Games Sunday
(Blue Eagle Gym)
8 a.m. – Ateneo vs NUNS (Girls)
10 a.m. – UE vs Ateneo (Boys)
12 p.m. – UST vs FEU-D (Boys)
2 p.m. – NUNS vs AdU (Boys)
4 p.m. – DLSZ vs UPIS (Boys)
Defending champion University of Santo Tomas opens its title-retention bid in the UAAP Season 88 Boys’ Basketball Tournament with a daunting challenge, squaring off against Far Eastern University–Diliman on Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
The clash between two of the tournament’s perennial contenders is at 12 noon, following the curtain-raiser between the University of the East and Ateneo de Manila University.
Over in the girls’ tournament, with UST also the reigning champion, National University Nazareth School—bannered by new head coach Ai Lebornio and Aubrey Lapasaran—opens its redemption campaign against Ateneo at 8 a.m. to kick off the day’s five-game slate.
In Season 87, the Tiger Cubs leaned on the quartet of Finals MVP Racine Kane, Koji Buenaflor, Charles Bucsit, and Carl Manding to secure the program’s first title in 24 years, outlasting the National University Nazareth School Bullpups in a thrilling three-game Finals series.
However, with Buenaflor and company moving up to the collegiate ranks, head coach Manu Inigo is counting on skipper Kirk Canete, co-captains Charles Esteban and Wacky Ludovice, and forward Liam Acido to emerge as UST’s new leaders.
Across the court will be a largely intact Baby Tamaraws side composed of Gilas Youth member Cabs Cabonilas, Marc Burgos, Jheremy Godoy, Yosef Raneses, and JB Cagurungan.
Inigo believes that opening the season against a perennial contender like FEU-D will benefit a UST side carrying a target on its back as the defending champion.
However, FEU-D will be led by a new head coach in Mike Reyes, brother of TNT tactician and former Gilas Pilipinas Men head coach Chot Reyes.
Taking over from Denok Miranda last June 2025, Reyes admitted there is pressure to deliver in his first year with the program. Still, he believes that the Baby Tamaraws’ offseason progress puts them in a position to reclaim the title they last won in Season 85.
Following this matchup is a 2 p.m. showdown between the NUNS Bullpups and the Adamson University Baby Falcons.
With NUNS losing 10 key players to graduation last season—led by Season 87 inaugural Best Foreign Student-Athlete Collins Akowe, Migs Palanca, Mac Alfanta, and Jid Locsin—head coach Allan De Castro will lean on the continued development of Moussa Diakite, Shaun Lucido, and Rob Celiz as the program chases its first UAAP 19-under title since Season 82 in 2020.
