THOUGHTS | THE NCAA SCORERS

In 2024, the unofficial scoring leaders of the NCAA and UAAP painted a clear picture: eight of the top ten came from the NCAA, led by the trio of Paeng Are, Ato Barba, and Clint Escamis, all averaging at least 17 points. Escamis, in particular, peaked when it mattered most—his last three games saw him averaging 27 points, including two 30-plus explosions in the Final Four against LPU and in Game 1 of the NCAA Finals. Mapua not only broke a 33-year title drought, but Escamis also secured Finals MVP honors.

Fast forward to 2025, and only two names from that 2024 top ten remain: UST’s Nic Cabanero and Letran’s Jimboy Estrada. Janti Miller is now the top scorer, with T-MC Ongotan jumping from 11.5 points in Season 100 to 17.1 in Season 101. Kevin Quiambao has moved on to bigger things in the KBL, while EAC’s King Gurtiza and JRU’s Joshua Guiab are now in the MPBL.—Gurtiza, notably, went unsigned in the 2025 PBA Draft and is also in the MPBL alongside former EAC running buddy Harvey Pagsanjan. Barba also went undrafted, while Are and Escamis resisted the urge to apply to concentrate on their final NCAA season.

RANK	PLAYER	TEAM	GP	AVERAGE
1	PAENG ARE	SSC-R	17	17.88
2	JOHN  BARBA	LPU	19	17.47
3	CLINT ESCAMIS	MAPUA	21	17.10
4	JIMBOY ESTRADA	LETRAN	17	16.76
5	KEVIN QUIAMBAO	DLSU	18	16.72
6	JOSHUA GUIAB	JRU	18	16.56
7	NIC CABANERO	UST	15	16.00
8	KING GURTIZA	EAC	18	15.17
9	ALLEN LIWAG	BENILDE	21	15.00
10	TRISTAN FELEBRICO	SSC-R	18	13.89

Given Barba’s redemption campaign, Are’s effort to raise his draft stock, and Escamis’ eye on a potential international stint after leading Mapua to back-to-back runs, you’d expect all three to explode in their final year. But that didn’t happen.

Let’s start with Are. After Arvin Bonleon’s contract wasn’t renewed, San Sebastian brought in Rob Labagala as head coach. While rookie Jhuniel Dela Rama emerged as the new star, Are struggled to fit into his new role. His scoring plummeted from 17.9 to 3.7 per game, and just three games in—along with a supposed injury and a sponsorship controversy—he left the program. He reunited with former Stags coach Egay Macaraya and joined Zamboanga Sikat in the MPBL, where he averaged 8.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in three games. Not great, but at least he’ll have a full season next year to rebuild. And he’s not alone—Tristan Felebrico also dipped from 13.9 to 7.0 this year, a sign that Labagala’s system simply shifted roles.

Now on to Barba and Escamis. Both entered the season with something to prove: Barba chasing an undrafted bounce-back, and Escamis looking to strengthen his pro stock before graduating. With the UAAP still the more visible league, players like Barba, Escamis, and Allen Liwag stood among the NCAA’s biggest stars.

Liwag’s scoring dipped, but he can still elevate his 14.0 average, especially if he carries Benilde back to the Finals. Meanwhile, LPU had a rough year, going 3–10. Barba struggled early, with Renz Villegas leading the Pirates in scoring for most of the season. But Barba finished strong—he ended at 13.9 points while maintaining solid rebounding and assist numbers. He even hauled 16 rebounds in one game and led LPU with 22 in the play-in. Even in their quarterfinal loss to San Beda, he topscored with 13. Whether that earns him a PBA look remains unclear, but the MPBL is a solid path for him to rediscover his rhythm.

Escamis, however, had the toughest final year. He averaged just 9.6 points across 15 games and went scoreless on 0-for-16 shooting across Mapua’s final two outings—games that cost them a shot at defending their crown. It was clear something was wrong, and it turns out he was dealing with knee issues. In hindsight, Mapua should have rested him the way Benilde protected Liwag or Letran managed Jun Roque. A reset might have helped not only him, but also boosted guys like Cyrus Nitura, who excelled in rebounds and blocks but remained seventh in scoring, and Earl Sapasap, the Cardinals’ next star in waiting.

Will Escamis’ struggles hurt his future? Hell no. Personally, he should’ve joined the 2025 PBA Draft, especially since international leagues are exploring imports from other Asian countries and the PBA won’t draft again until 2027. Still, he can try out for local teams and overseas leagues. Among the trio, Escamis still has the strongest chance of breaking through. I can see him earning a Strong Group workout or even landing with the Abra Weavers—or maybe the San Juan Knights, given Randy Alcantara’s past ties there.

For Escamis, representation will be key.

In the end, Season 101 becomes a learning curve for these NCAA scorers. They now have a year—maybe less, in Barba’s case—to prepare for their next big move. What matters is they stay hungry, stay healthy, and seize the opportunities ahead.