[Editor's note: Second of a series]
TALL as he may be, newest UP Fighting Maroon big man Sean Alter is ready to prove that his greatest might on the basketball court is not his height, but his heart.
Come UAAP Season 86, UP will parade nine new aces in its bid to reclaim lost glory after a bridesmaid finish to Katipunan rival Ateneo in last year's championship showdown.
Alter, a towering 6-foot-8 center, leads the Maroons' rookie class of 2023 height-wise with another prized big man in Seven Gagate.
But height is not the only area where the Fil-American standout wants to stand out.
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New place like home
Since UP secured Alter's commitment back in March, he had to wait three more months before his first linkup with the squad in the Philippines.
"I haven't gotten to experience the entire road with the team leading up to the season since I just arrived in June but with only the short three months I've had with the team, I've loved every second of it. The UP guys have welcomed me with such open arms and I already see them as my brothers," Alter told SPIN.ph.
However, even with the sparingly brief time he's spent in the country before the season, Alter was able to overcome an inevitable feeling of homesickness through the warmth of a new brotherhood.
"Of course, with any transition you will experience some homesickness. This was my first time leaving my family and I went to a whole different country at that. I've had friends that really helped me to see the Philippines as my new home and I'm thankful for them."
Bleeding maroon
Upon joining a team with newfound championship pedigree, to just be deemed a rookie is nothing but a mere alter ego for Sean.
Because in the pursuit of winning and reaching UP's objectives this year, Alter is primed to 'fight tooth and nail' and come out swinging for the maroon brotherhood.

"I don't want to see myself as a rookie and any less important than anyone on the team but as brother in a brotherhood that fights for one single goal. In other words, I don't want to be held down by my 'rookie' title. I have an opportunity to do something really big this season and it's up to me to take it," Alter stressed.
The fight never ends
Call him a successor to either the likes of Carl Tamayo or Malick Diouf but at the end of the day, Sean Alter is one fast-rising star in his own right.
From defending the rim and bulldozing defenses with all his might to bringing added energy and rallying his guys from the bench, he understands how his role of keeping the fight in the team comes in different ways and means on and off the court.
"I fight tooth and nail every day to better myself as a player and also to grow closer with everyone on the team. When Malick (Diouf) gets tired or needs a sub, I'm usually the one they call," Alter said.
"My job is to not have a drop-off in energy that the kuyas started the game off with. I have a role on the team and my job is to do that role to the best of my ability. I'm going to fight for every rebound, bucket, and dunk. Even when I'm not in the game, I'll try my hardest to give those who are the energy they expect from their bench," he added.
And as he enters year one for the Maroons, it'll be this winning mantra which Alter will carry each and every step of the way.
"'One team, one goal' is what we always say."
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