STARTED from the bottom, now we're here.
That was quite a popular meme when talking about the University of the Philippines when Bo Perasol took over as head coach in 2016.
Coming off their so-called 'dark days,' when winless and one-win campaigns were the norm, the Fighting Maroons registered a 5-9 standing in Perasol's first go-round calling the shots for his alma mater in UAAP Season 79.
Still far and away from the playoff picture, but still an improvement with a joint fifth-finish.
Visually, as the meme went, from the bottom of the standings, State U moved a couple of rungs up the ladder behind a sentimental swan song for then-captain Jett Manuel.
The following year, UP climbed yet again, this time to a solo fifth finish at 6-8 - and technically, one win away from a playoff berth thanks to the efforts of Paul Desiderio, Jun Manzo, and Gomez de Liano brothers Javi and Juan.
"We're Fighting Maroons, but we have to be 'Winning Maroons' as well," Perasol was fond of saying back then, cognizant of the tall task of demolishing a losing culture and establishing a winning one in its place.
Then came Season 81, and rains finally fell on a 21-year playoff drought.
The Fighting Maroons started from the bottom, quite literally, and they were here - here, being the Final Four.
UP fights its way into this golden age
Fast forward to today and the maroon-and-green is the defending champion in Season 88, with a total haul of two titles and two silver medals in the last four tournaments.
And this title defense is still going strong, with UP already assured of a Final Four berth and a twice-to-beat advantage in this ultracompetitive playoff race.
READ: Gerry Abadiano offers a peek into UP’s winning culture
That means that since ending its decades-long playoff absence in 2018, Diliman is yet to miss out on advancing to the next round - this streak of seven straight playoff appearances now the longest active in UAAP men's basketball.
Not bad for a program that first had to overcome longtime tags as losers and laughingstock nine years ago, huh?
"Napakasaya natin para sa UP community kasi they deserve a team that fights for them each possession, every game, season-by-season. Yung suporta nila ang dahilan kung bakit natin ginusto at kinayang mangyari ito," said Perasol, now athletic director for the Fighting Maroons' varsity program.
"Sa totoo lang, 'di ko inakalang mararating natin 'to ngayon. This is what we wanted from the start, of course, but nung nagsisimula tayo, parang imposible, parang 'di makatotohanan yung gusto natin."
For reference, Ateneo owned the longest streak prior to their Katipunan neighbors, with nine straight playoff berths from 2015-23. This got snapped when the Blue Eagles fell short of the Final Four a year ago - their first time under multi-titled mentor Tab Baldwin.
And famously, Far Eastern University has long held the recognition as the most consistent playoff performer in recent history, with eight Final Four appearances in a row from 2013-21. At present, though, the Tamaraws are in the midst of a promising rebuild under coach Sean Chambers.
These two teams have 32 championships between them, and alongside La Salle, have defined UAAP men's basketball this century.
UP, for all its successes as of late, would be the first to admit it's not on that level - not just yet, at the very least.
But for a team that was the stuff of memes a decade ago, this sustained success in terms of playoff consistency may very well turn out to be the stuff of legends.
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