Thirdy Malaga Moves to Letran, Set to Play for Knights in NCAA

Thirdy Malaga is changing course in his collegiate basketball journey by joining the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights.

Malaga, a 6-foot-5 forward previously with the UE Red Warriors, has transferred to Letran and will be eligible to play beginning NCAA Season 103, his agent Anthony Brodett of Phenom Sports Management confirmed to ALL-STAR.

RELATED: Read more about Phenom here.

Malaga will complete his residency in 2026 and is expected to have three years of playing eligibility with the Knights, who made the league’s men’s basketball finals last year.

The move gives Letran another young frontcourt piece as the program continues to build for the future. Malaga brings size, length, and developmental upside to a Knights team that has traditionally valued physicality, toughness, and depth in its rotation.

Before making the jump to Letran, Malaga came from the Mapua Red Robins program before moving to UE, where he was part of the Red Warriors’ roster in the UAAP.

Although he was not yet a featured option in UE’s senior team rotation, his time with the Red Warriors gave him exposure to the speed, physicality, and demands of college basketball at the UAAP level.

Malaga has also shown flashes outside the UAAP setting. In the Junior MPBL 21U National Finals earlier this year, he delivered one of his stronger performances for Pasig Apasi, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds, three steals, and three assists against Batang Abra.

At 6-foot-5, Malaga has the tools to develop into a useful forward in the NCAA, especially if he can use his residency year to continue adding strength, sharpening his role, and adjusting to the Knights’ system.

He now shifts to the NCAA with time to grow, a full residency year to prepare, and three seasons to make his mark in Intramuros.

For Letran, it is a long-term addition with upside. For Malaga, it is a fresh chapter.