In recent years, the constants in life have been death, taxes, and the UE Red Warriors losing games. 

It’s an unfortunate development for the school with the longest championship streak in UAAP history (seven), as well as the second-most Men’s Basketball titles with 18. The Red Warriors’ last UAAP Finals appearance was in 2009, and since then the Final Four has been so close yet so far. 

The last two seasons have been particularly tough for UE, as they have lost all their games thus far. In UAAP Season 89, the Red Warriors’ margin of defeat was, on average, 20.3 points. Hypothetically plugging in the UST Growling Tigers’ Amiel Acido, the league’s leading scorer this season at 17.7 points per game wouldn’t even be enough. 

In fact, a change in coaching may only bring a temporary reprieve to UE’s situation. 

Prior to the Red Warriors’ game against the FEU Tamaraws, UE head coach Chris Gavina stepped down. Former Red Warrior Paulo Hubalde, who was also part of Gavina’s staff, was appointed as the interim head coach for UE this season. 

Normally, a new head coach would be like a shot in the arm for a team looking for some life and for a moment, it felt like that when the Red Warriors scored the game’s first four points. But then, the Tamaraws responded with a 12-0 run and it was the same story for UE. 

Playing against the Tigers a few days after didn’t really do much as scoring the game’s first four points again did nothing but prolong the agony. However, this was the Red Warriors’ best performance this season, as UE managed to cut the lead to as low as six points with three minutes left in the fourth quarter before UST pulled away. 

Talent has never been the issue for the Red Warriors, as we’ve seen great players come and go to other universities. The issue lies in managing talent. UE has had concerns in keeping talent not just from rivals, but also to the pros. Financial concerns could be the sticking point, even with the Lucio Tan Group as a team sponsor. However, there is a path forward, thanks to one of the UAAP’s perennial contenders as of late. 

Prior to the Red Warriors, it was the UP Fighting Maroons who were more often than not at the bottom of the league standings. Winless seasons were a norm between 2007 and 2013 and wins during that time called for bonfires when other teams would have one when they won championships. Managing talent was tough even with a major sponsor and it seemed like there was no end in sight for the plight of the Maroons. But UP decided to make some changes, by organizing their management, gathering sponsors from alumni and those who wanted to support the team, and by sticking to a program that took time to blossom. The results speak for themselves, as the Maroons haven’t missed the UAAP Finals since the league resumed play after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

So for the UE Red Warriors, there is light at the end of the long tunnel. The losses are painful right now, but if the Red Warriors go beyond the surface-level solutions and take a longer lens, then perhaps the cellar-dwelling will be a thing of the past.