Phenom Assembles College-Laden Squad for Singapore Tourney

Phenom Sports Management is taking a roster filled with recognizable Philippine college basketball players to Singapore for the 2026 World Youth Championship.

Anthony “Brody” Brodett confirmed to ALL-STAR that Phenom will compete in the tournament’s U23 division from August 6 to 9, giving several young players another platform to test themselves against international opposition while representing the organization overseas.

Phenom’s 12-man lineup is composed of EJ Gollena, Devin Fikes, Dale Ortega, Thirdy Malaga, Nico Mulingtapang, Peter Rosillo, Jolo Navarro, Santi Romero, JC Espinosa, Ethan Alian, Dylan Despi, and Mark Sarza.

The international club and academy tournament is expected to bring close to 150 teams to four campuses around Singapore. Its competition platform currently lists 13 divisions ranging from U10 to U23, with the oldest age group featuring 10 teams divided into two preliminary-round groups. Phenom is set to encounter a field that includes programs from Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, and other parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

The team will enter the tournament with championship momentum after Romero, Sarza, Mulingtapang, Rosillo, and Ortega helped Phenom-New Zealand Bluefire capture the Sinag Liga Asya Junior World Showcase U23 title in Cebu earlier in July.

Phenom escaped the University of Cebu, 66-62, in the final behind a dominant performance from Sarza, who produced 15 points and 16 rebounds on his way to Finals MVP honors. 

Sarza and Romero were also named to the Mythical Five, with the latter emerging as the defensive leader of a team that leaned on its activity, versatility, and pressure throughout the tournament.

Romero, a former Gilas Youth player and La Salle Green Hills standout, remains part of De La Salle University’s training pool as he continues working toward his UAAP debut following an injury-hit start to his college career.

Gollena brings the most championship experience to the Singapore-bound group. The 6-foot-3 wing recently ended his three-season run with La Salle after helping the Green Archers win two UAAP men’s basketball championships and two UAAP 3×3 titles. He is now considering the next move in his collegiate career, with two playing years potentially available to him in the NCAA.

Fikes, meanwhile, is preparing for his return to Philippine college basketball with Letran. The 6-foot-6 Filipino-Canadian forward previously played two seasons for the UE Red Warriors before returning to Canada and suiting up for St. Clair College. He will complete residency with the Knights in 2026 and is expected to become eligible for NCAA Season 103.

Several of his Phenom teammates are navigating similar transitions. Malaga, a 6-foot-5 former UE forward, has also moved to Letran, while Mulingtapang is completing residency with the College of Saint Benilde. Rosillo, who previously played for Mapua and Letran, has transferred to Emilio Aguinaldo College after showing his ability to contribute on a big stage during Mapua’s NCAA Season 99 Finals run.

The rest of the team gives Phenom a blend of size, shooting, defensive flexibility, and experience in different college systems. 

Phenom has grown from a training and talent-identification program into a player-management group under Brodett, a former NU Bulldogs assistant coach. Its teams have also become regular participants in major developmental competitions, including the NBTC National Finals, where Phenom became the first wild-card club to advance to the championship game in 2025.

The trip to Singapore represents the next stage of that effort, with Phenom aiming to use local and overseas tournaments to create competitive exposure for players from different regions, clubs, and school programs.

“Phenom will be joining tournaments locally and internationally to showcase talents,” Brodett told ALL-STAR. “We are partnering with Parola Panaon, Off Campus Residents DAVRAA, CALABARZON, Batang Tiaong, San Antonio Quezon Bobcats, El Salvador, and school and college programs to open more opportunities locally and internationally.”

For a roster containing established champions, former national youth players, college transfers, and prospects still fighting for larger opportunities, Singapore offers more than another tournament. It gives the group a chance to build on Phenom’s recent U23 success while showing what its players can do beyond their respective school programs.