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Justin Arana

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Justin Arana (born March 21, 1999) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Converge FiberXers of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). After overcoming a heart condition while with the UST Growling Tigers, he went on to become a dominant college basketball player with the Arellano Chiefs.

Justin Arana
No. 15 – Converge FiberXers
PositionCenter
LeaguePBA
Personal information
Born (1999-03-21) March 21, 1999 (age 25)
Daet, Camarines Norte, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight231 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High schoolBasud National High School (Basud, Camarines Norte)
CollegeUST (2015–2017)
Arellano (2019–2022)
PBA draft2022: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Converge FiberXers
Playing career2022–present
Career history
2022–presentConverge FiberXers
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school career

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Arana started playing basketball at a young age, learning to shoot with a ring attached to a mango tree built by his father.[1] He then started playing in inter-barangay leagues.

By the time Arana was a first year high school student at Basud National High School, he was already 6'2".[2] He was recruited to join his high school varsity basketball team in his third year, and by that time had grown two more inches. A year later in 2015, he played in Bicol's Regional Meet and in the Palarong Pambansa, which helped him get noticed by big colleges and universities.[3][4]

College career

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UST Growling Tigers

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Arana then joined the UST Growling Tigers.[4] He made the team right away, but in his first two years, played few minutes.[2] In his junior season, he was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse after he collapsed in an offseason tuneup game. As a result, he was limited to just five games that season. He left the team before the start of the UAAP Season 81 due to conflict with a team manager.[5][6] He thought that his basketball career in the major college leagues was over and considered going back home to his province.[1]

Arellano Chiefs

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After Arana had left UST, he was recruited by one of his former assistant coaches at UST to join him and the Arellano Chiefs.[6] He used his entire residency year to continue his recovery, undergoing weekly 2D echo tests and drinking maintenance medicine – all expenses the university shouldered.[2]

NCAA Season 95: NCAA Rookie of the Year

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Arellano started Season 95 with a record of 1–5, including a loss to the UPHSD Altas in which he had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven blocks.[7] The following game, he had a career-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting, but they still lost to the Benilde Blazers.[8] He was able to lead Arellano to an upset win over the Lyceum Pirates with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, with 11 rebounds and three blocks.[9] As a result, he was awarded Player of the Week.[10] In a loss to the San Beda Red Lions, he led the team with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks.[11] Arellano then got a win over the Altas, in which he contributed 17 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.[12] They got their fourth win of the season over Benilde, in which he had 13 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks before fouling out.[13] That would be their last win, as they finished with a record of 4–14 in last place.[14] He was awarded as the NCAA's Rookie of the Year along with a All-Defensive Team selection with averages of 13.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 1.4 assists.[15] He also played in the NCAA's All-Star Game, leading the losing team with 22 points and seven rebounds.[16]

NCAA Season 97: Final season

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Arana was set to return for one more year for Season 96, turning down the opportunity to join the PBA Draft.[17] However, basketball was not part of Season 96's calendar due to COVID-19 protocols and his eligibility was transferred to the next season.[18][19] He received interest from B.League teams during this time.[6]

In Arellano's first game of Season 97, Arana had 16 points, 15 rebounds, and four blocks, but couldn't finish the game due to an injury.[20] He was initially diagnosed with a partial ACL tear and ruled out for the season.[21] However, after getting another diagnosis, his ligament was revealed to still be intact, allowing him to return to playing.[22] He made his return in a loss to Benilde, putting up 14 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks in limited minutes.[23] In a loss to UPHSD, he had 14 points, 12 rebounds, a steal, and two blocks.[24] Arellano finally ended its losing streak with him leading the way with 17 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.[25] Halfway through the eliminations, he averaged 15.3 points, 13.3 rebounds (tied for first in the league), and a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game, making a case as the league's MVP.[26]

In a loss to Lyceum, Arana had a double-double performance of 17 points and 24 rebounds, adding to four blocks, an assist, and a steal, in a losing effort.[27] In a crucial win over the EAC Generals, he put up 21 points and 18 rebounds to go along with three assists and three blocks.[28] He then collected a career-high 29 rebounds alongside 18 points and two blocks while playing all 40 minutes and made two clutch free throws in a win over the JRU Heavy Bombers that secured them a spot in the play-in game.[29] His 29 rebounds were just one short of the record for most rebounds grabbed in a single NCAA game, which was set in 2015 by Allwell Oraeme.[30] In the play-in game, the Chiefs were defeated by the Altas and their hopes for making the Final Four were ended.[31] With their early exit, he was no longer in contention for MVP, as they were only awarded to those who led their team to the Final Four. He was still able to win Defensive Player of the Year, and claimed spots on the NCAA's Mythical and All-Defensive Teams.[32] In his final season, he averaged 14.8 points, 17.1 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks in nine games.[33] He then declared for the 2022 PBA draft, ending speculations that he would join a B.League team.[34][33]

Professional career

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Converge FiberXers (2022–present)

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2022–23 season: Rookie season

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Arana was selected 4th overall pick by the Converge FiberXers in the 2022 PBA draft.[35] In his PBA debut during the Philippine Cup, he had six points, nine rebounds, three blocks, a steal, and an assist in 27 minutes of a loss to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.[36] He then got a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds in a win over the Terrafirma Dyip.[37] In a game against the Blackwater Bossing, he was underperforming as he just had four points on 1-of-5 shooting by the end of the third quarter.[38] Still, he played in the fourth quarter and made clutch baskets and a crucial block on Jvee Casio to give Converge the win, finishing with 13 points and five rebounds.[38][39]

In Converge's first game of the Commissioner's Cup, Arana contributed 13 points and seven rebounds to give their new head coach Aldin Ayo his first win in the PBA.[40] He then put up 14 points along with nine boards, three handouts and a steal in a loss to the Magnolia Hotshots.[41] In a win over the TNT Tropang Giga, he had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.[42] That conference, Converge won seven straight games to get into the playoffs, with their last win coming from against Rain or Shine in which he had 16 points, seven rebounds, and the game-winning shot.[43] However, they lost their last two games to drop to 5th place in the standings, although he was able to put up a PBA career-high 23 points in their last game of the Commissioner's Cup.[44] In the playoffs, they were eliminated by the San Miguel Beermen.[45]

In another win over Terrafirma during the Governors' Cup, Arana finished with 15 points and six rebounds.[46] They won their first four games of the conference, including a win over Rain or Shine in which he had 21 points and eight rebounds.[47] Their win streak was ended by the Tropang Giga.[48] Against the Beermen, although he only had nine points and eight rebounds, he limited the Beermen's June Mar Fajardo to just seven points and 10 rebounds as Converge gave them their first loss of the conference.[49] He was then one of the first picks for the Rookie/Sophomore/Juniors game of that year's All-Star Weekend.[50] In that game, he contributed 23 points for the winning team.[51] Although Converge made the playoffs once again, they were eliminated once again by San Miguel.[52]

Career stats

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PBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

As of the end of 2023–24 season[53]

Season-by-season averages

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Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022–23 Converge 37 24.6 .535 — .644 7.5 1.1 .4 1.2 9.9
2023–24 Converge 22 28.8 .595 — .643 7.0 1.7 .2 .8 17.0
Career 59 26.2 .563 — .644 7.3 1.4 .4 1.0 12.5

UAAP

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[54]

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 UST 2 1.2 .000 .000 .000 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
2016–17 UST 8 7.1 .308 .000 .500 1.3 .3 .1 .0 1.5
2017–18 UST 6 8.6 .389 .000 .571 3.5 .3 .2 .2 3.7
Career 16 6.9 .355 .000 .545 1.9 .3 .1 .1 2.1

References

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  1. ^ a b THE 6 FOOT 6 BICOLANO FREAK FROM CAMARINES NORTE – Justin Arana, retrieved September 15, 2023
  2. ^ a b c Sacamos, Karlo (November 21, 2022). "How Justin Arana overcame a heart scare to become PBA rising star". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  3. ^ "Basudeñong PBA Rookie na si Justin Arana ginawaran ng pagkilala ng LGU Basud". Brigada News. August 5, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Varsitarian, The (September 25, 2015). "7 rookies add new energy to Tigers lineup". Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Li, Matthew (May 21, 2018). "Total rebuild for Growling Tigers". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Abad, Ysa (September 16, 2021). "Will it be Japan opportunity or Arellano loyalty for Justin Arana?". RAPPLER. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  7. ^ Li, Matthew (July 30, 2019). "Charcos floater, Aurin swat arrest Perpetual skid at Arellano's expense". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  8. ^ Li, Matthew (August 13, 2019). "Gutang returns as Saint Benilde survives late Arellano run to go to 5–0". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  9. ^ Li, Matthew (August 23, 2019). "Justin Arana lifts Arellano Chiefs to massive upset of Lyceum". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  10. ^ Times, Tiebreaker (August 25, 2019). "Chooks-to-Go/Collegiate PC POW Justin Arana proving that he belongs". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  11. ^ Li, Matthew (September 13, 2019). "Tankoua makes sure San Beda survives Arellano scare, leads Red Lions to 11–0". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  12. ^ Li, Matthew (September 19, 2019). "Kent Salado finds old form vs Perpetual as Arellano arrests skid". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  13. ^ Li, Matthew (September 27, 2019). "Arellano Chiefs score upset as Benilde Blazers meltdown continues". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  14. ^ Li, Matthew (October 18, 2019). "Ry Dela Rosa, JRU spoil Kent Salado's Arellano sendoff". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  15. ^ "San Beda's Oftana to win NCAA MVP plum". ESPN.com. November 10, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  16. ^ Li, Matthew (November 26, 2019). "Balanza, Ilagan lead Team Saints comeback vs Heroes in NCAA All-Star Game". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  17. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (December 21, 2020). "Justin Arana skips PBA draft, stays in Arellano". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  18. ^ Lozada, Bong (June 11, 2021). "No contact sports for NCAA Season 96". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  19. ^ Bacnis, Justine (March 23, 2021). "Playing years won't be affected by digital NCAA Season 96, says Fr. Calvo". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (March 27, 2022). "Arellano wins over San Sebastian but loses Justin Arana to injury". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  21. ^ Li, Matthew (March 27, 2022). "Justin Arana diagnosed with partial ACL tear". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  22. ^ Li, Matthew (March 30, 2022). "Justin Arana receives good news after second opinion: No tear in ACL". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  23. ^ Valderrama, Aeron Paul (April 2, 2022). "NCAA 97: Gozum, St. Benilde spoil Arana's Arellano return for second win". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  24. ^ Valderrama, Aeron Paul (April 6, 2022). "NCAA 97: Egan, Perpetual torch Arellano for bounce back win". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  25. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (April 10, 2022). "Justin Arana shows way as Arellano downs Mapua to end three-game skid". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  26. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (April 17, 2022). "Abando leads NCAA scoring halfway through elims. Can he become rookie MVP?". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  27. ^ Valderrama, Aeron Paul (April 22, 2022). "NCAA 97: Renzo Navarro takes over as Lyceum snaps skid at Arellano's expense". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  28. ^ Micaller, Bea (April 24, 2022). "Coach Cholo Martin all praises for Arellano trio of Arana-Sablan-Sta. Ana in crucial win | NCAA Philippines". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  29. ^ "Justin Arana hauls down 29 rebounds as Arellano clinches play-in spot". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (April 27, 2022). "Arana misses out on record 30th rebound, but glad to keep Arellano alive". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  31. ^ Times, Tiebreaker (May 1, 2022). "NCAA 97: Perpetual ends Arellano's Final Four hopes, Arana's MVP dream". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  32. ^ "Letran's Rhenz Abando named MVP, ROY of NCAA Season 97; Arana, Ambohot, Calma, Gozum in Mythical Five | NCAA Philippines". www.gmanetwork.com. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  33. ^ a b Dioquino, Delfin (May 1, 2022). "Justin Arana turns focus on PBA Draft after playing final NCAA game". RAPPLER. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  34. ^ Li, Matthew (May 7, 2022). "Big boys Arana, Calma, Ambohot enter PBA Draft". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  35. ^ "Ambohot-Arana Twin Tower the groundwork for Converge". pba.ph. May 16, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  36. ^ Bacnis, Justine (June 5, 2022). "Belga gives high praise to Arana: 'He's a smaller version of June Mar'". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  37. ^ Bacnis, Justine (June 22, 2022). "PBA: Ahanmisi, Murrell, Digregorio deliver as Converge avoids disaster vs Terrafirma". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  38. ^ a b Valencia, Justin (July 20, 2022). "Justin Arana repays Allyn Bulanadi's trust with game-winner". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  39. ^ MICALLER, BEA (July 20, 2022). "Clutch Justin Arana lifts Converge past skidding Blackwater". GMA News Online. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  40. ^ Bacnis, Justine (September 23, 2022). "PBA: Converge ushers 'Mayhem' era with statement win over Terrafirma". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  41. ^ Villanueva, Eros (October 1, 2022). "PBA: Rakocevic, Magnolia storm back from 14 down, stop Converge". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  42. ^ Times, Tiebreaker (October 28, 2022). "PBA: Hot-shooting Converge drains 21 treys, guns down TNT". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  43. ^ Bacnis, Justine (November 13, 2022). "PBA: Arana, Converge storm back from 17 down, continue Rain or Shine's woes". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  44. ^ Bacnis, Justine (November 30, 2022). "PBA: Ginebra schools Converge, stays in top two hunt". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  45. ^ Dalupang, Denison Rey A. (December 12, 2022). "PBA: San Miguel downs Converge, advances to semis vs Bay Area". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  46. ^ Bacnis, Justine (January 26, 2023). "PBA: Franklin impresses in debut as Converge turns back Terrafirma for win no. 2". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  47. ^ Bacnis, Justine (February 2, 2023). "PBA: Franklin dazzles with triple-double as Converge crushes Rain or Shine". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  48. ^ Bacnis, Justine (February 8, 2023). "PBA: Hudson drops 56 as TNT deals Converge first loss". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  49. ^ Ramos, Gerry (February 11, 2023). "Converge game plan aimed at getting June Mar out of the way, says Arana". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  50. ^ Ramos, Gerry (February 20, 2023). "Brandon Rosser, Justin Arana top picks in PBA All-Star RSJ match". Spin.ph. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  51. ^ Bacnis, Justine (March 10, 2023). "PBA: Adrian Wong-led Greats romp Encho Serrano's Stalwarts in RSJ game". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  52. ^ Bacnis, Justine (March 19, 2023). "PBA: Clark drops 40 as SMB sends Vodanovich, Converge packing". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  53. ^ "Justin Arana Player Profile, Converge Fiber Xers - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com.
  54. ^ "Justin Arana – Career Stats – Humblebola". Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
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