Amos' move from Ateneo to archrival La Salle is nothing new

TRANSFERS are no longer surprising in the current landscape of college basketball.

But moving from one rival to another? That's a rarity, even more if you bleed Ateneo blue or La Salle green.

Yet as uncommon as it seems, it's not unheard of, really.

Mason Amos' shocking decision to leave the blue nest for greener pastures may be the most marquee, given how the Blue Eagles' faithful were ready to crown the Fil-Aussie slotman as their next king, but it's not unprecedented.

READ: Amos apologizes to Ateneo for 'not being considerate' in transfer to La Salle

Actually, there were already more than a few instances in the past where the move from Katipunan to Taft, or vice versa, has been taken.

Manalo o matalo, it's the school we choose

BJ Manalo, of course, is the most well-known.

The 6-foot guard was the star playmaker for the Blue Eaglets and was poised to ascend to the seniors squad where he would’ve linked with the likes of Enrico Villanueva and Wesley Gonzales.

As it turned out, however, it was a different seniors team he committed to - and he wound up playing for La Salle and coach Franz Pumaren.

Together with Don Allado, Mac Cardona, and Mike Cortez, the beleaguered skipper won three UAAP crowns from 1999 to 2001, making big plays for the Green Archers in the UAAP Season 64 Finals - no less against the Blue Eagles - to complete the Taft side’s four-peat.

Before Amos, BJ Manalo was the biggest name to transfer from Ateneo to La Salle

A knee injury shut him down in 2003 and there were even reports of Manalo making a homecoming to Ateneo in 2004, as reported by Philippine Star’s Quinito Henson back then, but those plans didn't pan out as he eventually made the leap to the PBA, being picked in the second round in 2005.

From then 'til now

Even more, defections from the blue to the green sides have already happened decades before when Arnel Manosca and Pio Morabe, still fresh from leading the Blue Eaglets to the boys basketball sweep in Ateneo’s first UAAP season in 1978, jumped to La Salle which was yet to join the league.

Jayvee Gayoso, too, faced the same conundrum after a fancied run in the juniors level as he signed up with the Green Archers for college come 1985. He, however, lasted only a year in Taft before coming back to Ateneo where he was part of the first Blue Eagles team to win the UAAP crown in 1987 behind Danny Francisco, Olsen Racela, Eric Reyes, and Jun Reyes.

The same story can be told by Nico Elorde as well.

The pesky guard out of La Salle Zobel initially chose La Salle for college, but languished on the bench in his lone season in 2010 before transferring to Ateneo.

After a redshirt year, he proved himself to be a reliable bench option for the Blue Eagles and was part of the last championship team of Norman Black’s five-peat era.

Elorde's move to Ateneo ultimately paid off for him PHOTO: Jerome Ascaño

Elorde's fellow Jr. Archer Gwyne Capacio was right there with him.

A dependable forward for DLSZ, the son of famed coach Glenn chose to go to Katipunan for college and was part of two UAAP championship teams under Black, as he played behind the likes of Greg Slaughter, Justin Chua, and Poy Erram in his first two years.

That forbidden door was opened again in 2017 when Troy Mallillin - the NCAA juniors MVP-winning product of La Salle Green Hills who initially committed to the Green Archers - joined the Blue Eagles.

Two years later, Greenies bruiser Inand Fornilos and two-way guard Jacob Lao followed suit.

All three, however, were seldomly used in their time in Katipunan, though Mallillin won two rings under the guidance of coach Tab Baldwin and the leadership of Thirdy Ravena.

On the flipside, Joaqui Manuel, a member of the title-winning Blue Eaglets squad led by SJ Belangel and Kai Sotto, made the move to the Green Archers in 2019. He was part of the La Salle side which won the crown this past UAAP Season 86.

Safe to say, as wild as moving from Katipunan to Taft - or the other way around - may be, Amos’ move is nothing new. Loyalties and rivalries may now very well be fast becoming a thing of the past.