The 2021 UST Growling Tigers men's basketball team represented the University of Santo Tomas in the 84th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The men's basketball tournament for the academic year 2021–22 began in the second semester on March 26, 2022, and the host school for the season was De La Salle University.
The Tigers tied their second worst record in the Final Four era after winning only three games against eleven losses which they also had in the 2016 season. After ending the first round of eliminations on a 2–5 record, the team won only one game before going on a six-game losing streak to end the tournament, which was marred by blowout losses that broke the UAAP record for the largest losing margins.
They began their season with a 25-point loss against the FEU Tamaraws in a game played behind closed doors. The UAAP had earlier decided to hold the first four playing schedules under a bubble setup in observance of COVID-19 safety precautions. UST had five more blowout losses in the season that included their 44-point marginal defeat against FEU in their last playing date in the second round to surpass their 43-point loss to the De La Salle Green Archers back in 2016. Their 50-point loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the second round set the mark for the league's biggest losing margin since recordkeeping became official in 2003. They also lost against the NU Bulldogs by 31 points in the first round, and by 29 points each to La Salle and the UP Fighting Maroons in the second round. Their 83–112 defeat against the Green Archers enabled their opponents to breach the 100-point barrier in the season.
Roster UST has listed Ivan Lazarte, Rafael Pangilinan, Rafael Biag, and Patrick Javier on their reserve list, where any of the four players can be activated to replace players who would test positive for COVID-19.
=== Depth chart ===Depth chart
Roster changes
13 out of the 16 players from the 2019 UAAP runner-up team have departed. Renzo Subido, Zach Huang, and Enric Caunan have already graduated, while the majority went on to transfer to rival colleges at the height of the school's training bubble controversy. Season 82 Most Valuable Player Soulémane Chabi Yo forwent his final playing year in the collegiate ranks to play in the Liga EBA in Spain. The extended lockdowns and the cancellation of Season 83, despite the league's extension of eligibility of players caused the Beninese center's exit from the team. Chabi Yo transferred from Colegio de San Lorenzo in 2018, when the UCBL champion roster got disbanded. International scouts had shown interest in him from as far back as the preseason in 2019, when the Tigers competed in the NBA–China tournament.
The official lineup for UST's Season 84 campaign consisted of three holdovers, eight transferees, three rookies, and two players from their Team B training pool. Among the rookies are Jordi Gómez de Liaño and Nic Cabañero. Gómez de Liaño, younger brother of the prolific UP Fighting Maroons' Juan and Javi, decided to play for UST at the end of his high school career to make a name for himself and not be in the shadows of his siblings. The lanky 6-foot-5 forward was one of the UAAP's best scorers in the juniors' division in Season 82, where he averaged 13.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, with a 30-percent outside shooting accuracy while playing for the UPIS Junior Maroons. He was also selected to the U-16 national team that was set to compete in the 2019 FIBA Asia Championship in Beirut prior to COVID-19 cancellations. His commitment was much needed by the UST community after their program was dealt a heavy blow with their mainstays transferring out in light of the training bubble issue during the pandemic lockdowns.
Cabañero, a 6-foot-3 athletic wingman from Cebu was recruited by former coach Aldin Ayo from San Beda in 2019, after the Red Cubs won the NCAA Season 95 juniors championship. He was set to play for the Tiger Cubs the following year, but the tournaments were cancelled due to the pandemic. His 2019 season averages were 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 12 games. The three freshmen are all eligible for five playing years beginning in Season 84.
Other notable players suiting up for the Tigers for the first time are Joshua Fontanilla, Bryan Santos, Christian Manaytay, Aldave Canoy, and Bryan Samudio. The 5-foot-11 Fontanilla was recruited by Ayo in 2019 to replace the graduating Subido. The shifty veteran point guard who led Saint Clare College of Caloocan to three straight NAASCU championships averaged 10.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game in his last season with the Saints.
Santos transferred from the Technological Institute of the Philippines in May 2020 after the TIP Engrineers basketball team got disbanded due to inaction from suspended sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 6-foot-5 forward who used to be a member of FEU's Team B training pool was an anchor in the post for the Engineers in their campaign in the UCBL.
Manaytay, a 6-foot-4 power forward, transferred from La Salle in 2019 when he lost his spot in their roster to the team's one-and-done Filipino American recruits. In high school, he led the Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles to a runner-up finish in the 2017 CESAFI juniors tournament, where he was selected to the Mythical team.
Canoy transferred from the West Negros University in 2020, where he helped the Mustangs reach the 2018 NOPSSCEA seniors finals during his rookie year. He led the Junior Mustangs to win the boys' championship the previous year with a game-high of 28 points. Samudio was recruited from the Malayan High School of Science Red Robins, champions of the 2016 NCAA Juniors tournament, where he was named Finals MVP of the championship series.
The team was entering the season without a foreign student-athlete to man the paint. The Tigers have secured Chabi Yo's replacement in Senegalese Adama Faye. Faye, a 6-foot-8 big man who had transferred from National University went back to his hometown in Dakar before the start of the UAAP season, supposedly to have his passport renewed. Team officials negotiated for his timely return, but according to reports, some requests made by the player to the management were denied, which resulted to his exclusion from the roster. Third-year Dave Ando is left to man the front line, aided by newcomers Santos and Ian Herrera.
Departures PF 0 Ira Spencer Bataller 6' 4" 3rd Arellano University High School Transferred to Colegio de San Juan de LetranSF 3 Brent Isaac Paraiso 6' 2" 4th De La Salle Santiago Zobel School Transferred to Colegio de San Juan de LetranPG 5 Henri Lorenzo Subido 5' 9" 5th De La Salle Santiago Zobel School GraduatedPG 6 Mark Nonoy 5' 8" 2nd University of Santo Tomas Transferred to De La Salle UniversitySG 10 Rhenz Joseph Abando 6' 2" 4th Bactad East National High School Transferred to Colegio de San Juan de LetranC 11 Enrique Caunan Jr. 6' 5" 5th Colegio de San Juan de Letran GraduatedSF 13 Zachary Lance Eden Huang 6' 4" 5th Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu GraduatedPF 16 Nathaniel Cosejo 6' 3" 3rd De La Salle Santiago Zobel School Transferred to Emilio Aguinaldo CollegeSF 19 Ferdinand Asuncion Jr. 6' 2" 2nd Chiang Kai-shek College Transferred to Mapúa UniversitySG 21 Alberto Bordeos Jr. 6' 0" 1st La Salle Greenhills Academic deficienciesC 23 Soulémane Chabi Yo 6' 6" 2nd Université d'Abomey-Calavi Forwent eligibility to turn professionalSG 27 Crispin John Cansino 6' 2" 3rd University of Santo Tomas Transferred to the University of the PhilippinesSG 30 Vince Petdeo Cuajao 6' 1" 2nd Holy Child College of Davao Transferred to De La Salle University
Acquisitions PF 4 Christian Manaytay 6' 4" 1st Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu Transferred from De La Salle UniversityC 5 Ian Joseph Herrera 6' 6" 2nd La Salle Greenhills Transferred from De La Salle UniversitySF 6 Josemaria Ignacio Gómez de Liaño 6' 5" 1st UP Integrated School RookiePG 7 Joshua Fontanilla 5' 11" 4th St. Clare College of Novaliches Transferred from St. Clare College of CaloocanSF 9 Nicael Dominie Cabañero 6' 3" 1st University of Santo Tomas RookieSG 10 Aldave Dale Canoy 6' 1" 1st STI WNU Integrated School Transferred from STI West Negros UniversitySF 12 Royce Deakin Mantua 6' 4" 1st Far Eastern University–Diliman RookieSF 13 Bryan Samudio 6' 4" 1st Malayan High School of Science Promoted from Team BPG 16 Paul Matthew Manalang 5' 10" 1st Nazareth School of National University Transferred from the University of the EastPG 18 Renzel Symon Yongco 6' 1" 1st Saint Jude Catholic School Transferred from De La Salle UniversitySG 20 JC Alvin Garing 5' 9" 2nd Divine Word College of Legazpi Transferred from Lyceum of the Philippines UniversityPG 24 Jonathan Ralf Gesalem 6' 1" 1st Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu Promoted from Team BPF 26 Bryan Santos 6' 5" 4th San Luis National High School Transferred from the Technological Institute of the Phils.
Recruiting class Renzel Yongco PG 6' 1" Saint Jude Catholic School Cagayan de Oro 2 May 2018 2015 NBTC Top 24 player (All-Star game participant with White Team)Paul Manalang PG 5' 10" Nazareth School of NU San Fernando, Pampanga 4 Mar 2019 2016 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals Division 1 champion with Nazareth School)2018 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals #5 seed, Division 1 champion with Nazareth School)Bryan Samudio SF 6' 4" Malayan High School of Science Bocaue 25 Nov 2019 2017 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals Division 1 semifinalist with Malayan High School)Christian Manaytay PF 6' 4" SHS–Ateneo de Cebu Roxas City 22 Nov 2019 2017 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals Division 1 finalist with Ateneo de Cebu)2018 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals #8 seed, Division 1 semifinalist with Ateneo de Cebu)JJ Gesalem SG 6' 1" SHS–Ateneo de Cebu Mandaue 11 May 2019 2018 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals #8 seed, Division 1 semifinalist with Ateneo de Cebu)Jordi Gómez de Liaño SF 6' 5" UP Integrated School Mandaluyong 10 Jun 2021 2018 NBTC Elite 60 rank: 412020 NBTC UAAP Top 24 rank: 22Nic Cabañero SF 6' 3" University of Santo Tomas Lapu-Lapu City 16 Jun 2021 2018 NBTC Elite 60 rank: 502018 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals #7 seed, Division 1 quarterfinalist with San Beda)2019 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals #4 seed, Division 1 semifinalist with San Beda)Royce Mantua SF 6' 4" Far Eastern University–Diliman Sydney 15 Jun 2021 2018 NBTC Elite 60 rank: 222019 NBTC Top 24 rank: N/A (National Finals #15 seed, Division 1 semifinalist with FEU–Diliman)
Coaching changes Aldin Ayo resigned as head coach of the Growling Tigers on September 4, 2020, amid ongoing investigations on the team's training bubble controversy. The UAAP later handed Ayo an indefinite ban from all league-sanctioned activities, having found the seasoned coach liable in endangering the health and well-being of his team by holding a training camp during the pandemic.
Resigned assistant coach and Tiger Cubs head coach Jino Manansala was called back by the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) and was appointed interim coach of the team to replace Ayo on October 8, 2020. IPEA earlier announced the start of the basketball program's rebuilding phase as it was moving forward without a permanent head coach.
Returning with Manansala were assistant coaches McJour Luib, Joph Cleopas, JR Carlos, and Jason Misolas. Ryan Roxas took over as team manager, together with UST's dean of Civil Law Nilo Divina as sponsor to replace Jimi Lim after his Ironcon Builders withdrew its support to the team.
Schedule and results
Elimination games were played in a double round-robin format and all of UST's games were televised on One Sports and the UAAP Varsity Channel.
UAAP statistics