Nic (left) and Nickson (right) Cabañero. | UAAP photos
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two of Cebu’s brightest young basketball stars, Nic and Nickson Andwele Cabañero, are set to don the country’s tri-colors after being named to the Gilas Pilipinas program.
No less than former Gilas Pilipinas stalwart-turned-coach LA Tenorio selected the Cabañero brothers, who hail from Lapu-Lapu City, to be part of two different Gilas squads.
Their inclusion was also confirmed by their father, Dominic, through a post by Sports Ta Bai.
READ: Cebu’s Nic Cabañero earns spot in UAAP Season 87 Mythical Five
Nickson Andwele, a key player for the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Cubs, has been included in the Batang Gilas lineup. He played a pivotal role in leading the Tiger Cubs to a runner-up finish in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) high school division last season.
The younger Cabañero delivered impressive stats, averaging 16.86 points, 9.43 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.79 steals, and 0.14 blocks per game. Despite UST falling short against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors in the best-of-three finals, Nickson’s stellar performance earned him a spot in the UAAP Season 86 Mythical Five.
READ: UST’s Nic Cabañero shines but falls short to Ateneo
He was also a strong contender for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award if not for UST’s finals defeat.
NIC CABAÑERO
Meanwhile, his older brother, Nic Cabañero—fondly known as UST’s “King Tiger”—has been tapped for the Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 Under-23 squad.
READ: Nic Cabañero’s 19-point effort not enough as UST falls to NU
Nic, who cemented his place as one of the league’s premier scorers, was a back-to-back scoring champion in UAAP Seasons 85 and 86. He also earned a Mythical Five spot in the previous season after leading UST to the semifinals, where they eventually bowed to the UP Fighting Maroons, the eventual champions.
What makes the Cabañero brothers’ journey even more remarkable is that they both earned spots in the Mythical Five of their respective divisions in the same UAAP season—a testament to their brilliance on the court.