Ateneo Blue Eagles
Ateneo de Manila University was one of the founding members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1924. Ateneo left the NCAA in 1978 due to a league-wide violence at that time. It then joined the University Athletic Association of the Philippines during the same year.
The Jesuit-run school has racked a total of six UAAP men's basketball titles. It clinched its first crown and back-to-back championship in 1987 and 1988. In both years, the famed Jun Reyes was crowned the Most Valuable Player.
The back-to-back win was repeated in 2002 with a revenge victory over the DLSU Green Archers. The rivalry between the Blue Eagles and the Green Archers dates back to the early years of NCAA. It is now the most anticipated match in every UAAP season.
Ateneo had its first three-peat championship last season beating DLSU in 2008, UE Red Warriors in 2009 and FEU Tamaraws in 2010.
Other UAAP MVPs from the blue and white team were Rich Alvarez in 2000 and 2001, Enrico Villanueva in 2002 and Rabeh Al-Hussaini in 2008.
Other notable Eagles are PBA's Jojo Lastimosa, Chot Reyes, Olsen Racela and Vince Hizon.
