The tears in their eyes have yet to completely dry up but Ateneo de Manila University players are already getting feelers from University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) teams who want to recruit them.

A reliable source told DAILY TRIBUNE that at least two schools have already expressed willingness to recruit Kieffer Alas just in case the Blue Eagles will be barred from seeing action in Season 89 men’s basketball tournament this September.

Alas, who won the UAAP juniors Most Valuable Player award for De La Salle Zobel in Season 87 before leaving for a short stint in the United States early this year, is set to suit up for the Blue Eagles, where his father is serving as assistant coach.

But his debut in the seniors’ division was suddenly put in doubt following the deaths of his teammates — Rene Clert Baterbonia and Divine Adili — in a tragic drowning incident during their team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora on 8 June.

With the future of the Blue Eagles hanging in limbo, coaches and recruiters from two prominent schools are reaching out to Alas, wanting him to be part of their title chase in Season 89.

He’s already getting some offers,” the source said, adding that schools are already gearing up for the possibility of having Ateneo sit out the coming UAAP season.

“Among all Ateneo players, Kieffer is the most attractive target. First, is because he is a blue-chip recruit and, second, is that he has yet to formally enroll, which means that he can still transfer without undergoing a one-year residency. I think two schools have already reached out to his family, eager to have Kieffer for next season.”

Aside from Alas, teams are also interested in having Filipino-Americans Travis Roberts and EJ Kapihe, who are both “one-and-done” players.

An elite four-star recruit from Waldorf, Maryland in 2022, the 6-foot-6 Roberts had suited up for Alcorn State Braves in the Division I of the US National Collegiate Athletic Association before bringing his talent to the homeland of his mother, Criselda.