MAKING A SPLASH - PINOYLIGA THE BIG DANCE 2026

It appears that change is inevitable in this year’s collegiate basketball, as another set of movements happened in this week’s Pinoyliga Collegiate Basketball Power Rankings.

Those movements that happened featured NCAA contenders as they made a splash this week, though the UAAP powerhouse University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons remain as the top-ranked team for the second straight week.

With the Pinoyliga Collegiate Cup entering its playoff stage while the Filo Cup is in the semifinals, the collegiate teams are now in serious mode as every game carries importance and a chance that they belong among the country’s best.

STILL AT ONE

UP demonstrated to everyone that their return to the top spot is not a coincidence.

They entered the Filoil Cup semis with a clutch 67-64 win over the hard-fighting Mapua Cardinals. Despite the close score, the Fighting Maroons demonstrated their ability to execute down the stretch.

With Rey Remogat, VJ Pre, Gani Stevens, and Jacob Bayla in tow, UP is sure a favorite this coming UAAP season.

JUMP

The San Beda Red Lions and Letran Knights moved up and made news as they pulled down beneath them the two teams that were ranked higher than them in the previous ranking release.

From number 7, the Red Lions are now ranked second after a perfect record this week, which included a win against Mapua and a convincing five-point victory against the La Salle Green Archers.

San Beda controlled the game billed as the battle of the champions and managed to keep La Salle at bay when it threatened to make a comeback.

The Knights, meanwhile, are now in 3rd after finishing fifth last edition.

A big factor of their movement is their wins this week against the Perpetual Help Altas and the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

Those close wins have just shown that the team is becoming comfortable in close situations, which will really help their players mature faster.

HOLDING GROUND

The Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers stood at number 4 after ending up with a 1-2 win-loss record this week. It seemed that JRU was getting accustomed to close games as their matches went down the wire, wherein it produced a win against the National University Bulldogs while suffering heartbreaks against the Adamson Soaring Falcons and New Era Hunters.

SLIP UP

UST split their two games this week. It started with a close overtime win against NCRAA Kings Bestlink College of the Philippines in the Pinoyliga Collegiate Cup before ending it with a tough one-point defeat against Letran in Fil-Oil.

The same story happened to DLSU as it saw its ranking go down from No. 2 to No. 6 after losing to San Beda.

Make no mistake, DLSU is still a top team, but if it could not have a dependable and healthy FSA before the UAAP season, then winning a back-to-back title may be a hard one for the Taft-based dribblers.

Meanwhile, the NU Bulldogs’ close loss to JRU had a big effect as it saw their ranking go down, but NU supporters should not be worried at all, as this team is very capable of performing well in any given situation.

INSIDE THE UPPER BRACKET

The Far Eastern University Tamaraws and Mapua Cardinals remained in their respective positions, as both have built impressive credentials as the UAAP and NCAA seasons are closing in. 

The Tamaraws may have a young nucleus, but it is a solid team that can shock favorites.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have proven that despite falling short in their games against San Beda and UP, they have put their trust in the system that Coach Chito Victolero has implemented.

The Emilio Aguinaldo Generals entered the Top 10 once again after splitting its games this week.

After dropping a close one against the LPU Pirates, the Generals bounced back after registering a come-from-behind win against the Benilde Blazers.

THE MOVERS

San Pablo College Ravens continued their rise in the rankings, as they are now in the 16th spot after remaining undefeated in the Pinoyliga Collegiate Cup.

In their recent game, the Ravens registered an impressive victory against the New Era Hunters to continue their impressive performance this season.

Another team that showed an impressive showing this week is the Diliman College Blue Dragons.

After suffering a heartbreaker against UMAK Herons last week, the Blue Dragons bounced back with a big bang after winning over LPU Pirates and BCP Kalasag as the team relied on its inside-outside game.

The wins helped Diliman College move up to the 27th spot.

WORTH MENTIONING

The LPU Pirates may be struggling this season, but slowly a silver lining is appearing as the team is starting to get its groove back by playing in as many games as it can together.

Though they hit a stumbling block against Diliman College, wins against MCU and EAC have boosted LPU's confidence.

LASTLY

The competition is getting interesting every week with no team really having a clear advantage.

UP might have retained the top spot, but competition from NCAA squads in San Beda, Letran, and JRU may give them headaches. Their UAAP rivals, UST, La Salle, and NU, are not going away soon and may try to reclaim the number one spot once they perform well in their next matches.

One big win or one tough loss can change the fortunes of a collegiate basketball program every week, and that is something everyone is excited to find out.

VIEW FULL RANKINGS HERE: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18H17FQth5/

(Covered Dates: July 8-14, 2026)