ATENEO'S ill-fated trip to Aurora wouldn't have happened if the team stuck to its original schedule.
The Blue Eagles were actually slated to play three games last week in the 19th Filoil Ecooil Preseason Cup before a change of plans by the team forced the hand of the organizers to adjust the schedule.
Ateneo was scheduled to play University of Santo Tomas on June 9 and National University on June 11, before its rivalry game against La Salle on June 14.
READ Ateneo accepts resignations of coach Tab Baldwin, Epok Quimpo
The Blue Eagles' schedule became packed since the Katipunan side was the last team to see action, with exams keeping the players out of practice for the first five gamedays back in May.
The blue-and-white did play their first game on June 6, a 72-52 win over Adamson that had both Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili watching from the sidelines.
However, a late notice was given of Ateneo's team-building activity, prompting organizers to accommodate the request and postpone the Blue Eagles' games by a week.
Those games will no longer be played after the drowning incident that claimed the lives of the two young Blue Eagles.
On Sunday, Ateneo has withdrawn from participating in the premier preseason league. - RL
New PBA rule a hindrance to SJ Belangel return
SJ Belangel was in the country over a month ago and dropped by the Ynares Center in Antipolo to watch the PBA doubleheader between Magnolia against Converge and NLEX versus San Miguel.
Sources close to the former Ateneo guard who’s now plying his trade with the Daegu KOGAS Pegasus in the Korean Basketball League said Belangel felt envious seeing his former college batchmates such as Juan Gomez De Liano, Jerom Lastimosa, Justin Baltazar now playing in Asia’s pioneering pro league.
However, Belangel, 26, won’t be eligible to apply for the next PBA draft set in January of 2027. The two-time UAAP champion is still under contract with Daegu KOGAS by that time, and as per the latest ruling by the league, rookie hopefuls won’t be eligible for drafting if they have live contract with any other team in any other league.
“Yun ang naging bagong rule sa PBA ngayon na hindi puwedeng mag-apply sa draft kung naka-kontrata ka pa sa ibang teams,” said a source privy to the new rule adopted by the PBA.
Whereas before when those still under contract in the MPBL can apply in the rookie draft and allowed to join the team which drafted them once their obligation to their mother team is over, now such cases are no longer allowed.
“Ang daming ganyan dati di ba sa MPBL. Sila (Justin) Baltazar, (Jason) Brickman, Geo Chu. Nagpa-draft kahit under contract pa,” cited the source. “Ngayon ayaw na ng PBA yung ganyan. Kailangan free from obligation ka para matanggap ka sa draft.”
Belangel has since signed a fresh two-year deal with Daegu KOGAS, according to his manager Marvin Espiritu.
Not unless he’s released or opt out of his contract with the KBL team will he be able to apply in the Season 51 draft.
Incidentally, a former Daegu KOGAS teammate of Belangel is San Miguel import Bennie Boatwright, who’s close to finally getting approved his naturalization papers to play for Gilas Pilipinas. - Gerry Ramos
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