{{Short description|Professional basketball team in Quezon, Philippines}} {{Use Philippine English|date=March 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}} {{infobox basketball club | name = Quezon Huskers | current = 2026 Quezon Huskers season | logo = Quezon Huskers logo.png | logo_size = 200px | league = [[United Regional Basketball League|URBL]] (2004–2005)<br>'''[[Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League|MPBL]] (2023–present)'''<br>'''[[Pilipinas Super League|PSL]] (2023–2024)''' | founded = {{start date and age|2004}} (first incarnation)<br>{{start date and age|2023}} (second incarnation) | history = '''Quezon Coco Huskers'''<br>2004–2005 (URBL)<br>'''Quezon Huskers'''<br>2023–present (MPBL)<br>'''Quezon Titans'''<br>2023–2024 (PSL) | arena = [[Quezon Convention Center]]<br>Lucena Convention Center | location = [[Lucena, Quezon]] | colors = {{color box|#{{Basketball color|Quezon Huskers|1}}}} {{color box|#{{Basketball color|Quezon Huskers|3}}}} {{color box|white}} | sponsor = | coach = [[Eric Gonzales]] | championships = PSL: '''1''' ([[2023–24 Pilipinas Super League President's Cup|2024]]) | conf_champs = MPBL: '''2''' ([[2024 MPBL playoffs|2024]], [[2025 MPBL playoffs|2025]]) | pattern l = | body l = |patterns l = | shorts l = | title l = | pattern d = |body d = |patterns d = |shorts d = |title d = }}
The '''Quezon Huskers''' are a Filipino professional [[basketball]] team based in [[Lucena]], a highly urbanized city in the province of [[Quezon]]. The team competes in the [[Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League]] (MPBL) as a member of the league's [[South Division (MPBL)|South Division]]. The team splits its home games between [[Quezon Convention Center]] and Lucena Convention Center.
The team's first incarnation was the '''Quezon Coco Huskers''' of the [[United Regional Basketball League]] (URBL). The team ran from 2004 until 2005. The Huskers were then revived as an expansion team for the MPBL's [[2023 MPBL season|2023 season]] alongside the [[Negros Muscovados]].<ref name="mnlbull">{{cite news |date=January 30, 2023 |title=MPBL welcomes Quezon Province, Negros Muscovados |url=https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/30/mpbl-welcomes-quezon-province-negros-musovados/ |accessdate=February 4, 2023 |work=[[Manila Bulletin]]}}</ref> The team also competes [[Pilipinas Super League]] (PSL) under the name '''Quezon Titans'''. Owned by the Provincial Government of Quezon,<ref name="firstwin">{{cite web |date=March 13, 2023 |title=Quezon Huskers edge Negros for first win in MPBL |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/03/13/sports/quezon-huskers-edge-negros-for-first-win-in-mpbl/1882429 |access-date=March 16, 2023 |website=The Manila Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Terrado |first=Reuben |date=March 11, 2023 |title=Quezon Huskers eye playoff berth in maiden stint in MPBL |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/quezon-huskers-targets-playoffs-in-mpbl-debut-a795-20230311 |access-date=March 16, 2023 |website=Spin.ph}}</ref> the Huskers also have a volleyball counterpart in the [[Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association]] in the [[Quezon Tangerines]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ulanday |first=John Bryan |date=2024-06-26 |title=Quezon Tangerines vying in MPVA |url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2024/06/26/2365710/quezon-tangerines-vying-mpva |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Philstar.com}}</ref>
The Huskers are one of five teams based in the [[Calabarzon]] region. The Quezon franchise won one championship, during the PSL's [[2023–24 Pilipinas Super League President's Cup|President's Cup]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Saldajeno |first=Ivan |date=2024-04-16 |title=Destiny fulfilled as Quezon pulls away late from Nueva Ecija to win PSL title |url=https://www.dugout.ph/2024/04/destiny-fulfilled-as-quezon-pulls-away.html |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=Dugout Philippines}}</ref>
==History==
=== First incarnation (2004–2005) === The team began play in 2004, when it was part of the now-defunct URBL.
=== Second incarnation (2023–present) ===
==== Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League ==== In January 2023, the MPBL announced that the league would be getting a new [[expansion team]] for the 2023 season. Later that month, [[Governor of Quezon|Quezon Governor]] [[Angelina Tan]] announced that the team would be based in the province of [[Quezon]]. The team's name was later revealed as the Quezon Huskers.<ref name="mnlbull" /> With the Huskers joining, Quezon became the last province in Calabarzon to have an MPBL team.
The team hosted the 2023 season opener, where they faced off against fellow expansion team Negros Muscovados. The Huskers pulled off a comeback in the second half to beat the Muscovados, 82–80.<ref name="firstwin"/> The Huskers would then go on a seven-game winning streak to begin their inaugural season and eventually finish with a record of 19–9, clinching the fifth seed in the South Division. Quezon became the first team in the professional era to make the playoffs in its inaugural season. Despite forcing a game 3 in the First Round, the team would lose to the defending South champion [[Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines]].
==== Pilipinas Super League ==== In October 2023, Quezon announced its entry to the PSL during the MPBL offseason. The team will be referred to as the Quezon Titans.
==Team identity== The name ''Huskers'' alludes to Quezon Province's moniker as the "Coconut Capital of the Philippines'. It can also be a nod to the team's previous incarnation.
When the Huskers joined the MPBL in 2023, Governor Angelina Tan also announced a name-the-team contest, where anyone based in Quezon Province can submit a concept design of the team's identity. The contest was won by Ardocir Torio from Lucena, with an illustration of a carabao breaking the shell of a coconut. The same logo would be later used for the Quezon Junior Huskers. For their PSL debut later that year, the team used the ''Titans'' moniker.
==Current roster== {{Quezon Huskers roster}}
===Head coaches=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! colspan="6" style="{{MPBL color cell|Quezon Huskers}}" | Quezon Huskers head coaches |- ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Quezon Huskers}}" | # ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Quezon Huskers}}" | Name ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Quezon Huskers}}" | Start ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Quezon Huskers}}" | End ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Quezon Huskers}}" class="unsortable" | Achievements ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Quezon Huskers}}" class="unsortable" | Ref. |- | align=center | 1 || {{sortname|Eric|Gonzales}} | [[2023 MPBL season|2023]] || ''current'' | align=center | 2x Division champion ([[2024 MPBL playoffs|2024]], [[2025 MPBL playoffs|2025]]) | |- |}
== Notable players == === Individual award winners === {{col-begin}} {{col-3}} '''[[MPBL Rookie of the Year award|MPBL Rookie of the Year]]''' * LJay Gonzales – [[2024 MPBL season|2024]] {{col-3}} '''[[All-MPBL Team|All-MPBL First Team]]''' * LJay Gonzales – [[2025 MPBL season|2025]] {{col-3}} '''All-MPBL Second Team''' * LJay Gonzales – [[2024 MPBL season|2024]] {{col-end}}
=== MPBL All-Star Day === {{col-begin}} {{col-3}} '''[[MPBL All-Star Game|All-Star selections]]''' * Mark Alcala – [[2023 MPBL All-Star Game|2023]] * Alfrancis Tamsi – 2023 * Ljay Gonzales – [[2024 MPBL All-Star Game|2024]], [[2025 MPBL All-Star Game|2025]] * Ximone Sandagon – 2024 {{col-3}} '''All-Star Game head coaches''' * Eric Gonzales – [[2025 MPBL All-Star Game|2025]] {{col-end}}
=== PBA players === {{col-begin}} {{col-3}} '''[[List of Philippine Basketball Association players|Ex-PBA players]]''' * [[Alvin Abundo]] * [[Gab Banal]] * [[Diego Dario]] * [[Jeric Teng]] * [[Will McAloney]] {{col-3}} '''[[Philippine Basketball Association draft|Drafted to PBA]]''' * [[Ljay Gonzales]] – 5th overall, [[PBA season 50 draft|season 50]] * [[Will Gozum]] – 8th overall, season 50 {{col-end}}
==Season-by-season records== {|class="wikitable" |style="background:#FFFFCF; width:2em"| || '''League champions''' |- |style="background:#CFCFFF; width:2em"| || Division champions |- |style="background:#CFFFCF; width:2em"| || Qualified for playoffs |- |style="background:#FFCFCF; width:2em"| || Best regular season record |}
===Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League=== {|class=wikitable style="width:100%; text-align:center" |- ! rowspan=2 | Season ! colspan=7 | Regular season ! colspan=2 | Playoffs |- ! Division !! Finish ! GP || W !! L !! PCT !! GB ! Stage !! Results |- | colspan=10 style="{{box-shadow border|a|#{{MPBL color|Quezon Huskers|3}}|2px}}; background-color:#{{MPBL color|Quezon Huskers|1}};"|<span style="color:#{{MPBL color|Quezon Huskers|2}};">'''Quezon Huskers'''</span> |- |[[2023 MPBL season|2023]] || South || bgcolor="#CFFFCF" | 5th || 28 || 19 || 9 || {{Winning percentage|19|9}} || 4 || {{nowrap|Division quarterfinals}} || {{nowrap|lost vs. Zamboanga, 1–2}} |- | [[2024 MPBL season|2024]] || South || bgcolor="#CFCFFF" | 1st || 28 || 21 || 7 || {{Winning percentage|21|7}} || – || Division quarterfinals<br>Division semifinals<br>Division finals<br>National finals || '''won vs. Negros, 2–0'''<br>'''won vs. Parañaque, 2–0'''<br>'''won vs. Batangas City, 2–1'''<br>lost vs. Pampanga, 0–3 |- | [[2025 MPBL season|2025]] || South || bgcolor="#CFFFCF" | 1st || 29 || 25 || 4 || {{Winning percentage|25|4}} || – || Division quarterfinals<br>Division semifinals<br>Division finals<br>National finals || '''won vs. Mindoro, 2–0'''<br>'''won vs. General Santos, 2–0'''<br>'''won vs. Biñan, 3–2'''<br>lost vs. Abra, 0–3 |- ! colspan="3" | All-time regular season record !! {{Sum|65|20}} !! 65 !! 20 !! {{Winning percentage|65|20}} !! rowspan="3" | !! colspan="2" | 3 playoff appearances |- ! colspan="3" | All-time playoff record !! {{Sum|14|11}} !! 14 !! 11 !! {{Winning percentage|14|11}} !! colspan=2 | 2 Finals appearances |- ! colspan="3" | All-time overall record !! {{Sum|79|31}} !! 79 !! 31 !! {{Winning percentage|79|31}} !! colspan="2" | 0 championships |}
===Pilipinas Super League=== {|class=wikitable style="width:100%; text-align:center" |- ! rowspan=2 | Season !! colspan=4 | Elimination round !! colspan=2 | Playoffs |- ! Finish !! W !! L !! PCT !! Stage !! Results |- | colspan=10 style="{{box-shadow border|a|#{{MPBL color|Quezon Titans|3}}|2px}}; background-color:#{{MPBL color|Quezon Titans|1}};"|<span style="color:#{{MPBL color|Quezon Titans|2}};">'''Quezon Titans'''</span> |- | [[2023–24 Pilipinas Super League President's Cup|2023–24]] <br> {{nowrap|''President's Cup''}} || bgcolor="#CFFFCF" | 5th || 14 || 4 || {{Winning percentage|14|4}} || First Round <br> Quarterfinals <br> Semifinals <br> Finals || '''won vs. Novaliches, 1–0''' <br> '''won vs. Caloocan, 2–0''' <br> '''won vs. Biñan, 2–0''' <br> '''won vs. Nueva Ecija, 3–1''' |- ! colspan="2" | All-time elimination round record !! 14 !! 4 !! {{Winning percentage|14|4}} !!colspan=3|1 playoff appearance |- ! colspan="2" | All-time playoff record !! 8 !! 1 !! {{Winning percentage|8|1}} !! colspan=3|1 Finals appearance |- ! colspan="2" | All-time overall record !! 22 !! 5 !! {{Winning percentage|22|5}} !!colspan=3|1 championship |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Quezon Huskers}} {{navboxes|list= {{MPBL}} {{Pilipinas Super League}} {{Calabarzon Sports}} }}
[[Category:Quezon Huskers| ]] [[Category:MPBL teams]] [[Category:Pilipinas Super League teams]] [[Category:2004 establishments in the Philippines]] [[Category:Basketball teams established in 2004]] [[Category:Sports in Quezon]]