CESAFI MVP Froilan Maglasang still uncertain on college future

CESAFI high school MVP Froilan Maglasang. | CDN Digital photo / Glendale Rosal

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Froilan Maglasang, the sharpshooting guard from Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles, wrapped up his high school career in a way that many could only dream of—a fairy-tale ending.

Maglasang, hailing from Consolacion, Cebu, bid farewell to the Magis Eagles with an electrifying 20-point performance, complemented by three steals, a rebound, and an assist in their decisive Game 2 of the CESAFI High School Basketball Finals.

His all-around play earned him Finals MVP honors.

READ: Froilan Maglasang crowned CESAFI’s 3-point king

But the accolades didn’t stop there. Along with the Finals MVP, Maglasang was named to the “Mythical Five” and clinched the “3-Point King” title during the All-Star Games.

With a standout season like this, basketball fans in Cebu are already speculating that he could follow in the footsteps of his former teammate, Jared Bahay, who eventually suited up for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP.

READ: Rasmo honors Magis Eagles’ community in historic CESAFI feat

However, despite the rising expectations, Maglasang is currently unsure of what comes next in his basketball career.

MAGLASANG’S FUTURE

In a surprising twist, the highly touted player revealed that no collegiate team has reached out to recruit him yet.

READ: Cesafi finals: Magis Eagles clinch Four-Peat, become winningest HS team

A notable observer at last Friday’s Finals Game 2 was Ateneo Blue Eagles’ head coach, Tab Baldwin, fueling speculation about Maglasang’s potential future in Manila.

Despite the rumors, Maglasang remains focused on cherishing his last season with the Magis Eagles.

READ: CESAFI HS Finals: SHS-AdC Magis Eagles draw first blood over USJ-R Baby Jaguars

Looking back at his journey, Maglasang reflected on the hard work and challenges that shaped the Magis Eagles’ championship run.

Despite suffering some runner-up finishes and losses in various tournaments, the team’s resilience paid off as they clinched the coveted CESAFI title.

“Syempre it’s a great season, pero daghan mi naagian struggles sa team namo kay tanan namong tournament giapilan either runner-up or pildi. Pero karon nakuha gyud namo. Syempre gi trabaho sad gyud na namo,” Maglasang shared.

(It’s a great season but we’ve also had our share of struggles as a team because in the tournaments that we joined, we would either finish as a runner-up or end up being a loser.  But now, we finally won.  Of course, we worked hard for this.)

JARED’S GUIDANCE

He added, “Grabe ka memorable kaayo para nako. Kaning mga awards nako bonus na lang ni kay ang focus gyud namo ang mo champion.”

(It was so memorable for me. The awards that I received are an addition because what we focused on was really to win the championship.)

Maglasang also credited his former teammate, Jared Bahay, for offering valuable guidance and advice throughout the season.

Filling the role vacated by Bahay, who had been a key player for the Magis Eagles, Maglasang leaned on Bahay’s experience for insight into navigating the pressures in a league like Cesafi.

“Magkita mi pirmi ni Jared mangayo ko ug mga advise niya. Pasalamat kaayo ko niya kay mohatag siya ug advise nako,” said Maglasang.

(Every time that I would see Jared, I would always seek his advise.  I am very grateful that he would always give us some advise.)

COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL

Looking to the future, Maglasang is still uncertain about where he will play collegiate basketball. He and head coach Rommel Rasmo have yet to make a decision regarding his next move.

However, Maglasang has made it clear that, if given the choice, he would prefer to pursue his basketball career in Manila, where he believes the opportunities are far greater.

“Wala pa gyud ko kahibaw asa ko duwa sa college. Nag paabot ko ni coach Rommel kung asa ko padung. Pero kung ako papilion, syempre sa Manila kay mas dako ang opportunity didto,” Maglasang said.

(I still have no idea where to play college basketball.  I am still waiting for coach Rommel as to where I should go.  But if I were to chose, of course I wanted to go to Manila because of bigger opportunities there.)

Aware of the heightened level of competition in Manila’s collegiate basketball scene, Maglasang is committed to further improving his game. He plans to spend the off-season working tirelessly on his conditioning and shooting, preparing for the increased physicality and intensity he knows awaits him.

“Akong focus karon (my focus now) is to condition and train more, and practice more in shooting because the Manila basketball scene is far more competitive and the players there are way bigger than me,” he said.

Despite his impending departure, Maglasang expressed confidence in the future of the Magis Eagles, particularly in the younger players who will carry the team’s championship tradition forward.

“Basta maminaw lang gyud sila ni coach Rommel (Rasmo), siya gyud kahibaw kung unsa buhaton tanan sa game,” Maglasang concluded.

(For as long as they will listen to coach Rommel, because he is the one who knows what to do during our games.)

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