Sean Chambers speaks on Veejay Pre’s departure from FEU: ‘We all have to move on’

The FEU Tamaraws began a new chapter in the 18th FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup with a convincing 74-57 win over the UE Red Warriors.

But right after the match, head coach Sean Chambers made sure to address the elephant in the room: the official departure of UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year Veejay Pre.

Speaking candidly, Chambers shared heartfelt words about the young star who recently announced his exit from the team.

“It’s a very unique situation. We love him,” Chambers said during the post-game press conference. “He’s a kid, and as adults, we need to stop talking about it and let him go about his way. Because it’s a lot of adults making the decisions and he’s caught in the middle.”

Pre, who averaged 13.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in Season 87, was revealed to be under pressure from his family to leave FEU.

Athletic director Mark Molina had previously detailed how Pre wanted to stay, but ultimately followed his family’s wishes.

Chambers acknowledged the difficulty of the situation for all sides.

“I think this is the first time I’ve seen a situation where a kid loves his university, loves his teammates, loves his coaching staff, but he has to make a decision for the best of his family,” he said.

“And I'm one of those who believe that as families, we always have to make the decisions that we need to do. It may not all align together, but at the end of the day, you have a kid stuck in the middle, and that's hard for a kid.”

[ALSO READ: UAAP: Veejay Pre bids emotional farewell to FEU, calls it 'hardest decision ever']

While the Tamaraws lost a key piece of their future, Chambers emphasized that there’s no ill will—only support.

“We all love Veejay, Veejay loves us,” he declared. “So we all need to move on for the betterment of Veejay.”

Pre’s next stop remains unknown, but reports suggest he is considering a move to another school, which may require a residency year and a reduction in his remaining UAAP eligibility.