Gerry Abadiano

Gerry Abadiano
Born	(2001-03-08) March 8, 2001 Iloilo City, Philippines
Occupation	Collegiate basketball player
Years active	2016–present
Known for	Playing for UP Fighting Maroons; representing the Philippines in under-17 and under-19 national basketball teams

Gerry Austin T. Abadiano (born March 8, 2001) is a collegiate basketball athlete from the Philippines currently competing with the UP Fighting Maroons in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). He has achieved championship titles in both the juniors and seniors divisions of the UAAP and has represented the nation in the under-19 and under-17 Philippine men's national basketball teams.

Adamson Baby Falcons

While attending St. Roberts International Academy in Grade 6, Abadiano was identified by Coach Goldwin Monteverde and subsequently recruited to join Adamson High School starting in UAAP Season 79 (2016–17). That season was marred by forfeitures due to the participation of an ineligible player, guard Encho Serrano, leading to most victories being nullified. In his concluding game for Adamson, Abadiano posted 11 points.

Red-shirt season

Following that year, Abadiano, along with teammate Carl Tamayo, transferred from Adamson to Nazareth School of National University under Coach Monteverde’s guidance. They observed a residency period during Season 80. During this time, the NU Bullpups secured major titles such as the NBTC League, where Abadiano earned the Finals Most Outstanding Player award, triumphed at the 2018 Palarong Pambansa—where he was named to the Mythical Five alongside Tamayo and Terrence Fortea—and won gold at the 2018 ASEAN School Games.

Season 81: First championship

The NU Bullpups kicked off their Season 81 in 2018 with a victory over the FEU Baby Tamaraws, featuring Abadiano’s contribution of 10 points and three assists. In a dominant 50-point win against the UPIS Junior Maroons, he added 14 points, five assists, two rebounds, and two steals. He followed this with a 17-point performance during a commanding 72-point win over the UE Junior Warriors. Against the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, he closed out the first round by scoring 16 points along with five rebounds and two assists.

In their second meeting with Ateneo, Abadiano again tallied 16 points, helping secure another victory. This performance propelled him to lead the NBTC UAAP 24 high school rankings. He achieved a double-double with 20 points and 15 rebounds in a win over the Zobel Junior Archers. The Bullpups completed an undefeated second round and ended fourth in the NBTC rankings. Despite Abadiano’s ejection late in Game 2 of the Finals after recording eight points and nine rebounds, NU clinched the juniors' championship—their first since 2016.

Season 82: Second championship

Prior to Season 82, NU successfully defended their NBTC League crown, becoming the league’s first team to win consecutive titles. They also retained their gold medal at the ASEAN School Games by defeating Indonesia. The Bullpups swept all elimination round games to secure an outright Finals berth. They then swept the Baby Tamaraws in the Finals series, with Abadiano delivering a strong performance of 20 points, five rebounds, five steals, and four assists in Game 2. Concluding his high school tenure, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, placing him 16th in the NBTC 24 final rankings.

UP Fighting Maroons

On August 1, 2020, both Abadiano and Tamayo officially committed to play for the UP Fighting Maroons. Shortly thereafter, their high school coach Monteverde resigned from his position at NU, where he was originally slated to lead the senior squad. Additionally, former teammate Cyril Gonzales transferred from Mapúa to join UP. In 2021, guards Fortea and Harold Alarcon reunited with Abadiano as part of the UP roster. That same year, Monteverde took over as head coach of the Maroons, reuniting with numerous former players.

Rookie season and first UAAP seniors' championship

Abadiano made his UAAP seniors' basketball debut in Season 84, serving primarily as a backup point guard behind JD Cagulangan and focusing on defensive duties. He played an instrumental role in UP’s semifinal triumph against the DLSU Green Archers, which propelled the team into a best-of-three Finals series versus defending champions Ateneo. In the decisive Game 3, UP clinched the title with a game-winning shot from Cagulangan, ending a championship drought that lasted 36 years. Abadiano also competed in the UAAP 3x3 tournament during that season.

2022–23: Runner-up finishes

During Season 85, Abadiano continued his role as a defensive specialist and backup guard, occasionally producing higher scoring outputs such as a 13-point effort against the UE Red Warriors. He delivered a pivotal go-ahead basket in the semifinals versus NU, helping UP secure a spot in the Finals where they were ultimately defeated by Ateneo.

Despite receiving transfer offers, Abadiano chose to stay with UP for Season 86. After missing two contests due to concussion protocols, he returned with a strong 13-point performance in a crucial victory over DLSU, including a key midrange jumper. In a subsequent loss to Ateneo, he contributed 12 points. Later, stepping up in the absence of lead guards Cagulangan and CJ Cansino, Abadiano recorded a career-best 22 points to guide UP past Ateneo. The team advanced to the Finals once again but fell short against DLSU.

2024: Second UAAP seniors' championship

In the preseason, Abadiano played a significant role in helping UP defend its Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup crown and earned Finals MVP honors. For Season 87, he was named team captain.

UP began the season with an undefeated 6–0 record. In a victory over FEU, Abadiano posted a season-high 19 points on six three-pointers while grabbing four rebounds. He helped lead UP to its sixth consecutive Final Four appearance and another finals rematch against DLSU. In Game 1 of the Finals, he made clutch shots down the stretch to secure the win, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds. In Game 2, he scored 16 points but missed a buzzer-beating three-pointer that would have forced a decisive Game 3. In the final match, his vital offensive rebound during the last 44 seconds contributed to UP capturing its second UAAP title within four seasons.

Junior national team

Abadiano first represented the Philippines at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, leading his team with 17 points in losses against France and Argentina. He scored 19 points in their game versus Canada, though the team was relegated to classification rounds thereafter. He then added 15 points during the Philippines’ inaugural tournament victory over Egypt. He also took part in the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship.

In 2019, Abadiano competed at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, averaging 8.4 points and 2.1 assists per game. That year, he also represented the Philippines at the 2019 FIBA 3x3 U-18 Asia Cup.

External links

• Player Profile on the FIBA official website