All players from this dynastic Ateneo team have officially signed off from the UAAP

In Season 81, Ateneo ushered a new era for their men's basketball team.

The Blue Eagles had just recovered from its Finals loss in Season 79 to La Salle by defeating them in their Finals rematch in Season 80. And even if they won the title, it seemed like things are still looking up for the squad led by S80 Finals MVP Thirdy Ravena, who had yet to reach his peak potential in the UAAP.

Then came in super rookies in Ange Kouame and SJ Belangel.

Ateneo finished Season 81 with a 12-2 record, and again won the title, this time against UP. This was the first of the Battle of Katipunan trilogy. Ravena also won the second of this three straight Finals MVP awards. The team also won two more titles in the following years.  

Fast forward to five years later, all of the Blue Eagles in that Season 81 batch are all in different yet successful paths today.

After Matthew Daves recently announced that he is foregoing his final year of UAAP eligibility, Ateneo fans couldn’t help but notice that players from the team that started this era have all signed off.

ateneo blue eagles season 81 lineup — officially signing off from the uaap 🥲🏀💙 pic.twitter.com/qxWMGoBtEZ

— rain (@thirbeaddie) January 10, 2023

After finding out about this, Ravena couldn’t help but reminisce his time with Ateneo back in Season 81.

Each Blue Eagle from Season 81 has had success outside of the UAAP.

Ravena and Belangel are strutting their stuff in the Japan B.League and Korean Basketball League, respectively.

Isaac Go, Will Navarro, and Matt and Mike Nieto were deemed at the top of their classes and got called up for Gilas Pilipinas duties before joining the PBA.

Anton Asistio, Aaron Black, Gian Mamuyac, Tyler Tio, and Adrian Wong are also making names for themselves in Asia's first play-for-pay league.

Mendoza and Verano, meanwhile, are also doing well in local leagues and they are likely to apply for the upcoming PBA draft. The same case could be said for Andrade and Daves.

Kouame, meanwhile, has since been naturalized for Gilas Pilipinas.

Have you ever seen a team that has had this kind of success from its players after leaving the UAAP?