LOOKS like a title trilogy is far from enough, as modern-day rivals University of the Philippines and La Salle keep competing well beyond the court and way before season start.
Not even a week into playing his first few games for the Fighting Maroons, Fil-Am guard Joaquin Tovera has packed his bags out of Diliman on Saturday, his birthday, and is headed to the Green Archers, according to several sources.
READ: This rising star went with UP over UST, La Salle. Find out who
Tovera, a 5-foot-10 playmaker who first made a name for himself for Fil-Am Nation LA in the 2026 Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM before shining brighter for Gilas Pilipinas Youth in 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers, committed to State U last April.
As per sources, though, he was yet to be enrolled in UP, as he was in the midst of national team duties.
That kept the door open for La Salle, which has had its eyes on Tovera for just as long, with the two camps keeping lines of communication open.
It didn't hurt, either, that the promising prospect's family was close with Mike Cortez, the Green Archers legend who is also the father of the team's current lead guard Jacob.
Birthday exit
A day before decommitting, the prospect who just turned 18 saw action for the Fighting Maroons in their quarterfinals triumph over Mapua in the 2026 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup.
The same night, he was even quoted as saying "I love them boys (UP teammates). To the UP community, thank you for the all-out support. I appreciate every one of y'all," in a video post by the UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development. In turn, veteran big Sean Alter was quoted as saying, "He's like a little brother to us. We're gonna take good care of him."
Sources said UP would have loved to have kept Tovera, especially with graduating Rey Remogat, presently its primary playmaker, having already taken the youngster under his wing to secure its future backcourt.
Nonetheless, the Fighting Maroons remain upbeat about their guards on the roster, with Chicco Briones, James Payosing, Arvie Poyos, Sean Franco, and Rain Maga flanking Remogat. Fil-Canadian standout Irish Coquia will also be eligible to play come next season.
For La Salle, Tovera is a big boost to its point guard rotation which had seen Cortez have to play close to 30 minutes a game in Filoil. He joins Doy Dungo and Jason Cibull as backup options.
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