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UAAP: Kieffer Alas ‘not your typical freshman’ as he commits to Ateneo
Kieffer Alas is eager to make his mark in his return to the Philippines.
The UAAP Season 87 juniors basketball Most Valuable Player has committed to Ateneo de Manila University after spending more than a year in the United States.
“I mean, I'm not really trying to prove anything to the people naman, but I just want to show that I'm not your typical freshman, like, oh, you can just push him over and stuff,” he said in a press conference organized by VP Global Management on Thursday.
“I want to show that I'm like a veteran player now from my experience abroad, so I feel like I can bring that to you.”
According to Alas, his decision to join the Blue Eagles was driven by his desire to grow as a player.
“He (Tab Baldwin) said nothing is guaranteed. I don't want to go to a place where they're going to promise me something or where I was promised anything. [There], I feel like I'd grow more as a person and as a player,” Alas said.
Why did Kieffer Alas return to the Philippines and commit to Ateneo? @gmanews @gmasportsph pic.twitter.com/DVQUeY9WpA
— JK Carandang (@jk_carandang) March 19, 2026
As for Ateneo’s direction under Baldwin, Alas shared the team’s goal moving forward.
“He (Baldwin) always says he wants us to bring the championship and bring us back to the Final Four.”
Ateneo missed the Final Four in Season 88, marking its first absence from the semifinals in 11 years.
—GMA Integrated News
