MAPUA already looked like a team that’s ready to defend its NCAA crown when it celebrated its long-awaited title conquest in its campus grounds last December 2024.
The mood was energetic, positive and encouraging in the university-wide festivity which also coincided with the school’s 100th anniversary and for good reason – the squad will basically be coming in with an intact core ready to go for back-to-back crowns.
And despite the surprising departures rocking the defending champions’ boat – the goal, the energy and the morale remains the same, and they’d have no other than their captain and MVP in Clint Escamis to thank for.
“Tiwala lang kami sa naiwan at sa mga pumalit. Tiwala kami sa programa namin. Of course, may leader at may captain ball kami na kaya niya [dalhin],” Cardinals head coach Randy Alcantara said.
100 for 100: Mapúa’s poetic NCAA title win was built on a golden vision
Things could’ve gone so differently for the Cardinals as it wasn’t until February this year when Escamis finally committed to playing his final year with the Intramuros-based squad.
That decision proved to be a lifeline for Mapua after two of their core players in NCAA Rookie of the Year Chris Hubilla and Lawrence Mangubat departed for the JRU Heavy Bombers just more than a week later.
Naturally, people would wonder if Escamis would’ve entertained offers elsewhere, especially the upcoming PBA rookie draft where he surely would’ve been one of the top picks, had he known about the departure.
The popular two-guard said there was no way he was leaving Mapua when he made up his mind to stay for one last run.
“Of course, of course. Kahit sino pa matira diyan. Kahit lahat pa umalis. Mag-stay ako,” Escamis told SPIN.ph.
“Walang dahilan na umalis ako. Kahit maraming umalis, kung contender kami or hindi, I’ll stay one more year.”
Harder Encore
With Hubilla and Mangubat now out, Escamis’ goal of ending his NCAA career with back-to-back titles just got a bit harder, and it’s not even a talent issue.
Replacing the pair are the now eligible and equally talented transferees in Cyril Gonzales, Cyrus Nitura, Ivan Lazarte, Joe Gulapa and Drex Delos Reyes.
But the difficulty will be on how they’ll be replicating the same identity with all the new faces on board, and it’s a challenge that he’ll willingly take on as the most tenured player on the roster.
“Mahirap talaga ngayon. Ayun nga, ang daming umalis, bagong pasok halos lahat so back to zero ulit. Bagong team to, bagong teammates kasi galing iba’t ibang culture na school,” Escamis stated.
“Kailangan disiplinahin natin muna yung mga bago pati yung mga natira din para tuloy-tuloy yung gusto namin mangyari at pag dating ng NCAA 100 percent buo na kami, may natutunan sila sa amin, at may natutunan na din kami sa kanila. Give and take yun.”
With an NCAA title and an MVP now in his name, of course ending his NCAA career by replicating those feats will be Escamis’ immediate goals in his final season.
But it goes beyond that for him. It’s making sure that the flame that he started, when he first won the MVP and then towed Mapua to the Promised Land, will keep on burning even after his time with the Cardinals.
“Sina-savor ko lang talaga yung last season ko dito. Hindi mo na mababalik yung college eh,” Escamis shared.
“Hindi ko tinatake for granted yung mga ganitong moment. Hindi ko tinatake for granted na makalaro itong mga rookies, itong mga bagong teammates as much as possible before ako mag-depart gusto ko na iinstill sa kanila ang culture ng Mapua para tuloy tuloy ang culture namin,” he continued.
“Just savoring it, and I’m just doing everything I can.”
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