The DLSU Green Archers have not even been champions for half a year and yet they were once again crowned as UAAP champions. 

Green Archers aside, no other UAAP member school has more than one Men’s 3×3 Basketball title and La Salle already has as many championships in this format (four) as there are member schools with zero titles. There will be those that say 3×3 basketball is different and schools don’t often send their best, but none of that should discredit the effort it took to achieve a four-peat. 

While other schools use the UAAP 3×3 basketball competition to let some players get more reps, DLSU made it another opportunity to learn and win. The Green Archers fielded a squad where each player started at least four games and averaged at least 11 minutes per game during the 5×5 competition, proving that they are sending players who figured heavily in their recent 5×5 Men’s Basketball championship runs. 

Earl Abadam, Doy Dungo, and JC Macalalag are the current members who have played in at least one Men’s 3×3 Basketball campaign, with Abadam already a three-time champion in the event. This has made Men’s 3×3 Basketball more meaningful for Abadam, who used this event to get back from an injury that cut his Season 87 campaign short and helped La Salle reach the summit last December. 

But looking at the bigger picture, DLSU’s 3×3 exploits have helped them prepare for the 5×5 competition. The 3×3 format calls for man-to-man defense and this has helped sharpen what Green Archers head coach Topex Robinson has wanted to instill on that end. Offense in the 3×3 format relies on some set plays, but the spontaneous points that come from broken plays and opponents’ turnovers have helped La Salle learn how to play on the fly, especially since these spontaneous moments are often what win titles. There’s no better preparation than with game reps and DLSU has made the most out of what the league has offered. 

Next year, the DLSU Green Archers can do what no other iteration of La Salle, regardless of format, has done before: win five straight UAAP basketball championships. The likes of Earl Abadam, JC Macalalag, Luis Pablo, and EJ Gollena could still join Doy Dungo, but the allure of the pros might see them step aside in favor of a new cast of characters. Nonetheless, the system remains in place, and the next-man-up mentality that has helped the Green Archers succeed in both the 5×5 and 3×3 formats should make the squad an instant contender. 

The format isn’t named the DLSU Men’s 3×3 Invitational, but if La Salle can make it five straight titles in UAAP Season 89, we might as well name it that way.