By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Days after winning the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Basketball Tournament championship, University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons’ superstar JD Cagulangan immediately received an offer he can’t refuse from an overseas club.
JD, welcome to the Korean Basketball League (KBL).
According to multiple sources, Cagulangan is set to reinforce the Suwon KT Sonicboom team, the franchise where former Ateneo standout Dave Ildefonso previously rendered his services.
However, Ildefonso only played a brief season with the team before getting released, the reason why he joined the recently concluded 2024 PBA Rookie Draft.
As expected by the majority of Filipino hoops fans, Cagulangan gained interest from several overseas teams after a stellar showing during their UAAP championship campaign.
During his final year with the Fighting Maroons, the savvy floor general averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in the best-of-three finals series against the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers.
Cagulangan then cemented his place as one of the best collegiate players to ever wear the maroon jersey when he was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Known for his playmaking and high IQ inside the playing court, Cagulangan evolved into a steady offensive threat after developing his shot-making and three-point shooting ability.
Cagulangan will forever be remembered when he drained the game-winning trey in Season 84, the year when the Fighting Maroons ended their 36-year title drought.
The Fighting Maroons were considered the underdogs heading into their finals matchup against the Tab Baldwin-mentored Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles but the team from Diliman didn’t back down, showing poise under pressure when they were trailing in overtime during the win-or-go-home Game 3.
Cagulangan made the biggest plays down the stretch, including the assist to Malick Diouf that equalized the affair and the game-winning triple.
In Season 87, Cagulangan once again weaved his magic after acting as the team’s leader, playing his heart out in Game 3 to escape the curse of their consecutive silver medal finishes.
Cagulangan will join his UAAP rival, Kevin Quiambao, in the KBL, but the DLSU main gunner will play for the Goyang Sono Skygunners.
Aside from Quiambao, Cagulangan will also reunite with his former UP teammate, Gilas staple Carl Tamayo, who is the current Filipino import of the Changwon LG Sakers
