After completing senior high school, Tiger Cubs Kirk Cañete and Charles Esteban will move on to continue their playing careers with the UST Growling Tigers in college.
Cañete and Esteban, who played for the Tiger Cubs under head coach Manu Iñigo over the past two UAAP seasons, held talks with IPEA Director Fr. Rodel Cansancio, O.P. and Growling Tigers management over the past month before deciding to stay at UST, the Varsitarian has learned on Tuesday.
They will have the full five years of college eligibility starting in Season 89 later this year.
The two last played for the Tiger Cubs in the NBTC National Finals in March, where the team finished with the silver medal.
Cañete, a 19-year-old guard from Bukidnon, averaged 9.64 points, 5.21 rebounds, 7.21 assists, and 1.93 steals per game in Season 88, where the Tiger Cubs posted a decade-worst 5-9 record to finish sixth.
In Season 87, he played a starring role in the Tiger Cubs’ championship run, teaming up with Koji Buenaflor, Carl Manding and Charles Bucsit, all of whom have since moved up to the Growling Tigers.
Meanwhile, Esteban served as team captain for the Tiger Cubs in Season 88, where he averaged 7.07 points and 4.43 rebounds per game as the squad finished sixth.
Esteban will join the Tigers’ frontcourt led by Season 88 men’s basketball Rookie of the Year Collins Akowe, who played against them during the Season 87 boys’ basketball finals when he was still with National University Nazareth School (NUNS), along with Gelo Crisostomo, Buenaflor and Kris Porter.
Meanwhile, Cañete’s addition will help replenish the Tigers’ point guard rotation following the graduation of Forthsky Padrigao, Nic Cabañero, and Kyle Paranada.
The two were included in the Tigers’ lineup for the Asiabasket NSAC campaign this month.
