HONOLULU — Andre Ilagan has been an inspiring underdog, a heavy favorite and everything in between.
Now he’s something else: at peace.
Ilagan, the undersized Farrington High product from Kalihi who won Big West Player of the Year in 2022, is ranked No. 68 in NCAA men’s tennis in the last weeks of his fifth and final season as a player for Hawaii. But Ilagan, who was ranked as high as No. 11 last season, says he is unconcerned with the number attached to his name.
Ilagan and three other outgoing ‘Bows – Cody Castro, and brothers Lucas and Axel Labrunie – celebrated senior day on Tuesday with a dual match sweep of Cal Lutheran at the UH Tennis Complex. Ilagan ran his record at the No. 1 court to 12-3 in 2023, including 11 wins in a row, plus one unfinished match in which he led.
“I can say it’s harder to stay at the top than being an underdog,” he told Spectrum News after his 6-4, 6-2 win over Parker McBride. “This year, I felt like I got better. I’ve proven that. I’m not worried about other people’s expectations and expecting to win. It’s just myself.
“I think if I get that (postseason) opportunity I’ll be more prepared than last year.”
It’s a let-loose mentality that’s reflected in his new look: shaggy hair and a backwards cap. That's new ground for the typically close-cropped Ilagan.
“Every year I try to look professional,” he said with a grin. “Why not let loose for once, you know?”
Ilagan, who has entered unchartered territory for a UH player in prominent national events, went one-and-done in last year’s NCAA singles tournament, falling to Alabama’s Filip Planinsek in the first round. However, he was just the second Rainbow Warrior to ever play in that tournament.
His new serene state of mind as a player is not to imply there isn’t more for him and the ‘Bows to accomplish. In the coming weeks, UH will make a run at its first Big West tournament championship with the possibility of NCAA tournament participation to follow, either as a team or, in Ilagan’s case, as an individual.
Ilagan was not especially sharp against the Division III player McBride, he acknowledged, but summoned enough burst in his heavy legs to get through it and turn to more meaningful matches ahead.
UH (9-6, 2-1 Big West) has its remaining three BWC matches – UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly – on the road next week. The Big West tournament is 12 days after that, in San Diego at the end of April.
“As our old coach (John Nelson) and current coach (Joel Kusnierz) would say, ‘peak at the end.’ We should build and try to do that,” Ilagan said.
Kusnierz said the contributions of all four seniors were vital to this year’s team makeup, but he raved especially about Ilagan’s leadership, work ethic and coachability after the senior ceremony.
What made Ilagan truly special, the coach said, was not his uncommon roots in the sport but the sponge-like work ethic that was instilled in him by his tough-love family, allowing him to continuously improve even though he arrived in 2018 as already one of the better players on the team.
“Five years of incredible excellence coming from Kalihi and difficult upbringings to really excelling here,” Kusnierz said. “He definitely put us on the map. I always tell the guys to lead by example on and off the court and he really embodies that.
"What Andre’s done has created a legacy for himself.," the coach added. "A legacy that says any local kid can look up to him, see what he’s done and really believe that it is possible to achieve just about anything if you set your mind to it."
Kusnierz noted that in January, Ilagan was within a point of beating Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc of Florida State in one of the first matches of the year before UH’s star fell in three sets. Cornut-Chauvinc player is now ranked No. 6.
Ilagan is first to say that much of his progression was on the mental side.
He went from thinking that he, a 5-foot-8 local boy, was inferior to the opposition during some of his early collegiate matches to now believing at all times that he is a worthy competitor – even if he’s playing poorly in a match. That mental state, he discovered, helps him stay disciplined with off-court essentials like nutrition and sleep.
“Now I can say I’m one of those players and hopefully elevate from there again,” said Ilagan, who called his early-college-career self “lazy.”
He is considering beginning his pro career in Thailand later this year. He’s aware that facing other pros week after week will take more than he has given to date.
“It’s not going to be something fun to do anymore; it’s all about business,” Ilagan said. “But thankfully I love the sport, and even though the ups are amazing, I think the downs show who you really are, and I really love that.
“There (were) a couple matches this past year, I was like, ‘Can I really win a tennis match again?’, because when you lose, you lose confidence. But I think that’s the best part because you’ve gotta get better and gotta work harder, you know?”
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.