Travis Roberts and the path leading him home

Travis Roberts grew up in Waldorf, Maryland, but the pull he feels toward the Philippines reaches deeper than geography. 

His mother, Criselda, is from Sison, Pangasinan. His father, Danny, spent more than twenty years in the Air Force and met Criselda while stationed in the country. 

Their son has carried that connection with him from Bishop Walsh High School to the NCAA Division I courts he now calls home.

Roberts was once a four-star recruit in the United States, tagged in 2022 as one of the top prospects in his class. 

At Bishop Walsh he faced programs like Oak Hill Academy and Montverde, and he did more than survive the competition. He put up 28 points against Oak Hill, shot fifty percent from three, stood out again versus Montverde, and closed his prep career with a stretch of strong performances that showed he belonged at a higher level. 

Jacksonville State came first, then Marist, and now Alcorn State, where his role and production have both grown, averaging 6.6 points per game on 43% shooting from downtown. This season he has emerged as a steady shooter and a 6’6” wing who can defend, finish, and stretch the floor.

His manager describes him as performance focused. No agenda, no politics. Just work. That mindset stuck with him through transfers, the search for opportunity, and the pressure that comes with trying to turn potential into real impact.

Roberts’ agent, Jonathon Mines of Rise Sports Management, has guided him through the shifts of college basketball. 

Mines represents Filipino-American talent abroad, including AJ Edu, and understands what it means when a player sees the Philippines not as a fallback, but as a platform. 

After long conversations with the family, Mines said the next steps became clear. The Philippines is where Roberts wants to grow. It is where he sees a chance to push toward the goals he set, and where he believes the culture will embrace someone willing to work for every inch.

Roberts’ plans reflect that confidence. After finishing his U.S. college career, he wants to enroll in a UAAP program as a master’s student and pursue a one-and-done path. 

Ateneo has already expressed interest and Mines believes other programs will, too.

From there he aims for the PBA Draft and a long run with the Gilas Pilipinas senior men’s team. Representing the national colors is at the top of his list. He did not acquire a Philippine passport before turning sixteen, so the road to local status, if possible, would take patience, but he is willing to navigate the process. The intent is already strong. The commitment is real.

What makes Roberts intriguing is not just the story, but the skill set.

A 6’6” wing with size and above-the-rim athleticism doesn’t come by easily in the Philippines. Add a clean shooting form, the ability to switch on defense, and a resume built on tough American prep and Division I competition, and you get a prospect who could be an impact-player. 

Mines calls him a “generational talent” for Filipino basketball, but the player himself talks more about work than labels. That has been true since middle school, where his longtime high-school coach helped turn him from a raw prospect into a guard capable of creating his own space.

Roberts is open about wanting to give back to the Filipino community. He wants younger players to see that dreaming big is worth the risk. His story is built on choices that demanded that same belief. The transfers. The grind for minutes. The quiet stretches where he had to trust that growth would come. Now he is on the edge of something new, and the Philippines is part of the plan more than ever.

The bridge between his past and the path he wants is clearer now. He is chasing a place in the PBA. He is aiming for a role with Gilas. He wants to step into the UAAP spotlight and prove that his game scales anywhere. The foundation is there. The next step is about embracing the stage he has been eyeing for years.

For Roberts, this isn’t a detour. The Philippines is where he believes he can rise, and the basketball world there will be watching.

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