted that he received several offers from numerous schools during the course of NCAA Season 98.
Ultimately, the 18-year-old big man chose University of the Philippines.
And it’s because of one man — Goldwin Monteverde.
Seven’s older brother, Shannon Gagate, played under Monteverde’s coaching in Chiang Kai Shek in 2014, and then went on to play for the University of the East.
Shannon’s success under Monteverde’s tutelage gave Seven the confidence to trust Monteverde’s program and ultimately choose UP.
“Si Coach Gold din po ‘yung nagpunta po sa akin dito — Chang Kai Shek pa lang po ako, so trusted na po talaga.
“And siyempre po ‘yung school po mismo UP — gusto ko rin po talaga mag aral din po dito,” Seven shared.
Monteverde had his eye on Seven since he was recruiting Shannon, and knew that the young player’s height and athleticism would be a great fit for his system.
“Actually si Seven at that time… puwede nating sabihin batang-bata pa siya even sa basketball, but kasi ‘yung brother niya si Shannon [Gagate] ni recruit namin siya nun that time nasa 6-3 [‘yung height], and ‘yung sister ni Seven at that time si [Thea Gagate] nasa 5-11 na ata.
“Siyempre alam natin na pag may ganung atleta, alam natin may potential at malaking possibilidad talaga lumaki which is — ngayon 6-foot-8 [si Seven], siya pa pinakamalaki sa tatlo,” Monteverde said.
Despite the possibility of limited playing time, Seven is fully committed to trusting the process and improving his game under Monteverde’s guidance.
“Kasi ‘yung goal ko naman po talaga is magpagaling po talaga kasi kakatapos lang po ng high school,” Seven explained.
With five more years of eligibility in the UAAP, Seven has a bright future ahead of him.
And with Monteverde’s proven track record and the Fighting Maroons’ strong program, he’s in the best possible hands to reach his full potential as a basketball player.
