Who Goes Where: Tracking the Collegiate Recruitment Craze

The past few weeks have been crazy for collegiate basketball fans as we've been seeing players making the move from one University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) team to the other. We even saw prospects from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) taking their talents to Manila. Let us help you keep track of where the top recruits have gone.

Of course, the name CJ Cansino has been popping up on your feeds in the past few weeks since the news broke out that he was removed from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers and he is now set to play for the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons come Season 84 of the UAAP. But, he won't be the lone recruit that State U has scored during the still ongoing recruitment war in the collegiate scene. Coming off a successful high school career with the National University Nazareth School Bullpups, Carl Tamayo and Gerry Abadiano are set to join Kobe Paras, Bright Akhuetie, and Ricci Rivero if and when Season 83 comes around. Completing the pack of UP's prized recruits are RC Calimag (from La Salle Greenhills), Miguel Tan (from Xavier), a quartet of Filipino-foreigners in Sam Dowd, Alonso Tan, Anton Eusebio, and Ethan Kirkness. Considering the number of recruits UP had, Jinno Rufino is right in saying that CJ Cansino "will have to work for his minutes"

The De La Salle Green Archers are also looking to build the best team under returning coach Derrick Pumaren as the men from Taft Avenue got a handful of promising recruits. First up is Isaiah "Ice" Hontiveros has committed to play for the Green Archers after leading the University of Cebu Junior Webmasters to the 2018 championship in the juniors' division of the CESAFI. A pair of brothers are set to join the Green Archers in the form of Benjamin and Michael Philips while another former NU high school star in Kevin Quiambao is set to hit the targets in Taft Avenue. 

The Far Eastern University Tamaraws are also active in the recruitment as they secured the commitment of Kevin Guibao- the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the 2019 CESAFI Partners' Cup while playing for the University of San Carlos-Recoletos. Guibao joins an FEU side that already has RJ Abarrientos and the standing commitment of Cholo Anonuevo who recently received an athletic scholarship in a Division I member school of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles have already bannered their prized recruit in Dwight Ramos who is voted by observers as the top recruit this year as we have been given a glimpse of what he can do when he suited up for Gilas Pilipinas last February. 

Speaking of the NCAA here in the Philippines, the defending champions, Letran Knights have won the Rhenz Abando sweepstakes as Abando has already been reported to have completed his transfer from Espana to Intramuros. His former UST teammates Brent Paraiso and Ira Bataller are also reported to be heading towards the Knights' way.

Photo is from ESPN