The expectations are high for Season 86.
The UP Fighting Maroons might have lost Carl Tamayo and Zavier Lucero after Season 85, but if there’s one thing certain about this Diliman squad—it’s that they never fail to find replacements.
UP announced that the big three of College of Saint Benilde-La Salle Green Hills Greenies in Luis Pablo, Seven Gagate, and Joshua Coronel have committed to join the Fighting Maroons.
The trio featured in the 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship in Iran, where the Gilas Pilipinas Youth team finished sixth in the tournament.
But for those unfamiliar with the three, we got you covered!
1. Luis Pablo
Pablo was recently named Most Valuable Player in the NCAA juniors, and he played a crucial role in leading the Greenies to the finals. They may have bowed down to Andy Gemao and Colegio de San Juan de Letran Squires, but they earned their spot as a finalist.
At only 18 years old, the 6-foot-8 Pablo averaged 17.6 points, 13.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks during his final season in high school.
2. Seven Gagate
You probably know his sister, Thea Gagate, who is currently playing for the De La Salle Lady Spikers, but Seven Gagate has already made a name for himself in the NCAA.
The 6-foot-8 Gagate was included in the Mythical Team along with Pablo. For the season, Gagate averaged 15.6 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks, and was also awarded as the Most Improved Player.
3. Joshua Coronel
Arguably the most unknown out of the three, but if you’ve been following the Gilas Pilipinas Youth team, you would probably be familiar with Coronel.
During the 2022 FIBA U18 Asian Championship, Coronel averaged 6.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
The 6-foot-4 guard, however, sat out the NCAA season due to an ACL injury. Coronel is not expected to play in UAAP Season 86, but this will give him ample time to recover and get back to where he was before.