JAMES PAYOSING IS NOW A UP FIGHTING MAROON

Just days after expressing frustration over Chris Hubilla and Lawrence Mangubat’s transfer from NCAA Season 100 champions Mapua Cardinals to the JRU Heavy Bombers—following JRU legend and S100 Mapua assistant coach Nani Epondulan—NCAA Season 99 Finals MVP James Payosing has made a league switch of his own, joining the UP Fighting Maroons.

I’m not a big fan of this move. Ideally, players should aim to leave college as quickly as possible to pursue opportunities in the PBA or overseas rather than taking a redshirt year.

But in Payosing’s case, I see the logic behind it.

San Beda is in an interesting position right now—not because of struggles, but because of an abundance of talent on their roster. The Red Lions reached the Final Four last season with Payosing averaging just 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 19 games. Comparing his Season 99 numbers to Season 100, the drop-off is noticeable. And while Season 100 saw key departures—Jacob Cortez, as well as graduates like Magnolia’s Peter Alfaro, NorthPort’s Damie Cuntapay, and Blackwater’s Cliff Jopia—the Red Lions also reloaded with Bismarck Lina, Bryan Sajonia, Penny Estacio, RC Calimag, and Menard Songcuya. The team was so stacked that players like Nygel Gonzales, AJ Royo, and Emman Tagle struggled to find minutes.

Most notably, Sajonia and Calimag both play Payosing’s position, with Sajonia’s emergence significantly cutting into his scoring opportunities.

Given that, Payosing’s decision to leave makes sense. Yes, he’s sacrificing a spot on a championship contender and taking a redshirt year, but UP just lost JD Cagulangan to the KBL and Quentin Millora-Brown after his one-and-done stint. By the time UAAP Season 89 arrives, UP will also be without Harold Alarcon, Terrence Fortea, Reyland Torres, and Gerry Abadiano—who, according to Wikipedia (for what it’s worth), are playing their fifth year in 2025.

From a PBA Draft stock perspective, moving to UP isn’t a bad idea. Quentin Millora-Brown is already projected as a Top 5 pick in the 2025 PBA Draft (Season 49, if we’re being precise), proving that UP can elevate a player’s draft profile. Unlike Hubilla and Mangubat—who would have retained their starting roles at Mapua had they not moved to JRU—Payosing is likely to be a starter at UP.

Had he stayed with San Beda for NCAA Season 101, Payosing would have been in a tough spot. With Yukien Andrada returning, likely to boost his own draft stock, plus the presence of Andrada, Sajonia, Lina, and Jomel Puno, Payosing’s role would have been further diminished. Puno, a 6'6 high-flying combo forward with range and length, led the team in rebounding and was second to Andrada in scoring last season. With his ability to play small forward, San Beda could have rolled out a scary frontcourt of Puno, Andrada, and Lina, further cutting into Payosing’s rebounding numbers—which had already dipped from their championship run.

Losing Payosing is a blow for San Beda, but his decision makes sense. The only risk for him is that UP still has time to load up its roster. If he wants to make an impact, he’ll need to bring twice the energy to avoid getting lost in the shuffle.