Mike Phillips and Kent Pastrana will take center stage in the 2026 Collegiate Press Corps Awards presented by Strong Group Athletics after being named the Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Basketball Players of the Year.
The big man from De La Salle University earned the distinction following another stellar campaign, leading the Green Archers to their second UAAP championship in three seasons against University of the Philippines and further cementing his status as one of the country’s top players entering the pros and the national team with Gilas Pilipinas.
Pastrana, also a Gilas campaigner, continued her rise in the women’s ranks after steering University of Santo Tomas back to the top of the UAAP at the expense of the dynastic National University program.
Phillips registered a double-double average of 13.3 points and 13.7 rebounds, while Pastrana tallied 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.8 steals en route to UAAP Season 88 Finals MVP citations for their respective squads.
The two headline the Mythical Teams of both divisions for the annual awarding rites, also backed by Converge FiberX, San Miguel Corporation, the Philippine Sports Commission, Go For Gold, D’ Generals and Buffalo’s Wings ‘N Things, with Discovery Suites Manila as the official venue partner.
Joining Phillips in the men’s elite team are UST’s Collins Akowe, Colegio de San Juan de Letran’s Jonathan Manalili, San Beda University’s Janti Miller and Far Eastern University’s Janrey Pasaol.
Pastrana then will have NU’s Tin Cayabyab and Season MVP Ann Pingol, Ateneo de Manila University’s Kacey Dela Rosa and fellow UST standout Brigette Santos to complete the women’s dream team.
Phillips and Pastrana spearhead a total of 26 awardees in the annual awarding ceremony by the national print and online media covering the collegiate beat in recognition of the country’s finest student-athletes on Monday at Discovery Suites Manila in Ortigas, Pasig.