The 2001 UST Growling Tigers men's basketball team represented University of Santo Tomas in the 64th season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The men's basketball tournament for the school year 2001–02 began on July 14, 2001, and the host school for the season was Far Eastern University.
The Growling Tigers failed to make it to the semifinals for the first time since the Final Four format was implemented in 1994. They ended the double round-robin eliminations at sixth place with a 6–8 record.
The team suffered their worst start since the 1989 season, when they went 1–4 in their first five games. They went through a three-game losing streak after recovering from an opening day loss against the FEU Tamaraws.
They had an average winning margin of 7.5 points and an average losing margin of 6.5 points.
Roster
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Depth chart
Roster changes
The Growling Tigers lost their big men in Marvin Ortiguerra, Gilbert Lao, and Kenneth Co Yu Kang, as well as the high-leaping Cyrus Baguio. Ortiguerra applied for the PBA draft and was selected by the Sta. Lucia Realtors in January 2001, while Co Yu Kang was left off the roster due to academic deficiencies. The rest were excluded by their veteran head coach Aric del Rosario from the team due to their continuous absences from team practices. The players' commitments to their Philippine Basketball League clubs prevented them from participating in the Tigers' preseason games.
Subtractions
Additions
Schedule and results
Preseason tournaments
UAAP games
Beginning in 2001, games were played with four 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock. In the past, games were played with two 20-minute halves and a 30-second shot clock.
Elimination games were played in a double round-robin format and all of UST's games were televised on Studio 23.
Postseason tournament
Summary
The Tigers were tabbed as underdogs this season after the departures of key players led by Marvin Ortiguerra and Cyrus Baguio. With the 6-foot-5-inch Alwyn Espiritu as the only remaining veteran big man in the roster, the team was expected to struggle at the post. Missing from this year's lineup, aside from Ortiguerra were centers Gilbert Lao and Kenneth Co Yu Kang, and forward Mel Latoreno.
Head coach Aric del Rosario had planned to break in tall rookies Warren de Guzman and Marc Nanninga, who were playing the forward and center positions, respectively, to aid Espiritu in rebounds and to make the job of their wing players easier. Picking up the void left by Baguio were three-point specialist Derick Hubalde, the high-leaping Niño Gelig, as well as Jake Agleron and team captain Emmerson Oreta.
First round
Adamson Soaring Falcons
The Tigers sent the Adamson Falcons to their 22nd straight loss after withstanding a gallant stand by the Falcons with a 66–54 win. Hubalde, Oreta, Gelig, and Agleron all finished in double figures with 18, 15, 13, and 11 points, respectively. Shooting a low 39 percent two-point field goal conversion, UST compensated on their outside sniping, with 33 of their total 66 points coming from beyond the arc. They made 11 out of 26 three-point shots for a 42 field goal percentage.
De La Salle Green Archers
UST suffered a 14-point 73–87 defeat at the hands of the De La Salle Green Archers. After a close-scoring first quarter, the Tigers fell behind by more than twenty points as they could not contain the Archers' Renren Ritualo and rookie Mark Cardona's scoring. They were able to pull within nine at 66–75 in the last 3:28, but Ritualo regained his shooting form by converting two of his total five three-pointers to tow his team to victory.
The Tigers have not won against the Archers since their Game 1 victory in their 1999 Finals series.
UE Red Warriors
The Tigers' outside shooting was well-scouted when the UE Red Warriors applied a zone defense on them, resulting to chief gunner Derick Hubalde's 0 for 6 shooting. Team captain Emmerson Oreta likewise was heavily defended as he finished the game with a 3 out of 11 field goal output, and none from the three-point area. The two were tallying a near 30-point combined average in their previous games. The whole team has held the highest three-point field goal average at 42 percent, but could only manage 5 out of 22 attempts against the Warriors.
Backup big man Iago Raterta took the scoring cudgels as he finished with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Point guard Dondon Villamin added 10 points, while rookie Warren de Guzman bagged a career-high of 16 rebounds.