2024 UST Growling Tigers basketball team

The 2024 UST Growling Tigers men's basketball team represented the University of Santo Tomas in the 87th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The men's basketball tournament for the academic year 2024–25 began on September 7, 2024, and the host school for the season was the University of the Philippines.^[1]

The Tigers made it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 after finishing the double round-robin eliminations at third place with 7 wins against 7 losses. It was also the first time in eight years when a bottom-ranked team qualified to the semifinals the following season. The Adamson Soaring Falcons, who had a 3–11 record in 2015 ended up as the fourth-ranked team in 2016.^[2][3][4][5]

UST, however, lost to the second-seeded UP Fighting Maroons in their Final Four match and ended their season at the podium as second runners-up.^[6]

They had an average winning margin of 11.9 points and an average losing margin of 10.0 points. Two of their games resulted in blowouts, with the Tigers losing against the De La Salle Green Archers by 21 points in the first round and then winning over Adamson by 26 points in the second round. Their second-round game against the Archers resulted to a 7-point overtime loss.^[7][2][8]

Nic Cabañero was selected to the Mythical team during the presentation of awards. He was ranked sixth in the players' MVP tally with 61.0 statistical points and was the league's second leading scorer with an average of 16.3 points per game. He had a season-high of 27 points in their second-round game against the UE Red Warriors.^[9][10]

Third year veteran Forthsky Padrigao, who had transferred from Ateneo led the league in assists with 6.1 per game, while rookie Amiel Acido was chosen Player of the Week by the Collegiate Press Corps during the final week of the elimination rounds in late November.^[11][12]

The Growling Tigers presented 18 players for the UAAP media day photo shoot on August 29, 2024. The roster was finalized on September 5, 2024, with forward Lorenzo Bangco and Nigerian center Peter Osang getting cut from the official 16-man lineup.^[13][14]

A total of nine players have departed the Growling Tigers' 2023 roster, with notable transfers by some of their blue chip recruits, and the consequent abandonment of the team by their foreign student-athlete.

UST has struggled for the past three seasons since the Sorsogon bubble controversy that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The team has managed to win only six out of the 42 games that they played. The revamp of the roster was the result of a year-long transitional period, since returning coach Pido Jarencio inherited a lineup of players who were recruited during a series of rebuilding phases. The Tigers took their time in building a competitive team by scouting and recruiting players while the basketball tournament was still ongoing last season.^[16][17]

The official lineup for UST's 2024 campaign consisted of seven holdovers and nine new players, with two rookies, six transferees, and a new foreign student-athlete. Among the rookies are the 2023 NCAA Juniors MVP Amiel Acido, and Zain Mahmood, who was a member of the Under-16 national team that competed in the 2022 FIBA Asia Championship in Qatar. The two freshmen are both eligible for five playing years beginning in Season 87.^[18][19]

Acido was named the third best high school player for 2024 by the National Basketball Training Center, from being 11th in 2023. He averaged 17.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 18 games while playing for the Perpetual Junior Altas. He was being recruited by former assistant coach McJour Luib to the UST Tiger Cubs' roster in 2020, before the pandemic, but chose to play for Perpetual after the bubble fiasco.^[20][21][22]

Mahmood, a 6-foot-7 Filipino-Canadian center with Pakistani roots, averaged 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in the six games that he played during the 2022 U-16 FIBA Asia Championship. He also played for the Fil-Nation Select team in the 2023 NBTC National Finals, where he averaged 6.8 points and 3.6 rebounds. He was recruited out of Maranatha High School in California, where he averaged 13.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20 games for the Minutemen as a high school senior.^[23][24]

Among the transferees are Forthsky Padrigao, a member of the Mythical five and champion team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles in 2022, and Filipino-Americans Kyle Paranada, Chase Lane, Leland Estacio, and Geremy Robinson.

Padrigao, the 11th ranked NBTC player in 2019, averaged 11.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.4 steals per game in Season 85, earning for himself a runner-up finish to the MVP race.^[25][26]

Paranada averaged 11.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in Season 85 with the UE Red Warriors. He averaged 23.5 points per game in his senior high school year with the Montgomery Aztecs in San Diego.^[27][28]

Estacio, a transferee from West Valley College in California, averaged 3.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12 games playing as a sophomore for the Vikings. In the preseason, while completing his year-long residency with UST, Estacio earned the PinoyLiga Next Man Cup MVP honors.^[29][30]

Replacing Senegalese center Adama Faye as the team's foreign student-athlete is Malian Mo Tounkara. Tounkara, who was recruited by former Growling Tigers head coach Jino Manansala had played in numerous FIBA-sanctioned 3x3 tournaments in Mali. His Le Centre Mamoutou Kané de Kalabancoro (CMK) team placed third in the second leg of the Habib Sissoko 3x3 tournament in Bamako in October 2020. He was an alternate player of the U-19 Malian national team that competed in the 2021 FIBA World Cup in Latvia.^[31]

Former La Salle head coach Juno Sauler joined the Tigers' bench as an assistant coach on January 10, 2024. He has been an assistant coach of the San Miguel teams, first with Barangay Ginebra, and presently with the Magnolia Hotshots in the PBA, since his tenure ended with the Green Archers in 2015. He was also the head coach of the La Salle women's team that won a three-peat from 1999 until 2001. He became the Archers' head coach in 2013 and led the team to the championship against UST on the same year.

Former PBA player and longtime San Miguel Beer assistant coach Peter Martin was also hired as deputy tactician. Alfrancis Chua, San Miguel Corporation's sports director and UST's Special Assistant to the Rector had revealed in an interview that he particularly instructed the inclusion of Sauler and Martin to the Tigers' coaching staff.^[40]

Assistant coach Lester del Rosario, meanwhile, was reported to have departed Jarencio's coaching staff in January.^[41]

The Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup games were aired via livestream on the Facebook pages of Filoil EcoOil Sports and Smart Sports, and Filoil EcoOil Sports' YouTube channel.

Elimination games were played in a double round-robin format and all of UST's games were televised on One Sports and the UAAP Varsity Channel, and livestreamed through the Pilipinas Live app.

Despite a consensus among sports analysts that last year's finalists, La Salle and UP would once again dominate the tournament this season, SPIN.ph has tabbed UST, along with UE and NU as contenders, aside from the top two UAAP teams. The Growling Tigers, in particular, bring with them much anticipation, due to the recruitment of their blue chip players in the offseason. Transferees Padrigao, Paranada, Lane, Estacio, Robinson, and Ice Danting had a full year of training together and have familiarized themselves with each other during that period.^[42]

Expectations among the team and the UST community were high, that Jarencio projected a Final Four finish for the Tigers. UST ended last season at last place with only two wins. It was a period of transition, where his recruits needed to establish their one-year residencies first. Jarencio's coaching system also took time for players to adjust to, since the team has undergone three coaching changes in the post-pandemic era.^[44]

Cabañero, the league's scoring leader for the past two seasons, will finally get the much-needed support from his new teammates. Having Padrigao and Paranada, two of the league's best guards from Season 85 solves the team's ball handling and playmaking problems, something that the Tigers experienced in the past seasons and even saw Cabañero taking on the point guard duties at times.^[46]

UE Red Warriors

The Growling Tigers showcased their overhauled roster on the opening day of the basketball tournament with a 15-point, 70–55 win over the UE Red Warriors. With the score tied at 6–all in the first quarter, UST went on a 25–7 run that lasted until the middle of the second period. UE's Welo Lingolingo scored four straight points to stop the rally, but Cabañero was able to answer with a three-point shot to put the Tigers ahead at 36–19 at the end of the half. The Warriors made some runs but went unsuccessful in trimming down UST's double-digit leads.^[47]

Mo Tounkara made heads turn with his all-around game, earning for himself the match's Best Player recognition. The selection of the team's foreign student-athlete was made only three days prior to the start of the UAAP season. Aside from the Malian Tounkara, Nigeria's Peter Osang was also a member of UST's training pool, and both players have shown the skills deserving of a spot in the roster. But with only one FSA allowed by the league, the choice went to Tounkara, who scored 13 points, on 6-of-9 shooting against the Warriors.^[48][49][14]

Cabañero received ample scoring support from his teammates, but still came out leading them with 14 points. Padrigao and Paranada had a lot to do with the balanced scoring with their combined 12 assists. It was a total team effort as the Tigers recorded 24 assists, doubling UE's total of 12 in the game. UST's defense was also able to limit their opponents to only 16 field goals.^[50]

Ateneo Blue Eagles

UST defeated the Ateneo Blue Eagles for the first time in nine years, breaking a 17-match losing streak against them after winning, 74–64 on September 11.

The Tigers relied on a steady fourth-quarter effort to overcome their opponents' 8–3 run at the start of the period. Tounkara spearheaded UST's counterattack with their own 16–0 run to flip Ateneo's four-point lead to their advantage at 72–60. The Eagles were held scoreless for seven minutes, until Sean Quitevis made both his free throws with under a minute left in the game.

It was another game for the Tigers where they shared the ball effectively, combining for a total of 22 assists. Padrigao had a game-high 9 dimes, as Cabañero added 4 of his own. UST was also able to limit their errors with only 7 turnovers in the game.

Tounkara and Gelo Crisostomo both finished for the Tigers with double-doubles, as both scored 16 points, with the Malian collaring 14 rebounds, and the sophomore forward getting 10 of his own. Cabañero and Mark Llemit also finished in double digits with 11 and 10 points respectively.^[51]

Adamson Soaring Falcons

The Adamson Soaring Falcons dealt UST their first loss in three games, as they pulled away from a close first half to end the game at 69–56. The Tigers, trailing 32–33 at the half, opened a 5–0 rally led by Cabañero to start the third period. It was then when Adamson's Joshua Yerro hit a floater to tie the game at 37–all. It was enough to spark a scoring blitz as former Tiger Royce Mantua made a three-pointer to cap their 19–6 run and gave their team a 17-point lead heading into the final period. UST could not get their groove going as they watched their deficit increase to 20 at 47–67, late in the game. Cabañero was the only player who scored in double digits for the Tigers with 16 points, that included three three-pointers. Padrigao made six out of the team's total 17 assists.^[52][53]

NU Bulldogs

The Growling Tigers relied on a gutsy step-back jumper from veteran point guard Forthsky Padrigao in the last 30 seconds to escape with a 67–64 win over the NU Bulldogs. They were trailing, 53–60 midway in the final period, when Cabañero converted on a basket to begin an 8–0 run. The Bulldogs' Steve Nash Enriquez split his charities to tie the game at 61–all, but Cabañero was able to hit a three to give UST back the lead. NU was able to tie again after Jolo Manansala made his own three, off the backboard. It was then that Padrigao, finding himself across NU's 6-foot-5 Kenshin Padrones off a switch, made the surprising jump shot for the lead.

Tounkara finished with another double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cabañero added 14 points, and Christian Manaytay, despite committing a game-high 6 turnovers, was able to finish with 10 points to help the team notch the win.^[54]

De La Salle Green Archers

UST suffered a 21-point blowout loss at the hands of the De La Salle Green Archers. The Tigers were in control at the start the game, leading 9–2, but the Archers erupted with a 17–9 rally to wrest the lead at the end of the quarter at 19–18. UST could not keep up with La Salle's dominance inside the paint and caused their players, particularly, Tounkara to end up in foul trouble. The Malian big man had to sit out for long stretches and was limited to playing for only 20 minutes. The Tigers committed a total of 22 team fouls, giving their opponents 28 bonus shots against only 9 for their team. They were also outrebounded, as a result of avoiding more contact, 29–56.

Trailing by only six points at the half, UST was again subjected to an 11–4 run, allowing La Salle to pull away at 47–34. A couple of rallies by the Tigers narrowed down the opponents' lead by seven, but the Archers' firepower was too much that they ended up getting outscored in the final period at 27–15.

Cabañero led the team in scoring with 16 points on a 7-of-11 field goal. Padrigao, making four three-pointers in the game, finished with a season-high 15 points. Amiel Acido, who contributed 9 points, was also able to make three three-point shots, as he and Llemit pulled the Tigers to within seven, at 52–59 late in the third period.^[55][7]

UP Fighting Maroons

The Growling Tigers had looked to snap UP's unbeaten 5–0 record with a strong start. Tounkara scored 11 of his game-high 21 points in the first quarter to tow his team to a 23–16 lead. The Maroons found their stride and began to stage a comeback in the middle of the second period, with Quentin Millora-Brown and Francis Lopez spearheading the rally. They finally overtook the Tigers when UP's Harold Alarcon sparked a 10–0 run in the second half, coupled with their suffocating defense on UST to cause them to miss their own baskets. Manaytay converted on an undergoal layup to start the fourth period, but his team would proceed to suffer from a six-minute drought, until Cabañero's free throws put a stop to it at the 2:37 mark. Tounkara suffered a sprained ankle after landing on the foot of UP's Terrence Fortea and had to sit out for majority of the period. The Tigers ended up getting outscored, 28–41.

Three players ended up scoring in double digits for the Tigers, as Cabañero and Padrigao finished with 15 and 14 to add to Tounkara's near-perfect 9-of-10 field goal shooting. Padrigao dished out a total of 7 assists, but committed 7 of the team's total 24 turnovers.^[56][57]

FEU Tamaraws

UST ended the first round with a win over the FEU Tamaraws and have already doubled their total wins from last year's entire campaign. Padrigao fueled the drive, dishing out a league-best of 11 assists, on top of his 14 markers. Two of Padrigao's total assists were made during the last two minutes, while the Tigers were keeping the Tamaraws at bay. FEU had threatened, chopping the lead down to five, at 75–70, when the veteran point guard executed a perfect inbound pass to a driving Cabañero for the basket. This was followed by a dish to Tounkara who converted and increased their lead to nine. Five players scored in double figures, while limiting their turnovers to just seven for the second time in the season.

Tounkara, like Padrigao, also had a double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds, on a 9-of-18 field goal shooting. The Tigers had more shot opportunities, outnumbering their opponents, 83–67, and were also able to outrebound FEU, 54–42.^[60]

The Growling Tigers ended the first round of eliminations with a 4–3 record, their best start in the post-pandemic era. Two of UST's losses came from Season 86 finalists La Salle and UP. While the Tigers kept it close, the Archers and Maroons pulled away late to win by double digits. In their game against UP, they led for three quarters before the Maroons made a 21–4 run, exposing fatigue on the team's starters. UST has added new talents this year, but the depth of their bench has not been seen in a lot of their games, as they ended the first round having the worst record of only 22.6 bench points. The coaching staff will have to figure out the right combination of players to field in the next round, along with strengthening their game plan on rebounding and defense.^[61]

Padrigao has shown his elite-level playmaking, despite taking some time to adjust in his new team. He was finally able to score in double digits after three games, where he previously averaged only 4.3 points on a 20 percent field goal shooting. The next games saw him finishing with 15, 14, and 14 points.

Reflecting on their losses, Padrigao pointed out that among their weak points were their turnovers, where the Tigers averaged 14 in the first round. Padrigao himself had the highest in the team with 3.7 turnovers per game.

With the Tigers' individual performances, Tounkara and Cabañero were just behind La Salle's Kevin Quiambao in scoring with 14.0 and 13.6 points per game. Padrigao led the league in assists with 7.2 per game.^[63]

UP Fighting Maroons

A late-game comeback by the UP Fighting Maroons resulted to a ten-point, 73–83 loss for the Growling Tigers. UST was leading through three quarters, and was up by three at 62–59 going into the final ten minutes of the game. The Maroons, however, found their offensive rebounding going and were able to score their second-chance points, as they ended up outscoring the Tigers, 24-11 in the fourth period. Padrigao shot a three-pointer to give his team a four-point cushion at 65–61, before UP erupted for a four-minute 16–2 rally, beginning at the eighth minute mark.

The game saw six ties and eight lead changes, with UP operating in the paint to outscore UST, 34–28. The Tigers' on-point three-point shooting was what kept them in the game, but when UP overtook the lead, the Tigers went on to take poor shot selections, which resulted to 55 missed attempts, even as they had more chances to score. They had 77 field goal attempts, while the Maroons only had 59.

Tounkara led in scoring with a season-high of 24 points. Cabañero and Manaytay added 17 and 12 points, respectively.^[65]

De La Salle Green Archers

La Salle averted a 20-point collapse against a comebacking UST as they escaped with a 94–87 overtime win. The Tigers fell prey to the Archers' 14–0 opening run, and had to play catch up for majority of the game. They were able to erase the La Salle's 74–61 lead with a 19–6 rally with four minutes gone in the fourth period. Paranada hit a three-pointer, followed by a Cabañero basket on a fast break, pulling UST to within one, at 79–80, with 52 seconds left. Padrigao was sent to the free throw line after an unsportsmanlike foul was called on the Archers' Mike Phillips at the 24-second mark. The veteran point guard, however, could only manage to split his charities, bringing the score to 80–all. With the ball still in their possession, UST made two bad plays with poorly-executed three-point attempts, the second coming from Padrigao in the closing seconds, sending the game into overtime.

One of the things that the Tigers had going for them was how they forced the Archers to commit 26 turnovers, allowing themselves to post a league-best team total of 15 steals in the game. UST, however, was unable to score in the first four minutes of the overtime period. La Salle's Quiambao and Phillips took over as their team held the Tigers at bay with a seven-point, 89-81 lead, going into the final three minutes. The extra period had turned into a free throw shooting contest, as team foul penalties were carried over from the fourth quarter. The Archers were making their foul shots, while UST struggled to convert theirs. Paranada, in particular missed both charities as the Tigers could only make one of the team's four attempts. La Salle, in contrast, made all seven free throws.^[8]

UST has suffered back-to-back losses in the second round and are now under .500 with a 4–5 record. They have not defeated La Salle since the second round of the 2015 season.

Cabañero led four players in double-digit scoring with a double-double of 23 points and a season-high of 12 rebounds. Tounkara earlier got ejected from the game with 3:28 left in the fourth quarter after incurring a second technical foul for taunting gestured on two La Salle players.^[67]

Ateneo Blue Eagles

Ateneo negated UST's home court advantage with a 67–64 victory at the Quadricentennial Pavilion on October 19. Since 2022, the UAAP has held basketball games at the Growling Tigers' gym whenever the Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena both become unavailable due to booking conflicts. UST has not played any UAAP games at the said venue prior to their match against the Blue Eagles.^[68]

The Tigers had missed the services of Tounkara, who had served a one-game suspension from incurring two technical fouls in their previous game. The game began with Ateneo speeding off to a 17–4 run, as UST played catch up for almost the entire match. They had come within two in the last 16.6 seconds, at 62–64, but a turnover by Padrigao resulted to a basket by the Eagles' Quitevis, extending the lead to four. Paranada answered with a lay-in, after which, they fouled Ateneo's Ian Espinosa to stop the clock. Espinosa split his free throws. Down 64–67, UST had the chance to equalize, but Ateneo's Chris Koon was able to steal off Manaytay after an errant pass as the game clock expired. The Tigers have now lost three straight games with a 4–6 record.^[69]

Cabañero led in scoring with 18 points, as Crisostomo, playing longer minutes in Tounkara's absence, added 16 and collared a season-high 16 rebounds, on top of 3 shot blocks.^[70]

FEU Tamaraws

The Tigers' aspiration for a Final Four berth had a resurgence with their second-round win over the FEU Tamaraws, while also ending their three-game losing streak. They were also able to stop FEU's two-game winning streak, even as Tamaraw rookie VJ Pre scored 31 points. Tounkara's return to the roster was evident as he finished with another double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, on top of two shot blocks.^[71]

NU Bulldogs

UST lost steam in the fourth quarter, resulting to a 62-67 loss against the NU Bulldogs. They were leading at 55–47 at the end of the third period, but NU went on a six-minute, 17–3 run to take the lead at 64–58. The Tigers would go on to score just two points, on a 2-of-16 clip in the next ten minutes, as both teams struggled to convert. Paranada shot a three-pointer in the last three minutes to pull his team to within three, but the Bulldogs were able to keep them at bay with their free throw shooting. They ended up making 3-of-4 charities for the win. In the end, UST's poor shooting resulted to a low 7-point fourth quarter output.

Tounkara had another double-double of 15 points and a season-high 18 rebounds. Cabañero added 19 points to lead his team in scoring. The Tigers have now lost four of their last five games and had slid down to a 5–7 record.^[72][73]

UE Red Warriors

The Tigers kept their Final Four hopes alive with a 76–67 win over the UE Red Warriors. They began the game with a 15–5 run, with Tounkara scoring three straight baskets. Another 20–3 run to start the second quarter propelled UST to a 41–14 lead. The Warriors made some stops and outscored the Tigers, 14–7 to trim down the lead at halftime, at 28–48. They also outscored UST, 17–12 in the third period, but the Tigers went on another run in the final quarter to increase their lead from 15 to 27. It was in this stretch when UE's Precious Momowei was ejected from the game after incurring a second unsportsmanlike foul. Momowei had caused injuries to UST's players, with his elbow inadvertently landing on Tounkara and Crisostomo on separate plays.^[74]

The Warriors made a late-game rally, chopping down UST's lead to just five, after a 14–2 run in the final three minutes. Cabañero bailed the Tigers after scoring a three-point play for the win. He led the team with 27 points, on an 8-of-16 shooting. 19 of his total points were scored in the first half. Crisostomo and Manaytay added 14 and 10 points, respectively, while Tounkara contributed 12 rebounds. The Tigers are now just half a game behind the third-seeded Warriors, with only a game remaining in the elimination rounds.^[75][76]

Adamson Soaring Falcons

The Tigers qualified to the Final Four for the first time in five years after a dominant, 75–49 win against the Adamson Soaring Falcons. UST needed a strong second half outing to shake off their resilient opponents, who had threatened to within one after Mantua shot a three-pointer at the end of the first twenty minutes of the game.^[2]

Rookie Amiel Acido, coming off the bench, led UST to a six-minute 19–0 run for a 21-point, 52–31 lead. The Falcons had kept up for the first three minutes of the third quarter, with Adamson's Mathew Montebon firing a three of his own to pull his team within two, at 31–33. It would prove to be their last act of resistance as the Tigers held them to only four points in the quarter. UST's run continued to the final period, scoring 24 more points against the Falcon's 9, behind a steady three-point shooting from their players. Their lead went up to as high as 27 points, at 67–40, with Paranada converting one from beyond the arc in the final 44 seconds. Besides their strong offense, the Tigers were also able to limit Adamson to a game-low of 16 field goals.^[77]

The win marked the end of the elimination rounds assignment for UST, where they finished at a .500 record of 7–7, and assured themselves of a solo third seeding going into the semifinal round. Acido, who played his best game of the season, led the Tigers with 14 points, anchored on four three-pointers and a near-perfect 5-of-6 field goal. Eight of his total point output were scored in the third quarter. The team made a total of 13 three-point shots, with Paranada and Crisostomo contributing three apiece. Tounkara had another double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds, on top of 3 shot blocks. Cabañero, who was six points shy of a third-straight scoring title, finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Crisostomo added 11 rebounds, while Padrigao and Paranada each made 6 assists.^[78][79]

UP Fighting Maroons

UST lost their Final Four match against the second-seeded UP Fighting Maroons, 69–78. Faced with a twice-to-win disadvantage, the Tigers set the pace in the first half, as they led, 35–33 going into the break. Meeting for the third time this season, UST had always led in the early part, only to be overtaken by UP in the second half. In this semifinal game, the Maroons went on a 21–4 scoring barrage to turn the Tigers' 40–34 lead to their advantage, giving UP their biggest lead of the game at 11, at 55–44. The Maroons' Alarcon led the second-half uprising as he scored 14 of his 16 points in the said period. UST ended up getting outscored, 15–24 going into the last 10 minutes of the game, as their opponents took full control until the end.^[80]

Cabañero, Padrigao, and Paranada conspired to bring UST to within five, at 61–66 in the last 5:29, before allowing the Maroons to score six straight points. To compound their woes, Padrigao was ejected from the game with 3:24 left after he was called for a second unsportsmanlike foul while guarding UP's Millora-Brown. Manaytay brought the lead down to eight, at 64–72 with a three-pointer in the last 2:35, but the Maroons made another six-point run, leaving UST behind in their trail. Paranada, Cabañero, and Crisostomo scored 12 points apiece, as Manaytay, playing his last game as a Growling Tiger, added 10 points and 8 rebounds.^[81]

Despite not making it all the way to the championship, the Growling Tigers have already surpassed all three of their past post-pandemic season performances this year. Their seven wins in the elimination rounds have outnumbered the combined 6–36 record from Seasons 84 to 86, and after making it to the Final Four for the first time since 2019 as the third-seeded team, a repeat for the next coming seasons is not far-fetched. The system that the coaching staff began putting in place last year is now up and running with San Miguel Corporation's continued backing and the quality of players coming in from their recruitment. Since assuming the position as envoy between San Miguel and the UST management, Alfrancis Chua has promised to deliver results for the basketball program and make them constant contenders for the coming seasons.^[83]

Earning a third seeding in the Final Four was indeed, difficult. Their three-game losing streak in the second round made the task improbable. They struggled defensively, having the second-worst defensive rating of 71.8 points in every 100 possessions was proof. They were most vulnerable when guarding pick-and-rolls by the opposing teams, where they allowed the third-highest points made by the ball handler as a result of late closeouts by their defenders. The Tigers, however, displayed promise on their offensive end, earning a league-best rating of 71.6 points in every 100 possessions.

Like in the first round, UST's starters had the lion's share of minutes played, owing to their bench's inability to create opportunitues for scoring. The coaching staff seemed to experiment on their rotations, where Cabañero and Padrigao had games as non-starters, often resulting to unfamiliarity and disruption of plays. Tounkara's suspension during their second-round game against Ateneo also proved to be a factor to their three-game collapse.

The pressure was on for team captain Nic Cabañero. The games were winding down and with UST's record of under .500 at 5–7, they were in danger of missing the playoffs. The Tigers delivered. Cabañero dished out his best game of the season with a personal best of 27 points, mostly from frequent attacks to the basket. Their final elimination game against Adamson was a total team effort, where they orchestrated a 23–4 third quarter scoring for a decisive win. Cabañero has finally proven his worth as the current King Tiger. His per-game averages of 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and a true-shooting-percentage of 48.7% is testament to his versatility worthy of a spot in the Mythical team. His ability to finish while running to the basket has ranked him first among all UAAP players with a 51% accuracy, though he fell short of claiming a third consecutive scoring title, yielding to eventual MVP Kevin Quiambao, who averaged 16.6 points per game this season.^[84][63]

The team would not be where they are without the all-around games of Padrigao and Tounkara. UST's offense depended on Padrigao's direction, as evidenced by his league-best 6.1 assists per game, out of the total 85 assists that he dished out this season. His most notable game was when he compiled a season high of 11 assists in their game against FEU on October 5. Tounkara provided the inside presence that the Tigers lacked last season, where his double-double of 10.2 rebounds and 13.8 points per game kept the team abreast with the other strong contenders. He was ranked seventh in the MVP race at the end of eliminations, with 60.2 statistical points. He was also the fourth best rebounder, behind fellow FSA's Mo Konateh and Precious Momowei, and La Salle's Mike Phillips. Padrigao was ranked eighth in the MVP tally, with 58.7 statistical points, while also ranking third in steals behind UP's JD Cagulangan and Phillips.^[85]

As the Tigers' season came to a close, Pido Jarencio expressed his optimism for the team's future.

Cabañero, in an interview, said he wants another crack at the Final Four next season. He is set to graduate from his academics this school year, but has stated that he wanted to return for his final year of eligibility. After enduring years of losses, he has finally tasted what it was like to be in the playoffs, as well as in the Mythical team. He has been through three years of rebuilding and the same number of coaching changes, but the one thing that stuck to his mind was the criticism that he often received from fans, that despite his high-scoring performances, he could not lift his team past the losses. He can now put those negative remarks to rest, as the Growling Tigers have returned to their winning ways.^[86][10]

Christian Manaytay was picked tenth overall in the first round of the 2025 PBA draft by the Yeng Guiao-led Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on September 7, 2025. Geremy Robinson, meanwhile, was ruled ineligible for UST's 2025 UAAP campaign due to academic deficiencies and chose to join the same draft instead. He was selected in the eighth round by the Converge FiberXers as the 70th overall pick.^[87][88]