WITH the University of the Philippines well in the midst of its post-‘Maroon 5’ era, it welcomed with open arms another promising prospect in Joaquin Tovera.
The 5-foot-10 guard out of Chino Hills, California first got his taste of the Philippine hoop scene in the 2026 Smart-NBTC National Finals presented by SM, where he led Fil-Am Nation LA to the Supreme 16 with averages of 27.7 points per game.
As Tovera thrived en route to an NBTC All-Star selection, the 17-year-old combo guard began catching the eye of some UAAP schools, the first of which being his eventual destination: Diliman.
“All I did was just play hard every game at NBTC, and I just got noticed,” he told SPIN.ph. “Some schools [reached out], like UST, La Salle, but you know, I had my eyes on UP because they wanted me first.”
“They went to my coach from Fil-Am Nation, coach Cris [Gopez], and then I got to talk to them, and that's how I got here.”
Tovera described his arrival as a shock at first, but quickly got over the physicality that most overseas players arriving here claim to be the main adjustment to be made.
And after being selected to compete in the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers, where the Fil-Am talent contributed big-time in Gilas Pilipinas Youth's gold by norming 16.4 points, four assists, and three steals, it was clear as day that Tovera did more than get his feet wet - he made a splash.
“I mean, yeah, there's a big physicality difference, but U.S., skill-wise is pretty much better. But it's still different here. And I'm excited to help out. I’m just ready,” he said of his turn as Tournament MVP in Thailand.
The fight in UP Fight
Following a standout stint for the national team, Tovera finally suited up in maroon-and-green for the first time last Monday - against no less than State U's modern-day rival La Salle.
“It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but as soon as I took a dribble of the ball, nerves went away and I stayed calm. I did ok, but I know I could do better,” Tovera said after delivering six points off the bench in their 98-69 drubbing of the Green Archers.
Indeed, he was quick to realize that UAAP rivalries are no laughing matter, least of all between two teams who have clashed in the last three finals.
As he recalled, “I tried helping out some players (from La Salle), and I got into a little trouble for that. Its kind of like a legit rivalry. They said they're pretty intense every time they play each other.”
Outside of the no-love-lost mentality that he quickly learned to adapt, Tovera assured the last thing UP will ever have to worry about is his eagerness to be better.
“From my first game, it was a great experience. Learning from the the seniors and just learning from the big guys, I’m trying to get better day by day,“ he said.
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