NCAA POWER RANKINGS | START TO OCTOBER 12

JONATHAN MANALILI | GMA NETWORK

The NCAA games have been a mix of thrilling matchups and underwhelming performances from players expected to carry their teams. I had a feeling that one downside of draft applicants returning to the NCAA would be that some might either just coast through the season or go all out for a strong finish. What I didn’t expect, though, was how inconsistent most of the Season 100 stars would be in Season 101.

Still, there are bright spots. A number of players who were barely used last season are now stepping up and making the most of their opportunities. There are also a few standouts who are clearly playing to boost their PBA Draft stock—even with the 2027 draft shaping up to be crowded, thanks to the graduating classes of UAAP Seasons 88 and 89, plus NCAA Season 102.

So, let’s get into it—here are the top performers early in NCAA Season 101.

THE ROOKIES

There are three rookies in the Top 10—and surprisingly, one of them is leading the pack. Despite Letran’s roster being stacked with soon-to-be PBA players, Jonathan “Titing” Manalili is the one carrying the Knights right now. The kid gives off serious Kiefer Ravena vibes from when he transitioned from the juniors to the seniors division.

The K-to-12 setup kind of messed up his timeline since he was already 21 by the time he made his NCAA debut. But whether he takes the PBA route in four years or tries his luck overseas, Manalili already looks built for the big leagues. Honestly, if some of the pro-bound stars are just going to coast or play passive, I’d rather they hand the spotlight to him—he’s earning it.

Meanwhile, another rookie making waves in Season 101 is Manalili’s former Letran Squires teammate, Jhuniel Dela Rama. Now with San Sebastian, Dela Rama is quietly wreaking havoc against veteran players, especially with Paeng Are sidelined by injury. His scoring numbers may not wow you—barely hitting double figures—but his rebounding is on another level. In four games, he’s grabbed double-digit boards three times, including a monster 23-rebound game against LPU.

And then there’s San Beda’s Janti Miller. Even with the Red Lions’ stacked lineup, Miller and Jimmy Reyes are starting to look like the cornerstones of San Beda’s future.

	PLAYER	TEAM	STATS
1	JONATHAN MANALILI	LETRAN	14.8PPG – 5.5RPG – 7.8APG – 1.8SPG
2	JUSTINE SANCHEZ	BENILDE	20.0PPG – 4.5RPG – 2.5APG – 1.8SPG
3	JHUNIEL DELA RAMA	SSC-R	9.3PPG – 12.8RPG – 2.3APG – 1.3SPG
4	ALLEN LIWAG	BENILDE	13.0PPG – 9.5RPG – 3.5APG – 1.5BPG
5	RENZ VILLEGAS	LPU	18.7PPG – 2.0RPG – 3.7APG – 1.3SPG
6	T-MC ONGOTAN	ARELLANO	15.0PPG – 4.0RPG – 2.5SPG – 1.0BPG
7	IVAN PANAPANAAN	JRU	6.5PPG – 10.3RPG – 2.8APG – 2.0BPG
8	PATRICK SLEAT	PERPETUAL	10.8PPG – 5.3RPG – 3.5APG – 1.8BPG
9	JANTI MILLER	SAN BEDA	17.0PPG – 5.3RPG – 0.7SPG – 0.7BPG
10	CLINT ESCAMIS	MAPUA	11.8PPG – 3.3RPG – 4.5APG – 2.0SPG
11	JIMBOY ESTRADA	LETRAN	9.0PPG – 3.3RPG – 4.7APG – 1.7SPG
12	JC RECTO	MAPUA	10.5PPG – 5.3RPG – 2.8APG – 1.5SPG
13	JOHN BARBA	LPU	13.3PPG – 4.3RPG – 3.3APG
14	IAN CUAJAO	SSC-R	14.3PPG – 3.0RPG – 2.8APG – 1.0SPG
15	MARK GOJO CRUZ	PERPETUAL	14.5PPG – 3.5RPG – 1.8APG – 1.0SPG
16	MICHAEL VERSOZA	LPU	8.7PPG – 7.7RPG – 2.0APG – 0.7BPG
17	DEO CUAJAO	LETRAN	16.0PPG – 1.7RPG – 1.0APG – 1.3BPG
18	CYRIL GONZALES	MAPUA	9.5PPG – 2.5RPG – 2.5APG – 3.0SPG
19	KEVIN SANTOS	LETRAN	9.0PPG – 6.8RPG – 1.8APG – 1.0SPG
20	WILMAR OFTANA	EAC	13.0PPG – 3.3RPG – 2.0APG – 1.0SPG