The Ateneo Blue Eagles are on a mission to defend their title this UAAP Season 86 which is slated to open on September 30, 2023. They will face a tougher field as other teams have upgraded their roster in an attempt to dethrone the Blue Eagles.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles will miss the services of Angelo Kouame, arguably the best foreign student athlete in the UAAP's history. Dave Ildefonso is already playing in the professional ranks, so is BJ Andrade. The controversial guard, Forthsky Padrigao, will no longer suit up for the Blue Eagles as he already transferred to another school.
Despite the loss of some key players, the Ateneo Blue Eagles are not lacking in talent. Kai Balungay will play a bigger role, together with other holdovers such as Chris Koon, Geo Chiu, Gab Gomez, Sean Quitevis and Paul Garcia. The Blue Eagles faithful are also excited for the highly-anticipated debut of Mason Amos and Kyly Gamber. You can also check out the lineup of other teams here.
ATENEO BLUE EAGLES LINEUP
2023 UAAP SEASON 86 MEN'S BASKETBALL
| Pos | Player | Height |
|---|---|---|
| F | Kai Balunggay | 6'7 |
| G | Andrew Bongo | 6'4 |
| G | Ian Espinosa | 5'8 |
| C | Geo Chiu | 6'9 |
| C | Joseph Obasa | 6'10 |
| G | Christopher Koon | 6'4 |
| F | Joshua Lazaro | 6'4 |
| G | Gab Gomez | 6'0 |
| G | Sean Quitevis | 6'0 |
| G | Jared Brown | 5'10 |
| F | Jason Credo | 6'4 |
| F | Mason Amos | 6'7 |
| G | Lebron Nieto | 5'11 |
| G | Kyle Gamber | 6'4 |
| F | Raffy Celis | 6'4 |
| F | Shawn Tuano | 6'3 |
Head Coach: Tab Baldwin
Other notable recruits of the Ateneo Blue Eagles are forward Raffy Celis, Lebron Nieto and Shawn Tuano. Joseph Obasa will have big shoes to fill as he need to anchor the Blue Eagle's offense and defense in the middle.
Perhaps the Blue Eagles' biggest weapon is coach Tab Baldwin who will return for another crack at the title. If they will be successful, this could be the 4th back to back title for the Blue Eagles.
| ATENEO BLUE EAGLES MEN'S BASKETBALL 2022 UAAP SEASON 85 LINEUP |
|---|
| Ange Kouame Kai Ballungay Paul Garcia David Diaz Matthew Daves BJ Andrade Ian Espinosa JC Fetalvero Geo Chiu Joseph Obasa Dave Ildefonso Inand Fornillos Christopher Koon Forthsky Padrigao Joshua Lazaro Gab Gomez Kyle Ong Sean Quitevis Jacob Lao Coach: Tab Baldwin |