[Editor's note: First of a series]
NEW season, new blood.
The UAAP Season 86 men's basketball tournament promises yet another display of the new crop of game-changing stars emerging in the local scene.
And a fast-rising scorer slash playmaker to watch out for is Jack Cruz-Dumont.
READ: Former MBA player John Dumont's sons mirror his basketball journey
A family affair
It goes without saying that the game runs sharply in the veins of the 6-foot-3 Fil-Canadian winger.
From sharing the love of basketball with his brothers Cole and UE-bound Hunter, whose sporting journeys are chronicled in the Cruz-Dumont Bros' Instagram page, their parents have played immensely influential roles in igniting such passion for the game.
His mother Trixie is also a baller and his late father John is no stranger to Philippine basketball, having played for the Pasig Pirates in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association.
Ahead of his move to the Recto side, Jack played for his dad's alma mater at the University of British Columbia with John being one of the school's most celebrated athletes.
Building new beginnings
Cruz-Dumont & Co.'s first order of duty will be a season-opening clash with the UST Tigers on Saturday, 2:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Cruz-Dumont enters a Red Warriors side that just came off a significant leap in performance in Season 85 after slimly missing out on the Final Four in sixth place at 5-9 (win-loss).
And in the offseason, a handful of UE's Season 85 core led by Mythical Five member turned PBA draftee Luis Villegas, have since left the squad to pursue new paths.
This doesn't worry Cruz-Dumont, who has full faith in the squad's fresh package of young and explosive talent for Season 86.
"Our team has made a lot of progress throughout this preseason. We have a primarily new group and I think we've started to build that chemistry," Cruz-Dumont shared to SPIN.ph.
"We have a lot of players that can provide different things. Coach Jack (Santiago) and the staff have done a good job preparing the team and helping bring the new group together."
From UE's title-winning run at the 2023 FJCU Cup in Taiwan last July to various local preseason tilts, the 22-year-old ace has already picked up valuable playing time and experience early on in his UE career.
And he's more than keen to finally get the ball rolling in the UAAP.
"Personally playing in the UAAP is an experience I'm very excited for and I'm ready for the opportunity. I'm just focused on helping the team in whatever way I can. I trust that if I continue to play my game and work hard, everything else will fall into place," Cruz-Dumont said.
Coming in red-hot
As early as his rookie year, the Fil-Canadian standout has his sights set on delivering instant impact to fuel the Red Warriors' rise.
"Coach Jack has put a lot of trust in me throughout the preseason and it's the responsibility I wanted coming in to the UAAP. I'm going to bring what I've been doing since I got to UE, scoring and playmaking, and I'm willing to do whatever else the team needs to be the best we can be," Cruz-Dumont said.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
