WITH THE UST Growling Tigers’ season ending without a crown once more, the curtain has finally fallen on the reign of España’s King Tiger.
After enduring a rollercoaster ride in his five-year stay, team captain Nic Cabañero officially played his last game for the Tigers.
From anchoring UST out of the rut to leading the charge back to contention, Cabañero found joy in seeing how the team he helped rebuild finished the campaign.
“Though I didn’t get the championship, I’m still happy with the outcome because we fought until the end,” Cabañero told The Flame following UST’s 82-81 semifinal loss to the UP Fighting Maroons on Dec 3.
Cabañero’s loyalty to the black-and-gold may not have resulted in any confetti, but it has definitely won hearts in the Thomasian community.
Early grind
Spending his high school days with the San Beda University Red Cubs, Cabañero was recruited to the España squad by then-coach Aldin Ayo amid the infamous Sorsogon bubble controversy and the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was a lousy start to his career in the seniors’ division, entering the program spiraling through its lowest of lows, with unstable coaching, lineup shake-ups and a bunch of losing.
For three seasons, the Tigers became the league’s punching bag, tallying only six wins in total from Seasons 84 to 86,
But when Cabañero was fully handed the keys to steer a completely depleted UST squad back to respectability, the Lapu-Lapu city native did not disappoint.
In his rookie year in 2021 under head coach Jino Manansala, Cabanero proved to be the lone bright spot for the rebuilding Tigers, as he led his team in scoring with 12.4 markers to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game en route to a bad 3-11 season.
The Tigers then tapped former UST champion Bal David to coach the team in Season 85, but still to no avail. Cabañero continued to anchor the team’s firepower with 17.6 points, 6.6 boards and 2.8 dimes per contest as UST fell to its worst record in the Final Four era with a horrendous 1-13 outing.
The España squad once again looked for a new tactician the following campaign, as it rehired former champion coach and Glowing Goldie Pido Jarencio.
But just like the two previous years, the Tigers remained as cellar dwellers with a 2-12 standing, but Cabañero continued to display his offensive prowess with an average of 16.8 points, along with 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Earning stripes
After back-to-back-to-back seasons stuck in the rut, the Cabañero-led España cagers finally found some light in Season 87.
With the arrivals of star guards Forth Padrigao and Kyle Paranada, the debut of Malian big man Mo Tounkara, as well as the emergence of role players Mark Llemit and Gelo Crisostomo, the Tigers found a way to build a redemption arc.
Cabañero remained to be the UST’s main gunner by leading the team to a 7-7 finish — one more victory than their total record for the three past years combined.
Not only did Cabañero led his team to a bronze-finish after falling to the eventual champions Maroons; he also notched his first Mythical Five honors with 16.3 points.
In the same season, Cabañero graduated with a degree in Marketing Management from the College of Commerce. He then remained committed to bringing a title to España and used his final playing season.
In his last hurrah, Cabañero averaged 16.79 points, six rebounds and 2.5 assists per game to lead the Tigers to their second straight semifinal appearance, as well as another Mythical Five nod.
“The most important thing was my journey, it was really hard because I experienced being in the lowest, but also experienced being in the Final Four,” Cabañero said.
However, despite keeping the same core intact, the Tigers once again faltered to the Maroons, marking the end of Cabañero’s collegiate stint.
Outside the 5×5 basketball runs, Cabañero led his 3×3 team to a title in Season 84.
Taking a bow
Failing to bring the championship back to España during his half a decade stay, Cabañero is confident that the holdovers of the team are the ones who can make it happen soon.
“Sad to say, I didn’t give the championship that the UST community wanted, but I believe that maybe soon, my teammates and holdovers will get there,” Cabañero said.
Cabañero has high hopes for the team’s young core, believing that key players such as Crisostomo, Llemit, Amiel Acido and Collins Akowe are next in line to be crowned King Tiger.
“We may have different play styles, but whoever gives that moniker to the four of them, they deserve it,” Cabañero told reporters.
Aside from Cabañero, Padrigao, Paranada and Leland Estacio are set to exit the Tigers’ lair.
With his collegiate career in the books, the outgoing Kung Tiger now looks forward to playing in the professional leagues.
“That’s the goal… Whoever’s willing to accept me, or make me fit in their system, I’ll do it,” Cabanero said.
In a heartfelt social media post, Cabañero expressed gratitude to the entire UST community for shaping his growth throughout his rollercoaster ride in UST.
“From the very beginning, it’s always been my dream to wear ‘UST’ across my chest… I can truly say it’s been one of the greatest blessings of my life,” Cabañero said.
“To the entire UST community, thank you so much. Your love carried us through the toughest losses and lifted us as we fought our way back to the Final Four,” he added.
In his final game in the collegiate ranks, Cabañero delivered 24 points, three rebounds and three assists. UST’s final two shot attempts of the game also went to the King Tiger, but both came up short.
“Being named a King Tiger has always come with its own pressure… But through the years I learned to embrace it because I’m not ashamed of the school I once came from,” he said. F – Joshua Louis Sumanghid
