LEAVING no stone unturned it its preparation for a title-retention bid in UAAP Season 85, University of the Philippines is heading to Korea.
UP to face KBL clubs
Fighting Maroons program director Bo Perasol shared to Spin.ph the grueling schedule that the team will take for its brief trip as it plays exhibition games against five Korean Basketball League (KBL) squads.
UP will leave the country on Aug. 28 to play in friendlies thanks to the support of backer JJ Atencio.
There, the Fighting Maroons will play Suwon KT Sonicboom, Seoul Samsung Thunders, Changwon LG Sakers, Jeonju KCC Egis, and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus.
Three of those clubs are expected to field their Filipino imports for the said exhibition games, with Seoul having former Ateneo forward William Navarro, Changwon with Filbasket MVP and ex-St. Benilde star Justin Gutang, and Ulsan with former Far Eastern University shooter RJ Abarrientos.
UP, behind the leadership of Carl Tamayo, JD Cagulangan, and Malick Diouf, has been impressive so far in its campaigns in the Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, the PG Flex-UCBL Invitational Tournament, and in the Pinoyliga Cup.
But Perasol said that there's really nothing quite like testing your skills overseas, noting, "I cannot overemphasize the importance of playing together this offseason."
"A lot of our first time players last season wasn’t able to play a lot during the UAAP. So if we are to give them a chance to improve individually and as a team, we need to be able to provide them with high level competitions, ones which can mimic the high-pressure games of the UAAP."