With the 2025–26 NCAA D1 basketball season underway, several players of Filipino heritage, from Vanessa De Jesus to JJ Mandaquit, are poised to make their mark in both the men’s and women’s collegiate ranks.
The 2025–26 US NCAA basketball season is officially underway, and several players of Filipino heritage are ready to make their mark in both D1 men’s and women’s collegiate hoops.
Here are the ones to keep an eye on as the season begins.
JJ Mandaquit - University of Washington Huskies
As one of the top prospects in the class of 2025 out of Utah Prep, the Fil-Am guard is entering his first season with the Huskies.
In his debut against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the 6-foot-1 guard recorded four points, four rebounds, and eight assists in 28 minutes of a 94–50 blowout win.
Angelino Mark - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Like Mandaquit, Mark is in his freshman year at Rutgers after the Los Angeles native decided to move across the country to play under head coach Steve Pikiell.
He had an impressive senior season at Notre Dame, averaging 15.1 points and 3.2 assists per game in 21 starts.
Mark is now the latest player of Filipino heritage to suit up for Rutgers, joining the ranks of other Fil-Am talents such as no. 2 pick Dylan Harper of the San Antonio Spurs.
Bryce Quinet – Evansville Purple Aces
Another product of Notre Dame Prep, Quinet is set to begin his collegiate career under head coach David Ragland and the Evansville Purple Aces.
A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, he completed his senior high school season averaging 21.0 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.0 rebounds while earning Arizona 5A Conference Player of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Conference First Team.
Vanessa De Jesus - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
After four seasons in Durham, De Jesus is set for her final collegiate year at Notre Dame.
The Gilas Women standout opted for a fresh start, joining a squad that made it to the NCAA Tournament and the Sweet 16 last season.
Over 104 games with the Blue Devils, she put up 4.4 points per game while helping the team reach the Elite Eight before their run was ended by South Carolina.
Naomi Panganiban - San Diego State Aztecs
Another Gilas Women cager in Panganiban enters her sophomore year with the Aztecs after a breakout freshman season.
She averaged 10.3 points in 22 starts last year for San Diego, who qualified for the NCAA Tournament as the 14th seed before being eliminated by third-seeded LSU.
Sumayah Sugapong - Arizona Wildcats
After two standout seasons at UC San Diego, Sugapong is taking her talents to Arizona and join the Wildcats for her next chapter.
She was instrumental in guiding the Tritons to their first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance last year, earning Big West Tournament MVP honors along the way.
Across her two-year UC San Diego career, Sugapong averaged 14.0 points per game, starting every game as a freshman while leading the team in scoring, assists, and steals.
Aliyahna “Puff” Morris - Cal State Golden Bears
A product of Etiwanda High School, Morris earned McDonald’s All-American honors last year after averaging 24.0 points per game and leading her team to three straight California State Championships.
She is set to begin her freshman season with the Golden Bears, who went 25–9 last year and earned an NCAA Tournament berth under second-year coach Charmin Smith.
Caia Elisaldez – Chattanooga Mocs
After a breakout sophomore campaign, Elisaldez enters her junior year in Chattanooga brimming with confidence.
The 20-year-old guard opened the season in style, dropping a team-high 20 points and dishing out five assists in an emphatic 82–34 rout of King Tornado.
Laila Phelia - Syracuse Orange
Now on her third stop in four years, Phelia joins Syracuse after a brief stint with Texas.
The former Michigan standout was sidelined for most of last season due to an eye injury, appearing in just eight games for the Longhorns.
During her time with the Wolverines, she averaged more than 16 points per game in both her sophomore and junior years.
Taija Sta. Maria - Pepperdine Waves
Sta. Maria begins a new chapter with the Waves after spending the past two seasons at Fresno State.
She averaged 6.6 points across 48 games, starting in 29 of them, and was named to the 2024 Mountain West All-Freshman Team.
Honorable mention: Favour Onoh - Oklahoma State Cowgirls
After an impressive debut campaign in the UAAP, former Rookie of the Year and UP Fighting Maroon foreign student athlete Favour Onoh has transferred to Oklahoma State to suit up for the Cowgirls.
Onoh missed Season 87 due to injury but was instrumental in UP’s breakthrough Final Four run in Season 86, where lost to eventual champions UST in the semifinals.
[ALSO READ: Ex-UAAP ROY Favour Onoh headed overseas with NCAA Division 1 stint]
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.