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A Complete Breakdown of the 2019 UP Men's Basketball Starting Lineup and Rotation
As a longtime observer of the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons and someone who has spent years analyzing UAAP basketball rotations, I was always fascinated by the 2019 season. It was a pivotal year, a bridge between the historic 2018 finals run and the championship glory that would follow. Today, I want to pull back the curtain and give you a complete breakdown of that 2019 starting lineup and rotation, using a specific game—like that 78-point outing against NU where the scoring was so telling—as our lens. This isn't just about names on a roster; it's about understanding the philosophy and the gritty, often improvised, machinery that Coach Bo Perasol was fine-tuning.
The core of that starting five was already becoming legendary. You had the brilliant Juan Gomez de Liaño at the point, a maestro whose vision and audacity could break any defense. Beside him, the ever-reliable Jun Manzo provided stability and clutch shooting, a perfect backcourt balance. The wing was anchored by the defensive stalwart and emerging leader, Bright Akhuetie, though his role was always multifaceted. Up front, Will Gozum and Jerson Prado often got the starting nods, bringing energy and size. But here's the thing that made UP so dangerous that year—their rotation was deep and situationally fluid. The "starters" didn't always finish, and the closing lineup often depended on matchups and who had the hot hand. This flexibility was a signature, and the scoring distribution from that NU game proves it wasn't just talk.
Let's dive into that box score. Kobe Paras, the headline-grabber, isn't even the leading scorer here; it's James Spencer with a cool 21 points, showing how this team had multiple weapons who could erupt on any given night. But look deeper at the rotation clues. Javi Gomez de Liaño, a starter in many games, came off the bench in this one to chip in 14, a testament to the luxury of depth. The big man rotation was particularly interesting. Bright Akhuetie's presence altered everything, but when he rested, you saw a committee approach. Noah Webb brought length and hustle, while guys like David Murrell provided explosive bursts. The guard rotation behind Juan and Jun was equally robust, with Jaydee Tungcab and Ricci Rivero—when available—adding different dimensions of athleticism and scoring. What I loved about this team was its lack of a rigid hierarchy. Coach Perasol seemed to trust a core of about nine or ten guys, and he wasn't afraid to ride the hot hand, whether it was a starter or someone like Spencer coming off the pine.
From a strategic standpoint, this rotation was built for pace and pressure. They wanted to run, and having fresh legs in constant rotation allowed them to defend full-court and push in transition. It was exhausting to play against. However, this approach wasn't without its critics, myself included at times. The reliance on a deep rotation could sometimes disrupt offensive rhythm, and in tightly contested, half-court playoff games, you wondered if a shortened, more defined seven-man rotation might be more effective. There were nights when the scoring, like in the NU game with contributions from Pagdulagan (21), Clarin (14), Surada (14), and Pingol (10), showed incredible balance. But other nights, you craved a more consistent, go-to hierarchy in crunch time. It was a high-risk, high-reward strategy that prioritized energy and unpredictability over set patterns.
Reflecting on it now, that 2019 rotation was a masterclass in building a culture. It kept everyone engaged, fostered intense internal competition, and prepared a wider group of players for high-pressure moments. Players like Spencer and Webb, who got meaningful minutes in varied roles that season, were being groomed for bigger things. In my view, this was the season that truly deepened the team's championship mettle. They learned to win—and sometimes lose—with different combinations on the floor. The experience gained by that entire ten-to-eleven man group was invaluable. It wasn't just about the starting five's talent; it was about developing a whole roster that believed it could contribute, which is exactly the foundation a championship team needs.
So, when we look back, the 2019 UP Fighting Maroons were more than a collection of stars. They were a dynamic, ever-shifting organism with a deep and empowered rotation. The box score from that NU game, with its nine different scorers and a leading 21 points coming from a non-traditional star, perfectly encapsulates their identity. It was a team still putting the final pieces together, experimenting with lineups, and building the resilient depth that would ultimately help them scale the mountain. For any basketball strategist or fan, studying this rotation is a lesson in modern team-building—where the "starting lineup" is just the beginning of the story, not the whole book.