Nic Cabañero

Nic Cabañero
No. 3 – Biñan Tatak Gel
PositionGuard
LeagueMPBL
Personal information
Born (2003-10-03) October 3, 2003
Listed height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Career information
High schoolAteneo de Cebu (Mandaue)
San Beda (Taytay, Rizal)
CollegeUST
Playing career2026–present
Career history
2026–presentBiñan Tatak Gel
Career highlights

Nicael Dominie Cabañero[1] is a Filipino professional basketball player who is part of the Biñan Tatak Gel of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

Early life and education

Nic Cabañero was born on October 3, 2003 to Dominic and Annalene Cabañero.[2][3] His father, Dominic is a basketball coach.[4] While Nic Cabañero considers Lapu-Lapu City as his hometown, his parents traces their roots to Inabanga, Bohol.[4]

Nic Cabañero was convinced to study at the University of San Carlos North Campus for elementary by its sports coordinator coach Largo Galimar in 2014. He became part of USC–NC's elementary boys' basketball team.[2]

For high school, he entered the Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) before moving to the San Beda University in 2018.[5][6] In 2020, he moved to the University of Santo Tomas High School.[7]

At the collegiate level, he attended the University of Santo Tomas, obtaining a degree in marketing management in 2025.[8][9]

Career

High school

In high school, Cabañero first suited up for the SHS-AdC Magis Eagles.[5] He later became part of the San Beda Red Cubs of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2018. He was a part of the Red Cubs who won the NCAA Season 95 championship in 2019.[6]

In 2020, Cabañero moved to the University of Santo Tomas High School. He was to suit up for the UST Tiger Cubs Season 83 in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) but the junior tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][10]

Collegiate

Cabañero eventually played at the collegiate level in the UAAP. His team, the UST Growling Tigers, struggled in his first two years with UST. In his rookie year in Season 84 in 2021, the Tigers under coach Jino Manansala ended with 3–11 win-lose record. In Season 85 in 2022, UST mentored by Bal David only won one out of 14 games.[8][11][12] Pido Jarencio took over UST as coach for Season 86. However the team ended with a 2–12 record.[13]

Cabañero however was able to help UST reach the Final Four in his last two years in Seasons 87 and 88 (2024 and 2025). He was named part of the Mythical Team for both seasons.[9][14]

He also played 3x3 basketball in the UAAP, helping UST win Season 84.[15]

Club

After graduating from UST, Cabañero looked to join the Korean Basketball League (KBL) or the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He also plans to play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) but the next PBA draft he can join is still in 2027.[4]

Cabañero eventually joined the Biñan Tatak Gel of the MPBL in January 2026.[16][17] His first stint with Binan was at the 2026 MPBL Preseason Invitational.[18] He later made his debut in the 2026 regular season in April.[19][20]

3x3 national team

Cabañero is also a 3x3 basketball player and he has been part of the Philippine national 3x3 team. He was part of the youth team which played in the 2025 FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League – Asia Pacific in Qatar.[21] He is part of the senior squad which took part in the 2026 Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China.[22]

Personal life

Nic Cabanero's younger brother Andwele is also a basketball player.[23][24]

References

  1. ↑ "Nicael Dominie Cabañero". 3x3 Play. FIBA. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Caacbay, Kennedy (October 4, 2025). "UAAP: Grateful Nic Cabañero celebrates birthday with 'second family in Manila' Growling Tigers". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ Rosale, Glendale (December 22, 2022). "Cebuano cager, who now plays for UST, visits Cebu school where his basketball journey started". Cebu Daily News. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Migallen, Jun (December 30, 2025). "Cabañero eyes Korean cage league stint". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "San Beda's Cabanero relocates to UST". Panay News. August 4, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Leongson, Randolph (August 16, 2022). "UST new guy Nic Cabanero gets win against former team San Beda". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Nicael Cabañero commits to UST Growling Tigers". SunStar. SunStar Publishing Inc. June 18, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Cabanero a big believer in step-by-step success for finals-seeking UST". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. September 10, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Tolosa, James (June 20, 2025). "Nic Cabañero celebrates UST graduation, commits to final UAAP season: 'Let's get it, Season 88'". Fastbreak. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  10. ↑ Li, Matthew (June 17, 2021). "6-2 combo guard Cabañero to continue in UST". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  11. ↑ Tuazon, Ernest (October 12, 2025). "UST's rise feels sweeter for Nic Cabanero after experiencing rock bottom". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  12. ↑ Riego, Normie (December 2, 2022). "Lone bright spot Nic Cabañero preaches patience in UST rebuild". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  13. ↑ del Carmen, Lorenzo (November 21, 2023). "Academics First: Nic Cabañero weighs options for future with UST". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  14. ↑ Fuertes, Rommel Jr. (December 16, 2025). "Nic Cabañero ends UST career as UAAP Mythical Team member". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Cebuano cager, who now plays for UST, visits Cebu school where his basketball journey started". Cebu Daily News. Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 22, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  16. ↑ Tuazon, Ernest (January 24, 2026). "Cabanero joins Biñan Tatak Gel; Manzano, Abate head to Quezon". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Quezon turns back Binan in MPBL debut". The Manila Times. April 21, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Nic Cabanero's MPBL debut dampened as Mindoro stuns Binan Tatak Gel". Tiebreaker Times. February 12, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Cabañero set for MPBL regular season debut on April 10". Cebu Daily News. April 8, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  20. ↑ "MPBL: Caloocan seizes solo lead as Quezon enters win column". The Philippine Star. April 22, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  21. ↑ Tolosa, James (June 6, 2025). "Gilas Women's 3x3 rises to No. 14 after Youth Nations League run". Fastbreak. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Nic Cabañero stars as Gilas 3x3 goes 2-0 in Asian Beach Games". GMA News. April 25, 2026. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  23. ↑ Li, Matthew (May 24, 2025). "Cabañero bros fulfill Gilas dreams together". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
  24. ↑ Li, Matthew (December 27, 2024). "Mythical Bros: Cabañero bros etch names in UAAP Basketball history". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.