REIGNING NCAA juniors’ basketball champion Colegio de San Juan de Letran and UAAP Season 86 HS hoops runner-up National University will have an early acid test in the Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL).
Letran, headed by former PBA star and first-year Squires head coach Willie Miller, will be starting its preparations for its title defense in the grand-old-league through the newest platform for the country’s best Under-19 players.
However, according to the two-time MVP, the Knights don’t see themselves as the team to beat, especially since they are facing 15 of the top high school basketball programs the Philippines has to offer.
”Right now, we're still trying to practice pa kasi halos bago lahat ng players namin,” Miller said during the NGBL’s Inaugural Season launch and Group Draw at District 8 Manila in San Juan on Monday.
The Muralla-based team will be going up against life-long rivals San Beda University, UAAP Season 86 third-placers Far Eastern University-Diliman, University of Santo Tomas, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Arellano University, and MGC New Life Christian Academy in Group B of the tourney.
This will be of good help for Letran as it tries to find its new identity ahead of NCAA Season 100, according to Miller.
”Yung mga natira namin, halos puro mga reserve last season, kaya we're still trying to figure out kung papaano kami lalaban so the NGBL is a good help sa team,” said Miller of their participation in the league which is led by San Miguel Sports Director and Executive Committee Chairman Alfrancis Chua, Commissioner and PBA legend Ronnie Magsanoc, Tournament Director LA Tenorio of Ginebra, Program Director Bonnie Tan of NorthPort, and Operations Manager & PBA Chief Statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
Meanwhile, the Bullpups, who are seeking to reclaim their spot on top of the UAAP high school, share the same mindset and are focusing on exposing themselves to some unfamiliar faces in the NGBL which is also led by its President Bigboy Cheng and Finance head Eric Ang.
“It’s a good opportunity for exposure and our preparations for the upcoming Season 86, that is why I’m expecting more competition,” said Collins Akowe, the NUNS star and previous season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).
National U will be locking horns with fellow runners-up University of Perpetual Help in Group A, while completing their pool’s action are NCAA Season 99 bronze medalists Mapua University, Season 98 Finalists La Salle Greenhills, Ateneo de Manila University, University of the East, Xavier School, and Jose Rizal University.
The league, supported by URATEX, Jollibee, World Balance, Verleo Catering, Tanduay Athletics, Gatorade, SOLAR Sports as official TV Partner, Molten as official game ball, Team Rebel Sports Pilipinas as the official league outfitter, Summit Natural Drinking Water, SWISH as official league statistics app, MET Food Corporation, and RICA UPVC Aluminum Glass and Trading Corp., will be giving the champion the all-or-nothing P300,000.
Each group will have a single round-robin elimination, and the Top 4 teams per group will then advance to the crossover knockout playoffs. All the succeeding stages will also feature one-game KO bouts.
Action will open on August 11 at the Tanduay Gym where all Sunday and holiday games are to be held. On the other hand, the Saturday matchups are scheduled at the Aero Center in Quezon City.
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