As the floor general for the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Light Bombers, Joshua Saret broke the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Juniors scoring record for a single game with an astonishing output of 89 points against the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) Baby Danes. Like a demigod, he was so efficient and effective that day after he dropped 50% of his shots including 19 out of 26 triples. He also capped off his all-around brilliance with a very rare quadruple-double of 11 rebounds, 12 assists, and 13 steals to go along with his 89 points.
Only two other junior players came close to Saret's immaculate 89 point explosion. On that same year, Terrence Romeo put up a scoring record of his own in the UAAP Juniors by scoring 83 points to lead the Far Eastern University (FEU) Baby Tamaraws to a 104-55 rout of the University of the Philippines (UP) Junior Fighting Maroons. Meanwhile, the record of 82 points set by Keith Agovida, Joshua's teammate, in an NCAA Juniors game in September 2008 was the one shattered by Saret's offensive outburst.
But unlike Terrence Romeo, Joshua Saret's promising career didn't end up the way he envisioned it.
Disappointing college career
As a spitfire point guard, he was highly recruited out of high school. Even Coach Norman Black of the famed Ateneo Blue Eagles and other programs such as the National University (NU) showed interest on him.
As it turned out, he eventually chose to take his talent to Diliman and join the struggling basketball program of the UP Fighting Maroons under coach Aboy Castro. In the 2010 season of the UAAP, he made his debut on the biggest collegiate league in the Philippines against the De La Salle Green Archers. Incidentally, that was Joshua's first and only UAAP season.
It was very unfortunate for the young Saret at that time to join the UP Fighting Maroons Men's Senior team when its basketball program was on its dark ages. Even though the Maroons paraded its prized recruit fil-american Mike Silungan, Woody Co who is now an assistant coach of the Bataan Risers, and Magie Sison who is now playing for the Quezon City Capitals, the Fighting Maroons' season was in disarray right from the start.
After losing its first two games, Coach Aboy Castro, the person responsible for bringing in Joshua Saret to the UP Fighting Maroons camp, was replaced by coach Boyet Fernandez. But not even a change in the head coach could save the season for the troubled Maroons. Joshua's team were just so bad that year so much so that they ended the season without winning a single game.
As painful as it was, Joshua has to endure the pain and embarassment from a winless season which also damaged his confidence. It also didn't help that the Fighting Maroons were loaded with guards. Thus, Joshua was seldomly used as a backup point guard for Mikee Reyes.
After that forgetable year, Joshua Saret bid goodbye to the UP Fighting Maroons. He waived his remaining four (4) playing years in the UAAP in order to embark on a journey to the professional rank via the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-league).
In hindsight, such was not a sound decission for the young college athlete.
The unsuccessful journey to the PBA
With his sight locked on playing in the PBA, Joshua tried his luck by suiting up for the Blackwater team in the PBA D-league. He found no or little success in his stay with Blackwater so he transferred to another D-League team, M-Builders, while enrolled at the Trinity University of Asia.
Up to this day, Joshua Saret is still chasing his PBA dream. In the process, he bounced from various leagues or ligang labas just to make ends meet and support his two kids.
Just recently, he played for the San Juan Big Chill in the Metropolitan Basketball League (M-league) where he played with the likes of Joseph Yeo and other basketball journeymen. In fact, he was able to earn the World Balance player of the week honors for the period 7-13 of October 2018.
Another shot at glory
It has been almost a decade after Joshua left the UAAP to pursue a professional basketball career. Since then, Louie Vigil and Keith Agovida who were his fellow teammates back in JRU High School have both played in the PBA.
While he ponders on what would have been had he stayed four more years in the UAAP and earned a college degree from UP, he remains committed to achieve his ultimate goal of playing in the PBA. As they always say, basketball never stops.
Luckily for him, he has another shot at glory. At a little more than 27 years old, the 5'8 guard will man the point for the expansion team Mindoro Tamaraws in the fast growing Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) . He will team up with ex-PBA player Mac Baracael as the Tamaraws, and the rest of 30 other teams, attempt to dethrone the reigning champions San Juan Knights.
Perhaps the MPBL is Joshua's best ticket to the PBA. He is now closer than ever to his dream.
With a total of 31 teams participating in the upcoming third (3rd) season of the MPBL, Joshua Saret will have plenty of matches to display his skills. And with the games televised on National TV, every talent scout will have the opportunity to witness his game. Hopefully, a call up to the PBA is just a phone ring away.
But given the phenomenal growth of the MPBL in just two seasons, maybe Joshua Saret no longer needs to play in the PBA. It's very much possible that the MPBL could become the premiere basketball league in the country a number of years down the road.
Until then, let's see if Joshua Saret still has his shooting touch and if he can set another scoring record right before our eyes on national TV.
But unlike Terrence Romeo, Joshua Saret's promising career didn't end up the way he envisioned it.
Disappointing college career
As a spitfire point guard, he was highly recruited out of high school. Even Coach Norman Black of the famed Ateneo Blue Eagles and other programs such as the National University (NU) showed interest on him.
As it turned out, he eventually chose to take his talent to Diliman and join the struggling basketball program of the UP Fighting Maroons under coach Aboy Castro. In the 2010 season of the UAAP, he made his debut on the biggest collegiate league in the Philippines against the De La Salle Green Archers. Incidentally, that was Joshua's first and only UAAP season.
It was very unfortunate for the young Saret at that time to join the UP Fighting Maroons Men's Senior team when its basketball program was on its dark ages. Even though the Maroons paraded its prized recruit fil-american Mike Silungan, Woody Co who is now an assistant coach of the Bataan Risers, and Magie Sison who is now playing for the Quezon City Capitals, the Fighting Maroons' season was in disarray right from the start.
After losing its first two games, Coach Aboy Castro, the person responsible for bringing in Joshua Saret to the UP Fighting Maroons camp, was replaced by coach Boyet Fernandez. But not even a change in the head coach could save the season for the troubled Maroons. Joshua's team were just so bad that year so much so that they ended the season without winning a single game.
As painful as it was, Joshua has to endure the pain and embarassment from a winless season which also damaged his confidence. It also didn't help that the Fighting Maroons were loaded with guards. Thus, Joshua was seldomly used as a backup point guard for Mikee Reyes.
After that forgetable year, Joshua Saret bid goodbye to the UP Fighting Maroons. He waived his remaining four (4) playing years in the UAAP in order to embark on a journey to the professional rank via the Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League (PBA D-league).
In hindsight, such was not a sound decission for the young college athlete.
The unsuccessful journey to the PBA
With his sight locked on playing in the PBA, Joshua tried his luck by suiting up for the Blackwater team in the PBA D-league. He found no or little success in his stay with Blackwater so he transferred to another D-League team, M-Builders, while enrolled at the Trinity University of Asia.
Up to this day, Joshua Saret is still chasing his PBA dream. In the process, he bounced from various leagues or ligang labas just to make ends meet and support his two kids.
Just recently, he played for the San Juan Big Chill in the Metropolitan Basketball League (M-league) where he played with the likes of Joseph Yeo and other basketball journeymen. In fact, he was able to earn the World Balance player of the week honors for the period 7-13 of October 2018.
Another shot at glory
It has been almost a decade after Joshua left the UAAP to pursue a professional basketball career. Since then, Louie Vigil and Keith Agovida who were his fellow teammates back in JRU High School have both played in the PBA.
While he ponders on what would have been had he stayed four more years in the UAAP and earned a college degree from UP, he remains committed to achieve his ultimate goal of playing in the PBA. As they always say, basketball never stops.
Luckily for him, he has another shot at glory. At a little more than 27 years old, the 5'8 guard will man the point for the expansion team Mindoro Tamaraws in the fast growing Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) . He will team up with ex-PBA player Mac Baracael as the Tamaraws, and the rest of 30 other teams, attempt to dethrone the reigning champions San Juan Knights.
Perhaps the MPBL is Joshua's best ticket to the PBA. He is now closer than ever to his dream.
With a total of 31 teams participating in the upcoming third (3rd) season of the MPBL, Joshua Saret will have plenty of matches to display his skills. And with the games televised on National TV, every talent scout will have the opportunity to witness his game. Hopefully, a call up to the PBA is just a phone ring away.
But given the phenomenal growth of the MPBL in just two seasons, maybe Joshua Saret no longer needs to play in the PBA. It's very much possible that the MPBL could become the premiere basketball league in the country a number of years down the road.
Until then, let's see if Joshua Saret still has his shooting touch and if he can set another scoring record right before our eyes on national TV.
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