Another legitimate center and a potential top attraction is joining the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season.
This came after the San Juan Knights have successfully lured and signed former La salle ace Mike Phillips.
The arrival of the 6-foot-8 Phillips should make the coming season doubly exciting since there are other collegiate stars who have already signed with other teams.
Philipps is the second star player from La Salle to join the regional professional league after Kean Baclaan.
Both Phillips and Baclaan played pivotal roles in helping La Salle bring the UAAP championship trophy back to Taft.
Phillips, who reportedly signed his contract on Wednesday, will join forces this time with University of the Philippines’ Harold Alarcon, Terrence Fortea, Gerry Abadiano, and Reyland Torres.
Other collegiate stars now in the MPBL are Ateneo’s Dom Escobar (Caloocan), Adamson’s Cedric Manzano (Quezon Province), University of Santo Tomas’ Nic Cabanero (Binan), University of the East’s John Abate (Quezon Province) and National University’s Jolo Manansala (Quezon Province).
They have already shown their UAAP-honed talent in the recent Preseason Cup won by the Abra Weavers.
Other equally strong players strutting their stuff in the league that will start on April 10 are Ateneo’s Kymani Ladi (Caloocan) and Joshua Lazaro (Zamboanga SIKAT), NU’s Steve Nash Enriquez (Pasay) and Mark Parks (Pasay), UST’s Kyle Paranada (Ilagan Isabela), and Janjan Felicilda (Zamboanga SIKAT).
The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is well-represented, too, with the likes of Mapua’s Drex Delos Reyes (Abra) and JC Recto (Mindoro), Perpetual Help’s Patrick Sleat (San Juan), St. Benilde’s Anton Eusebio (Gensan), Lyceum’s John Michael Versoza (Gensan) and Joshua Moralejo (Gensan), and San Sebastian’s Paeng Are (Quezon City) leading the pack.
