CEBUANO hoops prospect Jared Bahay’s chosen home for his college career features a familiar shade of blue.
This development comes as the talented point guard announced on Wednesday evening, January 24, 2024, he’ll attend the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and play for the Blue Eagles in the UAAP.
The SHS-Ateneo de Cebu standout and reigning two-time Most Valuable Player of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) shared that two things played huge roles in his decision to head to ADMU.
“I’m attending Ateneo de Manila University because I want to continue my education in another Jesuit school,” said the 18-year-old who has spent most of his formative years at Ateneo de Cebu.
The other reason is the opportunity to play substantial minutes. With the Blue Eagles no longer having Jared Brown, this opens up a chance for Bahay to assume the starting role.
“The opportunity to play right away is another reason I considered in making this decision,” added Bahay.
Bahay’s decision comes after he spent time reflecting on his future after leading the Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles to another Cesafi high school title late last year. It was around the holiday season that he began having second thoughts about his earlier commitment to the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons.
It can be recalled that Bahay—who’s the top-ranked high school player in the country—announced he was going to attend UP and join the Maroons in March 2023.
UP Office for Athletics and Sports Development Director Bo Perasol eventually announced earlier this month that they were going to respect Bahay’s change of heart and leave him free to decide on the next chapter of his career.
Bahay’s rise to prominence began in 2022 when he played exceptionally well in the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship in Qatar and the FIBA Under-18 Championship in Iran. The NBTC 24 eventually hailed him as the best under-19 player in the country—the first to come from outside Manila.