The 2019 season for the UP Fighting Maroons men's basketball team was a fascinating study in transition and unfulfilled potential, a narrative I've seen play out countless times across collegiate sports. Looking back at that roster now, through the lens of a specific game like their 78-point outing, which I'll dissect in a moment, reveals a squad caught between the promise of individual talent and the harsh reality of building cohesive, winning chemistry. It was a year that felt perpetually on the cusp of something greater, yet often stumbled at the very moment it needed to stride forward. As someone who has analyzed team dynamics for years, the 2019 lineup presents a classic case where the sum never quite equaled its potentially formidable parts.
Let's ground this in the concrete data from that game, a snapshot that tells a more vivid story than any generic season summary. The scoring distribution is immediately telling. Juan Gomez de Liaño, the team's engine and primary creator, led the way with 21 points, a number that underscores his offensive burden. Right behind him, Bright Akhuetie and Javi Gomez de Liaño each chipped in 14, showing the secondary scoring was there, at least in flashes. But then the drop-off is stark. Kobe Paras, whose arrival generated immense hype, was held to just 10 points in this contest, a figure that speaks to the inconsistent integration of his explosive athleticism into the team's half-court sets. The contributions from Cayabyab (5), Fabruada (4), and the others highlight a critical issue: a lack of reliable depth and defined roles beyond the top three or four options. When your sixth through tenth men combine for a handful of points, the margin for error for your stars becomes vanishingly thin. I remember watching games that season and thinking the offense could look brilliant for stretches, then become utterly stagnant, overly reliant on Juan GDL to create something from nothing as the shot clock wound down.
From a strategic standpoint, the lineup construction often seemed experimental, which isn't inherently bad, but it rarely settled into a stable identity. Coach Bo Perasol was dealing with a mix of holdovers and high-profile newcomers, and the磨合 period took longer than anyone hoped. The frontcourt, anchored by the physically dominant Bright Akhuetie, should have been a consistent advantage. And on his best nights, it was. But there were too many games where foul trouble or defensive schemes that pushed him away from the basket neutralized his impact. The guard rotation was crowded with talent—Juan, Javi, Paras, Jun Manzo—but defining their minutes and responsibilities was a puzzle. Paras, in particular, was a fascinating project. His highlight-reel dunks brought energy, but his perimeter shot was a work in progress, and his decision-making could be erratic. I'll be honest, I was often frustrated watching him because the raw tools for dominance were so visibly present, yet the polish and consistency weren't. It felt like the team was waiting for him to become "the guy" overnight, and that pressure might have been counterproductive.
Defensively, the team had moments of intensity but struggled with consistency and communication, especially on the perimeter. They gave up too many open three-point looks and had lapses in transition defense, which are often hallmarks of a team still learning to play together. The rebounding, outside of Bright's efforts, was also a concern. They didn't have that relentless wing rebounder or a true energy big man to complement Akhuetie, which left them vulnerable against bigger, more physical teams. In my experience, these are the gritty, unglamorous details that separate good teams from great ones, and the 2019 Maroons often came up short in these areas.
So, what's the final assessment of this group? The 2019 UP Fighting Maroons were a collection of undeniable individual talents that never fully coalesced into a unit greater than its parts. They were exciting, often unpredictable, and capable of beating anyone on a given night, as their marquee wins showed. But they were also prone to baffling losses and stretches of poor execution. The season, in essence, was a building block—a necessary, sometimes painful phase of integration. The scoring data from that single game is a perfect microcosm: a high total of 78 points suggests a potent offense, but the heavy reliance on three players and the minimal production from the bench reveals the fragility of that system. They were a team you tuned in to watch for the spectacular plays, not necessarily for the execution of a winning game plan. In the end, while the season may not have met the lofty championship expectations some had after their historic 2018 run, it provided the crucial lessons and shared experiences that would later fuel the program's ascent. It was a team of "what ifs," but in college sports, those often lay the groundwork for what comes next.
