It wasn’t the fairytale ending that CJ Cansino had hoped for.
The UP Fighting Maroons came up short in their quest to bring back the UAAP men’s basketball crown to Diliman after faltering against the De La Salle Green Archers in Game 3 last Wednesday.
Cansino's last performance for the Fighting Maroons was quite unremarkable, as he finished the game with only five points, two rebounds, and two steals in 15 minutes.
Still, the UP community was more than proud of the effort put in by the team, most especially the graduating players in Cansino and Malick Diouf.
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But the question now stands: What’s next for Cansino after bidding the UAAP goodbye?
“Naghihintay pa kami kung ano 'yung opportunity na dumating and hopefully, kung ano man 'yun, siyempre iga-grab ko na lang 'yun,” Cansino told reporters after the game.
“As of now kasi hindi pa namin pinag-uusapan nung agent ko kung meron man or wala (na offer), so wala pa akong idea,” he added.
It’s safe to say that Cansino had quite the UAAP career.
From being the UST Growling Tigers' up-and-coming star—winning Rookie of the Year and notching a triple-double—to leaving the team amid a much-ballyhooed controversy during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to becoming a UAAP champion with UP. He also suffered two ACL injuries.
With everything the 24-year-old guard has gone through, there’s no doubt that he will receive offers from both local and international teams.
Only time will tell what is the next step in Cansino's basketball career.
But one thing is for sure, the UP community will be behind him no matter what.
(PM)