UST rookie Andrew Chio eager to be next Xavier product to make mark in UAAP

University of Santo Tomas guard Andrew Chio against Far Eastern University in UAAP Season 89. UAAP Media.MANILA — Andrew Chio made the most of his extended minutes as University of Santo Tomas snapped its skid in UAAP Season 89, but for the 18-year-old rookie, his performance was also an opportunity to begin carving out his own place in the league.

“I want to be the next player from Xavier [School] to make it to the UAAP and make his mark,” said Chio, who scored 14 points on three triples in UST’s 81-69 win over Far Eastern University on Wednesday.

A former standout for Xavier under head coach Willy Wilson, Chio is the latest Golden Stallion to reach the UAAP, following in the footsteps of the likes of Chris Tiu, Jeron Teng, Isaac Go, and Tyler Tio, all of whom went on to become champions in the collegiate league.

For Chio, however, what makes those Xavier alumni special is not just their success, but the way they represented their alma mater throughout their UAAP careers, something he hopes to emulate during his time with the Growling Tigers.

“I was previously offered to move to Ateneo [de Manila University] during my junior year at Xavier, and my head coach told me to take the offer, but I wanted to stay loyal to Xavier,” he said.

That decision, however, came with its challenges.

“When I graduated, I didn’t have any offers from any school,” he shared. 

Fortunately for Chio, his performances for Xavier put him on the radar of the Gilas Youth program, eventually leading to a spot in the national team pool under UST deputy coach Juno Sauler.

Adding to his familiarity with the school, Xavier assistant coaches Japs Cuan and Bam Ledesma are also part of the UST coaching staff, helping pave the way for Chio to take the first step toward his goal.

“Making the decision was quite easy,” he said. “Two of my coaches from Xavier are coaching me now, and Coach Juno is coaching me in Gilas Youth, so UST was the perfect choice for me.”

It was a slow start for Chio, as he saw only limited action early in UST’s campaign before delivering a career-best scoring performance against FEU, but he remains optimistic that he will eventually earn his stripes.

“It’s always the ‘step up’ mentality. If no one is playing well, then the next guy on the bench can play well,” he said. “So it didn’t really affect me. I know that I’m a rookie, but it didn’t change my mentality.”

For Chio, what matters most is applying the lessons he learned at Xavier, believing those values will ultimately help him achieve his goals in the UAAP.

“I always play with something to prove. Even if I’m young, I wanna show everyone that I can compete in the UAAP,” he stressed. “But I’m also leaning on the discipline I learned. My coaches taught me to stay humble and stay disciplined no matter what.”