The UAAP Season 88 Men’s Basketball Tournament opened with uncertainty for the University of the Philippines, a program fresh off a championship run yet facing its first real test of resilience.
The Fighting Maroons stumbled out of the gates, suffering a stunning blowout loss to the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers. They then fell to the Adamson University Soaring Falcons after a last-second triple from Ray Allen Torres.
For a team built on system and depth, the post-JD Cagulangan, post-Quentin Millora-Brown era got off to a rocky start.
Transferee point guard Rey Remogat, Nigerian forward Francis Nnoruka, and key holdover Harold Alarcon all struggled in the early games, leaving fans wondering if the dynasty could hold.
But UP did not stay down for long.
Leaning on the program’s hallmark of resilience, the Fighting Maroons have since won 13 of their last 15 games, including a decisive Final Four victory over UST that booked a return trip to the Finals and kept their hopes of back-to-back titles alive.
In the Goldwin Monteverde era, the Fighting Maroons have yet to miss the Finals: five consecutive appearances, two championships, and now a chance for a third to send off the ‘Maroon 5’ in fitting fashion.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
For Monteverde, a bigger challenge awaits in a trilogy Finals clash against modern rival De La Salle University.
Yet the former Bullpups mentor takes pride in seeing his team overcome early adversity and live up to their lofty billing. It is an ethos synonymous with the university itself: honor and excellence.
“Well, as a coach, syempre, wala ka nang hihingin pa sa team, diba? Sa kung anong pinapakita nila in terms of yung effort na lumaban sa game. And to start yung season with a 0-2, I mean, coming together, you know, and being able to respond after the first two games natin,” Monteverde shared.
“And so, my part din, syempre, pag nakikita mo yung team itself na — lalo ‘tong mga ‘to kasama ko, maraming kaming ups and downs na ganyan. Pero alam ko rin lang that I trust na yung team would always, you know, bounce back. Babangon talaga. So for me, that in itself, I’m very proud of.”
In an era where dynasties are increasingly rare — especially after the most competitive elimination round in recent memory — UP’s streak of five straight Finals appearances, and six in the last seven UAAP seasons, stands as one of the league’s most enduring pillars.
But for Monteverde, the streak is not just a product of dominance. It also reflects a daily commitment to the unseen work behind the scenes.
The Fighting Maroons’ consistency is also the result of one of the league’s most stable basketball programs. While other teams navigate rebuilds, coaching changes, or player transfers, UP has returned to the league’s biggest stage year after year, forging an unprecedented standard of sustainability.
“Sa’kin, first of all, I’m gonna thank the Lord for that kasi, ano naman… Kumbaga sa amin naman, ang pinanghahawak na namin is yung effort na gagawin namin, yung araw-araw na practice namin, yung araw-araw na hirap namin. Sa akin, we’re just very thankful na God’s will umabot kami sa Finals of the game this year,” Monteverde explained.
“So, every year is a blessing for us. Ganoon din lang na alam namin sa sarili namin na whatever happens, kailangan as a person tuloy-tuloy yung pag-improve namin. Doon lang talaga yung mindset namin every year.”
Now, with another Finals clash against a determined Green Archers squad waiting, the Fighting Maroons are focused not on defending a legacy, but on earning the next piece of it.
