When a game is on the line, and the clock is winding down, every team needs someone it can trust with the ball.
For UP, that role has passed through several hands over the years. Juan Gomez de Liaño once filled it, followed by Carl Tamayo, JD Cagulangan and Harold Alarcon.
This season, Veejay Pre is up.
In his first season with the Fighting Maroons after transferring from FEU and sitting out last year, Pre has quickly become the team's go-to player. With UP chasing another championship, his importance to the squad has become difficult to overlook.
Pre is leading the season's MVP race, averaging 14.18 points, 7.27 rebounds and 2.82 assists per game. He is also UP's leading scorer, having reached double figures in nine of the team's 11 games.
Pre owns a 52.39% true shooting percentage and leads UP in field-goal attempts, taking 12.45 shots per game and converting 45.26%. The numbers reflect not only his scoring responsibility but also the trust the coaching staff places in him to carry the offense.
Pre also leads UP in win shares at 0.92 and estimated wins added (EWA) at 1.55. Win shares estimate a player's overall contribution to team success, while EWA measures how many wins a player adds compared with a replacement-level player.
He also tops the team in efficiency -- a composite measure of positive contributions and negative plays -- with a rating of 15.27.
But Pre's value goes beyond the numbers. He has become a key figure in UP's commitment to its process, from detailed game preparation to practices on days when the team could otherwise take a break.
His production gives the Fighting Maroons a reliable offensive anchor, while his willingness to buy into the system helps keep the team focused on the bigger picture.
Even with UP securing its eighth consecutive UAAP Final Four appearance, Pre is not looking too far ahead.
With three games remaining in the elimination round, he is focused on finishing strong before turning his attention to the Final Four -- the first in his UAAP career.
"We're happy because we're already in the Final Four, but that's not what we're thinking about right now," Pre said in Filipino after UP's 82-74 win over Ateneo Blue Eagles on Saturday.
Pre finished with 16 points and seven rebounds as UP clinched its Final Four spot after improving to 9-2. The Fighting Maroons are also riding a seven-game winning streak.
"We're focused on our preparation and finishing the elimination round with a win. We'll take some time to rest, then return to practice and prepare for our next games."
For Pre, the team's success is built on preparation, trust and collective effort.
He credited the coaching staff for giving him the responsibility, and said he continued to work on the areas of his game that needed improvement.
"I'm just following the coaches' game plans," he said.
"I trust myself because I put in the work. But I still have a lot of lapses that I need to improve on.
"Of course, we're happy because our collective effort paid off. Kudos to the coaches for trusting me. I'm just trying to repay that trust."
UP has won two championships in the past six seasons and is seeking another trip to the finals. The Fighting Maroons have the experience and the depth to make another title run.
Pre, the UAAP Season 87 Rookie of the Year at FEU, has added that brilliance to a UP team looking to build on last season's run to the championship series.
He watched from the sidelines as the Fighting Maroons, led by a group that has since graduated, fell short against La Salle.
This season, with his ability to shoulder the scoring load and deliver when the team needs him, Pre is taking his chance to lead the next charge.