Joaquin Tovera Likely Headed to La Salle After UP Departure
De La Salle University has emerged as the likely next destination of rising guard Joaquin Tovera following his decommitment from the University of the Philippines, according to league sources.
While no final commitment has been announced, sources monitoring the situation believe Tovera is leaning toward joining the Green Archers as he reconsiders his collegiate future.
La Salle was among the programs that recruited Tovera after his breakout performance at the 2026 Smart-NBTC National Finals. The Chino Hills High School product averaged 27.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists for Fil-Am Nation LA, earning an NBTC All-Star selection and attracting interest from several leading UAAP and NCAA schools.
Tovera previously trained with both UP and La Salle before initially choosing the Fighting Maroons. Mikey Cortez and Jacob Cortez were also among those who encouraged the Filipino-American guard to consider joining DLSU during his original recruitment.
The 18-year-old further raised his profile with Gilas Pilipinas Youth, averaging 16.4 points, four assists, and three steals on his way to being one of the key standouts in the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers.
Should the move push through, Tovera will have five full years of eligibility beginning this coming UAAP season, where he would enter the league as a rookie and give La Salle another young scoring and playmaking option in its backcourt.
