Gilas Pilipinas Boys standout Kieffer Alas chooses Ateneo over US NCAA schools 

From his stint at Utah Prep Academy, the 18-year-old made a choice that instantly reshaped the college basketball landscape. He is returning to the Philippines — but not to the familiar green. Instead, Alas will suit up in blue after committing to Ateneo de Manila University.

The 6-foot-2 guard announced his decision through Instagram, posting a photo of himself in an Ateneo jersey with a caption, “Homecoming.”

Alongside it was a reflective message, “A big lesson I learned this year is that a person’s capacity for growth is directly linked to how much truth they can face about themselves without running away.”

Behind the announcement was a decision shaped not just by opportunity, but by connection. Alas revealed he chose Ateneo over other UAAP programs and several NCAA Division II schools largely because of one figure, Tab Baldwin. 

“Coach Tab visited me multiple times here in the US, and I could tell he was really interested in me. They laid out their plan for me, what I could do in the future, and how they saw me as a big part of their program,” Alas said.

Throughout his year abroad, Baldwin consistently kept the communication on him, maintaining communication and reinforcing the idea that development is as much about character as it is about skill.

“That was the main thing for me — the management and especially Coach Tab putting in the effort just to visit me here multiple times,” the 18-year-old guard said.

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BIGGEST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

Kieffer Alas shared that Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin and the management presented a clear development plan that positions him as a strong fit for the Katipunan-based squad’s program.#LegendsStartHere #StrengthInMotionHopeInAction pic.twitter.com/tF7ZJ1vfei

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) March 3, 2026

For the youngest member of the well-known Alas family, growth has never been in short supply. Before heading overseas, Alas starred for De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and carried the fight for Gilas Pilipinas Boys. 

In the FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship, he averaged 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, earning a spot on the All-Star Five and steering the Philippines to a berth in the Under-17 World Cup. 

An injury later denied him the chance to play on that global stage, a setback that became fuel rather than frustration.

His Grade 11 campaign with the Junior Archers turned into a redemption tour, sharpening his versatility as a two-way guard capable of scoring, rebounding, and facilitating. Now, that skill set arrives at a program hungry to restore its standard.

Ateneo is in the midst of retooling after finishing sixth (6-8) in UAAP Season 88, extending a semifinals drought that has lingered uncomfortably to the Blue Eagles. 

The Katipunan-based team has already added players like Davaoeño Rene Baterbonia and Cebuano Jelomar Rota.

For a player who has already faced the sting of injury, the grind of overseas competition, and the pressure of national expectations, choosing Ateneo is less about switching colors and more about embracing a new chapter.

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