| Uaapseason: | 81 |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Team: | UST Growling Tigers |
| Elim Rank: | 6 |
| Final Rank: | 6 |
| Record: | 5–9 |
| Head Coach: | Aldin Ayo |
| Hcyear: | 1st |
| Asst Coach1: | Bonnie Garcia |
| Asst Coach2: | Randy Alcantara |
| Captain: | Marvin Lee |
| Captainyear: | 4th |
The 2018 UST Growling Tigers men's basketball team represented University of Santo Tomas in the 81st season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The men's basketball tournament for the school year 2018-19 began on September 8, 2018, and the host school for the season was National University.[1]
The Tigers finished sixth at the end of the double round-robin eliminations with 5 games and 9 losses. UST at one point during the second round was at fourth place in the standings, but they went on to lose all four of their remaining games and crashed out of the Final Four matches.[2]
They had an average losing margin of 21.0 points and an average winning margin of 9.8 points.
Two of the Growling Tigers' opponents gave them blowout losses in both rounds of the eliminations. The Ateneo Blue Eagles won over them by 32 and 40 points in each round, while the De La Salle Green Archers won by 27 and 41 points.[3] [4] [5] [6]
The 41-point loss to La Salle was the worst in the career of Aldin Ayo, the one-time back-to-back NCAA and UAAP champion coach.[6]
Returning fourth year point guard Renzo Subido was chosen Player of the Week by the UAAP Press Corps in the first round of eliminations for the duration of September 12–16, while rookie CJ Cansino received the citation twice on the weeks of October 10–14 and October 24–28.[7] [8] [9]
Cansino, the Season 80 Juniors MVP also made history when he became the first rookie to score a triple-double since UAAP statistics were first officially recorded in 2003. Against the UE Red Warriors in the second round, Cansino tallied 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.[9]
The Growling Tigers also recorded a single-game league best 59 rebounds in their opening game on September 8, 2018, against the NU Bulldogs.
Only big man Jeepy Faundo has graduated, but the team experienced an exodus of players before the start of the UAAP season.[10]
Regie Boy Basibas, who had suited up for the Tigers in their preseason games, and Joco Macasaet, their veteran center, were both faced with uncertainties regarding the league's age eligibility rules as both players were turning 25 within the school year. Both of them decided to move on from the team to play in the commercial leagues.[11]
Jordan Sta. Ana also played in the preseason, but decided to go on leave for personal reasons. He later announced his transfer to Letran.[12] [13]
The official lineup for UST's Season 81 campaign consisted of nine new players (eight rookies, one transferee), four holdovers and two returnees.[14]
With a champion coach tapped to handle the team, analysts have stressed how the team is still in a rebuilding phase and have once again predicted UST to miss out on a Final Four finish.[15]
| 5 | Regie Boy Basibas | 6' 3" | 4th | Age ineligibility | ||||
| 7 | John Jordan Sta. Ana | 6' 0" | 3rd | Transferred to Colegio de San Juan de Letran | ||||
| 8 | Oliver Wendell de Guzman | 5' 8" | 3rd | Nazareth School of National University | Transferred to Arellano University | |||
| 10 | Martin Arthur Romero | 6' 0" | 2nd | Academic deficiencies | ||||
| 14 |  | Ebenezer Godwin Kwawukumey | 5' 7" | 2nd | Academic deficiencies | |||
| 15 | Jeepy Faundo | 6' 6" | 5th | Graduated | ||||
| 16 | Justin Arana | 6' 5" | 4th | Basud National High School | Transferred to Arellano University | |||
| 17 | Jose Carlos Escalambre | 6' 2" | 4th | Academic deficiencies | ||||
| 18 | Leon Alfonzo Lorenzana | 6' 4" | 2nd | Transferred to the University of the East | ||||
| 19 | Christian Laurent Garcia | 6' 4" | 4th | Arellano University High School | Academic deficiencies | |||
| 20 | Vaughn Jorem Soriano | 6' 4" | 2nd | University of Santo Tomas | Relegated to Team B | |||
| 21 | Jon Cornelius Macasaet | 6' 3" | 4th | San Sebastian College-Recoletos | Age ineligibility |
| 2 | Ira Spencer Bataller | 6' 4" | 1st | Arellano University High School | Rookie | |||
| 4 | Mario Emmanuel Bonleon, Jr. | 6' 3" | 4th | Returning from Season 79 | ||||
| 5 | Henri Lorenzo Subido | 5' 9" | 4th | De La Salle Santiago Zobel School | Returning from Season 79 | |||
| 7 | Joshua Miguel Marcos | 6' 0" | 1st | La Salle Greenhills | Rookie | |||
| 8 | John Kenneth Zamora | 5' 11" | 2nd | Arellano University High School | Transferred from Arellano University | |||
| 10 | John Mark Lagumen | 5' 11" | 1st | Rookie | ||||
| 15 | Toby Bryan Agustin | 6' 1" | 1st | José Rizal University | Rookie | |||
| 16 | Nathaniel Cosejo | 6' 3" | 1st | De La Salle Santiago Zobel School | Rookie | |||
| 26 | Germy Mahinay | 6' 6" | 1st | San Beda University–Rizal | Rookie | |||
| 27 | Crispin John Cansino | 6' 2" | 1st | University of Santo Tomas | Rookie | |||
| 41 | Arnold Dave Ando | 6' 7" | 1st | Rookie |
| CJ Cansino | SG | 6' 2" | University of Santo Tomas | 5 Mar 2018 | ||
| 2018 NBTC rank: #5 | ||||||
| Germy Mahinay | C | 6' 6" | San Beda University–Rizal | 12 Jul 2018 | ||
| 2017 NBTC rank: #22 (Division 1 champion) | ||||||
| Joshua Marcos | SG | 6' 1" | La Salle Greenhills | 20 Mar 2018 | ||
| 2018 NBTC rank: N/A (Division 1 finalist) | ||||||
Aldin Ayo replaced Boy Sablan as head coach on January 11, 2018. The coaching change was announced by Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) director Fr. Jannel Abogado following Sablan's resignation on November 20, 2017, together with his entire coaching staff.[16]
Ayo, a former player of the 1998 and 1999 NCAA champion Letran Knights came into coaching prominence after leading the Knights to the 2015 championship on his first year and duplicating the feat when he jumped over to the UAAP to lead La Salle to the 2016 championship. At the end of Season 80, he made a decision to sign with UST where he will coach the men's basketball team for the next six years.[17]
Appointed as Ayo's deputies were McJour Luib, Kristoffer Co, Bonnie Garcia, Randy Alcantara, Jason Misolas, Nap Garcia, Ruden de Vera, Philip Go, Marvin Pangilinan, and Noel Zorilla.[18]
He was also the head coach of the Sta. Lucia basketball team in the PCBL in 2015, as well as a team consultant for the FedEx Express team in the PBA before becoming full-fledged coach in 2003. The former coach of the Manuel L. Quezon University Pythons also called shots in the MBA: for the Pampanga Dragons in 2000, and the Laguna Lakers in 1998 and 2001. He was an assistant coach of the Mapúa Cardinals under Atoy Co, and the San Beda Red Lions under Frankie Lim.[24] [25]
As a collegiate player, Garcia was the team captain of the three-time Metro Manila Universities Athletic Association (MMUCAA) champions, the FEATI University Hi-Flyers.[26]
He was chosen to replace Chris Cantonjos as the head coach of the UST Tiger Cubs.[27]
Alcantara was being seriously considered to replace Aldin Ayo as Letran's head coach but school officials eventually decided to hire Jeff Napa for the position.[30]
He was a former Mapúa Cardinal who played for the Tanduay franchises in the PBL and in the MBA for the Laguna Lakers under coach Bonnie Garcia. He was picked by the Formula Shell team in the third round of 1998 PBA rookie draft.[31] [32]
Akomo was also not able to play in the preseason due to a knee injury.[37]
See also: 2018 Filoil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup and Universities and Colleges Basketball League. The Filoil Preseason Cup games were aired on 5 Plus and ESPN 5. The UCBL games were aired on Solar Sports.
Elimination games were played in a double round-robin format and all of UST's games were televised on ABS-CBN Sports and Action and Liga.
| 13 | 2 | style= | 29.3 | 62 | 196 | 31.6 | 42 | 126 | 33.3 | 38 | 47 | 80.9 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 3.2 | style= | 15.7 | ||
| Marvin Lee | 14 | 13 | 29.0 | 59 | 181 | 32.6 | 44 | 141 | 31.2 | 39 | 41 | style= | 95.1 | 3.4 | 2.1 | style= | 1.4 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 14.4 | |
| CJ Cansino | 13 | 13 | 27.3 | 51 | 117 | 43.6 | 14 | 38 | style= | 36.8 | 50 | 63 | 79.4 | style= | 10.3 | style= | 3.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 12.8 |
| Steve Akomo | 4 | 1 | 25.4 | 15 | 28 | style= | 53.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | 16 | 56.3 | 9.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | style= | 1.8 | 2.3 | 9.8 | |
| Zach Huang | 14 | 12 | 22.7 | 40 | 100 | 40.0 | 1 | 9 | 11.1 | 35 | 53 | 66.0 | 6.0 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 8.3 | |||
| Germy Mahinay | 13 | 0 | 17.2 | 23 | 56 | 41.1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 12 | 22 | 54.6 | 5.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 4.5 | |||
| Joshua Marcos | 14 | 2 | 12.8 | 18 | 43 | 41.2 | 4 | 14 | 28.6 | 9 | 18 | 50.0 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 3.5 | |||
| Ken Zamora | 14 | 12 | 17.2 | 14 | 78 | 18.0 | 11 | 66 | 16.7 | 7 | 10 | 70.0 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 3.3 | |||
| Enric Caunan | 13 | 13 | 12.9 | 16 | 42 | 38.1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6 | 8 | 75.0 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 2.9 | |||
| Ira Bataller | 12 | 1 | 13.4 | 9 | 35 | 25.7 | 2 | 13 | 15.4 | 9 | 16 | 56.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 2.4 | |||
| Toby Agustin | 10 | 0 | 9.0 | 9 | 24 | 37.5 | 1 | 5 | 20.0 | 5 | 8 | 62.5 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 2.4 | |||
| Mario Bonleon | 8 | 0 | 5.9 | 5 | 17 | 29.4 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 4 | 6 | 66.7 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.9 | |||
| Nat Cosejo | 11 | 1 | 9.7 | 8 | 28 | 28.6 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 3 | 6 | 50.0 | 3.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.8 | |||
| Dave Ando | 2 | 0 | 6.2 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | |||
| JM Lagumen | 3 | 0 | 4.2 | 1 | 5 | 20.0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | |||
| Total | 14 | 40.0 | 328 | 954 | 34.4 | 121 | 426 | 28.4 | 226 | 313 | 72.2 | 44.8 | 12.9 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 17.1 | 72.1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponents | 14 | 40.0 | 440 | 834 | 52.8 | 86 | 313 | 27.5 | 182 | 257 | 70.8 | 44.5 | 16.4 | 5.9 | 4.8 | 13.0 | 82.0 |
Source: Imperium Technology
| Team | Kadayawan Invitational runners-up | 12 Aug 2018 | [43] | |
| Kim Lope Asis Invitational champions | align=right rowspan=2 | 29 Jun 2018 | align=center rowspan=2 | [44] |
| Renzo Subido | Kim Lope Asis Invitational MVP | |||
| Player of the Week | 12–16 Sep 2018 | |||
| CJ Cansino | Player of the Week | 10–14 Oct 2018 | ||
| 24–28 Oct 2018 |