Dylan Despi Changes Direction, Joins CSB Blazers

Former University of the East guard Dylan Despi has moved to the College of Saint Benilde, his manager Anthony Brodett confirmed to me.

Despi will serve the NCAA’s mandatory residency period this year before becoming eligible for the Blazers in Season 103 in 2027. Brodett added that the 21-year-old guard will have four full playing years with Benilde.

This represents another turn in Despi’s collegiate journey. He had initially been expected to transfer from UE to the University of Santo Tomas, the same program he committed to as a high school prospect in 2023.

A UAAP league source familiar with Despi’s recruitment told me that one of the reasons was a conversation between UST and UE that led to an agreement not to recruit players from each other’s programs.

Instead of remaining in the UAAP, where he was previously expected to have two playing seasons available after residency, Despi will now take the NCAA route and receive a considerably longer runway with Benilde.

The Bacolod native first gained national attention while playing for Bacolod Tay Tung High School. He scored 29 points against RST Don Bosco Dumaguete in the 2023 NBTC Visayas regional final before being invited to reinforce Don Bosco in the national tournament, where the team finished as the Division 2 runner-up.

That performance helped Despi attract interest from several Manila schools. He initially committed to the UST Tiger Cubs but eventually enrolled at UE, first playing for the Junior Warriors before moving up to the school’s seniors program.

Despi averaged 6.1 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals across 11 appearances for the Red Warriors in UAAP Season 88. His best stretch came near the end of UE’s campaign when an injury to John Abate and Wello Lingolingo’s suspension created a larger role for him.

He recorded 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals against UST, then followed it with 11 points, 7 assists and 5 steals against National University. Those performances highlighted his potential as a combo guard capable of creating for teammates, applying pressure defensively, and providing bursts of scoring.

The Blazers’ immediate backcourt for NCAA Season 102 is led by Ian Torres, Jhomel Ancheta, and SJ Moore. Torres emerged as Benilde’s starting point guard during its Season 101 playoff run and hit a game-winning floater against San Beda that forced a deciding semifinal game.

Ancheta has also established himself as one of the team’s reliable perimeter creators, while Moore gives the Blazers additional size and athleticism in the backcourt.

Younger players such as Matthew Jucom, Arle Podador, and former UE guard Ronjie Go are also entering the picture. Jucom, an NCAA rookie this season, recently scored 19 points with five three-pointers in a Pinoyliga game against Ateneo.

The group waiting in residency is just as notable.

Former UE guards Nico Mulingtapang and Lingolingo are already with the Benilde program and are expected to become eligible in Season 103. Mulingtapang will have three seasons available beginning in 2027, while Lingolingo brings considerably more UAAP experience but a shorter remaining eligibility window.

Despi will therefore reunite with two former Red Warriors when all three become available in 2027. Their skill sets could give Benilde several different looks: Mulingtapang as a physical lead guard and defender, Lingolingo as a proven scorer, and Despi as a secondary creator who can handle the ball, defend opposing guards, and contribute without requiring heavy usage.

The presence of Jucom and Benilde’s other younger guards means Despi will still have to earn his place in a crowded rotation. His four-year window, however, separates him from some of the program’s shorter-term additions and gives the Blazers time to develop him beyond an immediate supporting role.

What began as a journey from Bacolod to UST, then UE, and potentially back to UST, has ultimately led Despi to Benilde.