UP Fighting Maroons has Gilas Pilipinas mainstay Lebron Lopez on board after JBL bound Carl Tamayo helped convince his Gilas teammate play in Diliman.
As the the other side of Katipunan was celebrating their athletes with a bonfire party, the other side went ahead and announced a major shift in their lineup for the upcoming UAAP S86.
The University of the Philippines announced their acquisition of Gilas Pilipinas athletic winger Francis Lopez as he committed to joining the Fighting Maroons after training with the Ateneo Blue Eagles for a year.
The Grade 12 Ateneo High School student has decided to continue his studies in Diliman and to play for the university in the collegiate league, Lopez confirmed in a statement.
“After spending quality time with family and close friends during the holidays, it has given me the opportunity to seriously take stock of my life as well as the options available for my future, both for my education and basketball career,” Lopez said on January 21.
“My basketball path has been unpredictable the past two years as I finish my high school education. Life has thrown curveballs and a few distractions that had made me a stronger and better person.”
According to Tiebreaker Times, multiple sources revealed that the 19 year-old stayed in UP’s University Hotel on Wednesday last week and was welcomed by the squad including the Japan bound Carl Tamayo, his Gilas teammate and roommate.
Before the official announcement, a picture of Tamayo with a mysterious player surfaced on social media with netizens trying to figure out who the player was and its significance to the team.
In the video posted by Nowhere to go but UP, Lopez can be heard saying,
“Last month, he texted me on Viber to say, ‘Dito ka na sa UP.’ Then you know, I just decided that I wanna go to UP and here I am. I’m in UP now.”
“I heard about him going to Japan. Carl, ano na, iniwan mo na ako eh,” he added.
And now, everything is set in stone and the teen prodigy is set to showcase his talents in UP together with the remainder of the squad after Tamayo, Zavier Lucero and Henry Galinato left.
“My basketball path has been unpredictable the past 2 years as I finish my high school education. Life has thrown curveballs and a few distractions that has made me a stronger and better person,” Lopez continued in the statement.
“UP is a great institution with a very good basketball program and management group. I know deep in my heart that the UP Nowhere to Go But UP Foundation will take care of me as a student and as an athlete.”
However, Diliman faithfuls will still have to hold their breaths as Lopez is currently signed with Overtime Elite — a pro team for teenage prospects — despite not being able to play a single game due to visa issues, reported Sports Inquirer.
UP basketball program director Bo Perasol, after confirming the news to Sports Inquirer, assured that the team will release a statement as soon as possible regarding Lopez’ eligibility issue.
Tags: #UAAP, #Gilas, #basketball