UP senior JD Cagulangan takes one last shot for the Fighting Maroons in finally finishing the team's redemption arc.
After ending a 36-year title drought in Season 84 three years ago, the UP Fighting Maroons are supposed to be the next great modern UAAP dynasty.
Instead, back-to-back Finals losses saw the Fighting Maroons fall short of their title aspirations.
Harold Alarcon felt the reality of it.
“Galing sa dalawang pagkatalo sa championships, [it] means a lot for us kasi sunod-sunod na championship ‘yun na hindi namin nakuha. Konti na lang pero hindi pa napa-sa’min,” Alarcon told in an exclusive interview with One Sports.
[ALSO READ: Kevin Quiambao, La Salle overcome UP to claim UAAP Season 86 title]
UP eyes to finally get over the hump this coming Season 87, parading a roster led by the returning seniors JD Cagulangan, Gerry Abadiano and reigning Rookie of the Year Francis Lopez.
The Diliman-based squad are also parading new recruits in Quentin Millora-Brown, Gani Stevens, former Gilas Youth prospect Jacob Bayla, and Nigerian foreign student-athlete Dikachi Udodo.
[ALSO READ: UP Fighting Maroons add 6'10" Fil-Am Quentin Millora-Brown for UAAP Season 87]
Coming off another Finals heartbreak against eventual champions La Salle, Abadiano and Cagulangan now carry the being the captain and co-captains of the team.
Cagulangan is returning for one more season as one of the veterans of the team after the departures of CJ Cansino and Malick Diouf.
His legacy has been secured after "The Shot," ending the title drought for the Maroons, becoming the prince that wasn't promised, but came along and came through, nonetheless.
While other possibilities opened for Cagulangan, he is adamant in ending his collegiate career on his terms.
“Since may one [more] year pa ko sa UP, gusto ko siyang tapusin talaga. Ito ‘yung last chance ko para sa pros…and yung [kagustuhan] namin bumawi this season, nandoon lagi," Cagulangan said.
“Gusto kong magtapos na may championship sa UP and alam ko namang gusto ng lahat ‘yun, gusto naming manalo.”
If there’s one thing that the Fighting Maroons learned from their strings of heartbreaks in the past, it is rising as a team heading to a new season, according to Alarcon.
“Mas lalo kaming naging buo as a team. ‘Yung chemistry namin naging solid,” Cagulangan said.
The 22-year-old guard remains in full faith in the new journey UP will navigate to reclaim the top spot in the men’s collegiate basketball scene, even flaunting their prowess by conquering the pre-season cup last June.
[ALSO READ: Francis Lopez keeps eye on UAAP title even after Fighting Maroons bag FilOil Preseason Cup crown]
“Maidadaan namin ‘yung season na’to by trusting the process, by trusting coach Gold [Monterverde] and the system. Alam ko naman and confident ako na kayang-kaya namin,” Lopez proclaimed.
Cagulangan, for his part, is optimistic that this batch of the Fighting Maroons will reach the ceilings of their individual talents that in return will help UP finally take home the crown.
“Personally, sakin gusto kong ma-reach 'yung potential ng team. Gusto ko lang makita na lahat ng teammates ko, nag-improve 'yung laro,” he said.
“Babagsak lang din siya sa potential ng team namin, which is ‘yung pinaka-goal namin.”