Thinking back to the 2019 season for the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons men's basketball team still brings a mix of excitement and what-ifs. That year was a pivotal one, building on the momentum of their historic finals run in 2018. Everyone was eager to see if that magical Cinderella story was a one-off or the start of a new era. Today, I want to take a deep dive into that 2019 starting lineup and how their season unfolded, especially by looking closely at one particular game that, for me, encapsulated their raw potential and lingering inconsistencies.
The core of that starting five was something special, a blend of veteran savvy and explosive young talent. You had the heart and soul in Paul Desiderio, the captain whose "Atin 'to!" battle cry had become a part of UP lore. His leadership was intangible but absolutely critical. Then there was Bright Akhuetie, the reigning MVP—a force in the paint who demanded double-teams and opened up everything for everyone else. Juan Gomez de Liaño was the electric playmaker, capable of breathtaking drives and clutch shots, while his brother Javi provided steady guard play and defensive grit. Rounding out the starting unit was often Will Gozum or Noah Webb, bringing length and energy. On paper, this was a lineup that could compete with anyone, and for stretches, they absolutely did.
But basketball isn't played on paper, and their season was a rollercoaster of stunning wins and head-scratching losses. The team's identity seemed to oscillate between a disciplined, system-oriented squad and a group relying on individual brilliance. When their offense was flowing through Akhuetie and the ball movement was crisp, they looked unbeatable. Other times, they fell into stretches of stagnant isolation plays and defensive lapses. I remember the frustration among fans, myself included, because we could see the championship-level talent was there; it was just about finding week-in, week-out consistency.
A perfect microcosm of this entire dynamic, in my opinion, was their game against the NU Bulldogs. The final score tells one story: NU 78 – UP and then a list of scorers. But digging into those individual numbers reveals so much more about that season's rotation and strategy. Kobe Paras wasn't on the team yet, so the scoring load was distributed differently. In this game, it was Jun Manzo who led the way with a team-high 21 points, showing his ability to take over as a scoring guard when needed. J-Boy Gob and Javi GDL added 14 points apiece, a solid contribution from the wings. What's fascinating to me, looking back, is seeing the minutes given to players like David Murrell and Jaydee Tungcab, who were still finding their roles but showed flashes of the defensive versatility that would become crucial in later seasons.
The 78 points conceded, though, that was the recurring headache. Defense was often the question mark. They could score in bunches—we saw that with the balanced output against NU—but stringing together stops against elite teams was a challenge. I always felt they missed a true, lockdown perimeter defender in that starting unit. Someone whose primary job was to hound the other team's best guard. They had scorers, they had a dominant big man, but that one defensive specialist could have been the final piece.
Reflecting on it now, the 2019 season was a necessary growing pain. It was the bridge between the fairy-tale 2018 and the more polished, championship-caliber teams that would emerge in the following years. That starting lineup had incredible offensive firepower, but they were still learning how to win consistently as a unit. The experience gained by Juan GDL, the steady presence of Akhuetie, and the emergence of role players from that deep bench—all of it was foundational. They didn't reach the finals that year, and that stung, but it set the stage. It taught them the hard lessons about defensive commitment and forty-minute focus that are non-negotiable for title contenders. So, while the 2019 UP Men's Basketball season might not have ended with a championship, its performance and the evolution of that core starting lineup were absolutely essential chapters in the program's triumphant return to relevance.