Veejay Pre lands in UP after dramatic FEU exit, ‘late’ Maroons pitch

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Loaded champion UP seizes another ready-made basketball recruit in UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year Veejay Pre, as the Maroons clarify that it only made moves after the rising star's departure from FEU

MANILA, Philippines – Stars come and go, but UP’s recruitment power persists.

After the departure of key cogs Francis Lopez and Aldous Torculas, the loaded defending UAAP men’s basketball champions found an immediate replacement in the form of Veejay Pre, the reigning Season 87 Rookie of the Year fresh off a dramatic exit from the FEU Tamaraws.

UP, however, made it clear that it was never in the recruitment picture while Pre was in FEU and only made a “late push” to acquire the services of the tenacious 6-foot-5 forward, who wanted to stay in Morayta against the wishes of his family to leave.

“What’s fortunate about all this is that we were not there when reports and rumors began. We respected FEU and we only talked to Veejay when he already decided to leave FEU,” said UP Office of Athletics and Sports Development director and former coach Bo Perasol in a statement in Filipino.

After sitting out one year and slashing two years off his eligibility, the 19-year-old comes in at Season 89 as a timely boost following the team stars’ exits and the looming Season 88 graduations of many UP leaders like Harold Alarcon, Gerry Abadiano, and Terrence Fortea.

“We know what Veejay can do. He’ll be a great help to us with his all-around game,” said champion coach Goldwin Monteverde in Filipino.

Pre topped the Season 87 rookie race with averages of 13.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, albeit with FEU suffering multiple close losses and ending up outside the Final Four race with a 5-9 record. – Rappler.com