MANILA — Fresh from leading their universities to UAAP championships, University of Santo Tomas star Kent Pastrana and De La Salle University standout Mike Phillips were named the 2026 Collegiate Press Corps Women’s and Men’s Basketball Players of the Year, headlining this year’s top collegiate basketball awardees.
Pastrana and Phillips capped remarkable title-winning campaigns by also securing Finals Most Valuable Player honors, earning recognition as the country’s finest collegiate basketball players during the annual Collegiate Press Corps Awards presented by Strong Group Athletics.
The Negrense Pastrana guided the Growling Tigresses back to the UAAP women’s basketball summit after UST dethroned defending champion National University in the Season 88 finals.
A Gilas Pilipinas campaigner, Pastrana averaged 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.8 steals per game en route to capturing the Finals MVP award.
Phillips likewise delivered another dominant season for the Green Archers, leading La Salle to its second UAAP men’s basketball championship in three years.
The towering big man averaged 13.3 points and 13.7 rebounds per game while claiming Finals MVP honors following La Salle’s championship-clinching victory over the University of the Philippines.
The two champions also headlined the Women’s and Men’s Mythical Teams announced during the awards ceremony.
Joining Pastrana in the Women’s Mythical Team are National University’s Ann Pingol and Tin Cayabyab, Ateneo de Manila University’s Kacey Dela Rosa, and fellow UST standout Brigette Santos.
Phillips, meanwhile, was joined in the Men’s Mythical Team by Collins Akowe of UST, Jonathan Manalili of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Janti Miller of San Beda University, and Janrey Pasaol of Far Eastern University./PN
