Jelo Rota Commits to CSB Blazers Following Ateneo Departure

Jelo Rota is set to join the College of Saint Benilde Blazers, giving the NCAA program another intriguing piece for the future.

A key factor in Rota’s move to Benilde was head coach Charles Tiu, who is a fan of the Cebuano forward’s game and played an important role in bringing him to the Blazers.

“Excited to have Jelo on board. He is one of the young promising forwards in college and we are looking forward to developing him and working with him,” Tiu said in an exclusive interview with ALL-STAR Magazine.

“Hoping he can find his groove with us at Benilde and we can unleash his potential. When word got out that he was leaving Ateneo, we tried our best to get him right away. Special shout out to one of the boosters of Ateneo Cebu, Franco Soberano, for helping us convince Jelo to trust our program.”

Rota is expected to undergo one year of residency before becoming eligible to play, after which he would still have four years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Rota, a 6-foot-5 forward from Bantayan, Cebu, previously played for Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu before moving to the Ateneo Blue Eagles program.

He was part of the Magis Eagles’ successful high school run in Cebu, where he helped the team win CESAFI championships and became one of the more notable frontcourt prospects from the region.

Rota also gained national and international exposure as a high school prospect. He was part of the NBTC scene and was selected to participate in Basketball Without Borders Asia, further establishing himself as a player with size, mobility, and long-term upside.

For CSB, the addition of Rota gives the Blazers another young piece to develop as they continue to build a program capable of competing at the top of the NCAA.