FEU Tamaraws are the collegiate basketball varsity team of the Far Eastern University (FEU). FEU currently holds the record of winning the most number of championships (20 championships) in the men's basketball division of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. FEU also appeared in the Philippine Collegiate Championship finals four times, and was able to win back to back championships in 2004 and 2005. The team originally played in the NCAA from 1929 to 1936 and was one of its founding members.
While the main campus of FEU is in Sampaloc, Manila, the basketball team is now based in FEU Diliman in Diliman, Quezon City.
History
Williams, Capacio and the 1980s 1981 MVP Anthony Williams led the Tams to its first three-peat, from 1979 to 1981, including a back to back 12-0 eliminations sweep in 1980 and 1981. The unbeaten Tamaraws played the rival UE Warriors in the 1981 UAAP Finals. UE rookie Allan Caidic, missed two free throws and FEU captured their third straight title and the most coveted three-peat to give the Tams its 12th overall title. FEU did not make it to the finals in 1982, but the team was able to come back in 1983, led by season MVP Glenn Capacio to their fourth title in five years. Johnny Abarrientos joined the seniors team two years after leading the Baby Tamaraws to its juniors' basketball title. Victor Pablo along with Abarrientos led the Tams back to the finals after six years, matching with the DLSU Archers, a team who just joined the league couple of years back out of NCAA. The Archers were victorious, with Eddie Viaplana's three pointer with sixteen seconds remaining sealed the Archers' first UAAP title with the score of 74–69.
Magtulis, Oliver, Manabat and Mendoza late 1990s
FEU won championships in the early 1990s led by Abarrientos and Pablo. Saw the triumvirate of Ronald Magtulis, Michael Oliver and Anastacio Mendoza in 94 and 95 though they did not won the championship but they were in the final 4. The last championship in the late 1990s came in 1997 with the trio of Magtulis, Oliver and Mendoza, defensive stopper Manabat and three-point assassin Edwin Bacani against the Maui Roca-led Green Archers.
Arwind Santos era Arwind Santos started his UAAP career in 2002 alongside future PBA standouts Mark Isip and Dennis Miranda. The Tamaraws failed to make it to the Final Four that year after losing to the Cyrus Baguio-led UST for the last Final Four slot, though Santos won season's Rookie of the Year award. In Season 66, it was a quick turn around for the Tamaraws, who had their core intact with key players Rhagnee Sinco, Gerald Jones, Cesar Catli, the emergence of Arwind Santos and James Zablan returning from injury, FEU dominated the eliminations and gained the top two seed. The Tamaraws defeated the James Yap-led UE Red Warriors in the final four. They garnered their first title in six seasons with a sweep against the Ateneo Blue Eagles via two lopsided games. Santos won the season MVP for the first time in his college career on his third year with the Tamaraws, and was selected to the mythical team together with Miranda. That same year, the team tried to defend its title, but the Tamaraws lost to the Archers in a three-game series despite leading by a point in the final seconds when Green Archer sharpshooter JVee Casio nailed a three-pointer with two seconds left. Without any remaining timeouts for both teams, Jeff Chan was forced to do a Hail Mary shot from the half court and hit only the front rim as time expires.
With Miranda's departure in 2005, rookie point guard Jonas Villanueva filled in for his role. Santos came back for his final year despite issues that he would be entering the PBA draft. With the core of Santos, big man Mark Isip, RJ Rizada, Villanueva and Chan, FEU, once again, were picked by analysts as title favorites prior to the season. The Tamaraws swept the first round eliminations and won twelve of their fourteen outings overall to claim the number one spot in the Final Four. FEU breezed past the UE Red Warriors via blowout and advanced to the Finals for three straight years where they faced their long time rivals, De La Salle Green Archers, once again in the championship. In game one, FEU, trailed most of the game but key reserve Elder Saldua led the charge in the first three quarters to keep the Tamaraws close enough for a comeback. Arwind Santos, made some key plays including five straight points in the final forty-nine seconds to complete a 75–73 comeback win in game one. When the final buzzer sounded, Controversy surrounded Santos and Green Archers assistant manager Manny Salgado when the latter struck the former after having some words with Green Archer forward Joseph Yeo that bought heat between the two players because of an in tensed classic game. After an investigation, Salgado was banned by the UAAP for life despite issuing a public apology. Another classic game occurred in game two but the Tamaraws held on when the Archers tried to take the lead and extend the series. Villanueva sealed the championship for FEU after making a crucial free throw with a few seconds left and Isip blocked a Junjun Cabatu desperate three-pointer and the Tamaraws won its 18th title overall after a sweep against the DLSU Archers, 73–71. Later that year, with the controversies surrounding the Archers, the UAAP decided to award the title to the Tamaraws after De La Salle University admitted that they have ineligible players from UAAP Season 67 in which they won the championship. Thus, it gave FEU the three-peat from 2003 to 2005.
The Santos-led Tamaraws also won back-to-back championships in the PCCL during 2004 and 2005 beating the UE Red Warriors and San Sebastian Stags respectively, making them the best collegiate team in the Philippines.
Post-Santos era, roster overhaul
With Santos, Isip and Rizada departing due to graduation, the Tamaraws were expected to defend their championship with Chan and Villanueva returning for their final playing year. Rookie Mac Baracael was also expected to fill Santos' shoes for the team. With DLSU suspended for the whole Season 69, every team will only play 12 games. The defending champions had a slow start losing their first four games but managed to win four straight. But FEU finished the season winning only a single game in their final four games and failed to enter the Final Four.
Due to the team's dismal performance in Season 69, FEU has planned to bring the Baby Tamaraws core of Socrates Rivera, Mark Lopez, Aldrech Ramos and Ian Sanggalang to represent the men's basketball team for Season 70 but Rivera and Lopez decided to play for the UP Fighting Maroons and Sanggalang went to San Sebastian-Recoletos. This prompted the school to elevate most of its players from Team B along with Ramos and Baby Tamaraws key holdovers JR Cawaling and Jens Knuttel. Mac Baracael, JR Guerilla and Benedict Fernandez are the only players left from last year's team. Lead assistant Glenn Capacio took over the reins from Bert Flores in the off-season. The Tamaraws had a rough start in the first round but managed to win four games in seven outings. In the middle of the season, Guerilla was caught selling his game that lead to his dismissal from the team. They forced a playoff for the 4th Final Four spot against UST but lost and for the second straight year, FEU failed to qualify in the Final Four and JR Cawaling was named the Rookie of the Year.
In Season 71, FEU emerged as a "dark horse" team in the tournament. With point guard Mark Barroca's emergence, the team had a 2–1 start until Mac Baracael was shot by an unknown by-stander outside the campus. Rumors swirl that Baracael denied to "sell his game" as the reason why the incident happened. Even with Baracael out, FEU continued their run. Thanks to Barroca, Benedict Fernandez, big man Reil Cervantes and Aldrech Ramos' improved play, the team was recognized as a title contender for the season. Baracael returned after 5 games and the Tamaraws finished 3rd in the standings with a 10–4 record. The Tamaraws returned and faced the DLSU Green Archers in the Final Four with a twice-to-beat disadvantage but failed to force a do-or-die game.
FEU hosted Season 72 and the plan was the team to capture the title. With Mac Baracael and Benedict Fernandez graduating, the Tamaraws recruited scorer RR Garcia to boost its back court rotation. The Tamaraws emerged as champions during the Pre-Season tournament sponsored by Fil-Oil Flying V with Garcia taking home the MVP trophy. FEU finished with an 11–3 record only losing their games to UE and Ateneo including the battle for the number 1 seed. Entering the Final Four, Mark Barroca was suddenly removed from the team's roster. It was unclear what was the reason for Barroca's departure but reports said that the playmaker was involved in game-fixing issues in which he denied. The Barroca-less Tamaraws played the Paul Lee-led UE Red Warriors as the number two seed but was defeated twice and finished in 3rd place in the tournament once again.
Terrence Romeo era, championship pursuits
FEU recruited Baby Tamaraws superstar Terrence Romeo and gave the Tamaraws a solid back court that helped the team earn a trip to the finals. FEU defeated DLSU, 69–59 in overtime to enter the Finals. Ateneo and FEU met in the championship, which rekindled its match up dating back in 2003. Ateneo won that time, including a 72-49 blow out during the first game, and a hard-fought second game with Ryan Buenafe's three pointer late in the fourth quarter ended FEU's title hopes. RR Garcia was named the Season MVP and Romeo took home the Rookie of the Year honors.
In Season 74, The Tamaraws hired former coach Bert Flores after Glenn Capacio called it quits. They also recruited former Baby Tamaraws and RP Youth players Mike Tolomia and athletic big man Russel Escoto. FEU finished third and a final four slot with a 9–5 record. They were matched with Adamson, their first post season match up since the final four era started. Though Adamson carries a twice to beat advantage, FEU's post season experience put them back to the finals against the Ateneo Blue Eagles, their third finals match up in eight years. Ateneo would sweep the series, giving them their fourth straight title.
Cervantes decided not to come back in Season 75 which resulted as a lost season for the Tamaraws. Despite winning their first four games, FEU did not make it to the Final Four. It was a string of losses for the Tams as they lost three straight games to end their season; the first being with the Archers when they are guaranteed to have a twice to beat advantage with a win. The second was against the Bulldogs' 84–81 victory in overtime after a controversial 77–75 win was ordered to be re-played by the UAAP Boards because of the "inconclusive and unclear" video evidence of RR Garcia's buzzer beating layup. Another loss came from the hands of the Archers, when they battled for a fourth-seed playoffs. The Tams led as many as ten points in the fourth quarter with six minutes to go but came up short to earn a final spot in the Final Four.