UAAP cage teams vie in Fil-Oil pre-season cup

Source: GMANEWS
Seven cage teams from the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) will reunite on the hard court 3 months before Season 73 basketball wars unfurl.

They will vie for top honors in the 2010 Fil-Oil Flying V Pre-season Invitational Cup, which tips off on April 10.

Except for perennial off-season hermit University of Santo Tomas (UST), the rest – Adamson University, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University (FEU), National University (NU), University of the East (UE), and University of the Philippines (UP) – have signified their intention to use the Fil-Oil meet as a boot camp of sorts before actual combat starts this July.

Out to challenge the UAAP squads for the top purse of P500,000 worth of scholarships is rival league National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) bannered by defending champion San Sebastian College.

Other NCAA teams who will join the pre-season tournament are San Beda College, Jose Rizal University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Mapua Institute of Technology, College of St. Benilde, University of Perpetual Help-Dalta, and NCAA newcomers Arellano University and Emilio Aguinaldo College.

The opening-day hostilities pit back-to-back UAAP champions Ateneo against San Beda at 4 p.m. followed by the 6 p.m. encounter between La Salle and Letran.

The Eagles, also the University Games and Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) titlists last year, stand to miss the services of guard Oping Sumalinog, who is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury he suffered during the Fr. Martin Open Cup early this month.

Despite Sumalinog’s absence, Ateneo remains a formidable opponent with Smart Gilas member Ryan Buenafe, Eric Salamat, Kirk Long, Nico Salva, and Bacon Austria leading the charge.

While itching to get back at PCCL tormentor Letran, La Salle also bats for resurgence under new coach Dindo Pumaren after a forgettable performance last season.

The Archers, however, may lose rookie forward Arvie Bringas, the 6-foot-4 former San Sebastian Staglet. Bringas has not been practicing with La Salle for around 3 months and may be discharged from the team.

Also looming as strong contenders from the UAAP side are FEU, UE and UP, with the Warriors and the Maroons making good impression in the recent PBL PG Flex-Erase Placenta Cup.

“I would be surprised if FEU won’t win the championship this year considering the presence of national team members in its intact line-up,” UE coach Lawrence Chongson said, referring to Smart Gilas standouts JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos, who are currently training with the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas-backed RP five abroad.

Cawaling and Ramos will rejoin the Tamaraws late in the tournament after their overseas stints with Smart Gilas, FEU assistant coach Louie Gonzales said.

The Maroons, who make up the core of PBL runner-up Pharex B-Complex, will parade the sweet-shooting Mike Silungan to backstop veterans Woody Co, Mark Lopez, Martin Reyes and Smart Gilas mainstay Magi Sison.

UE, meanwhile, anchors its fortunes yet again on old reliable Paul Lee, who fronted the Warriors-reinforced Cobra Energy Drink Ironmen’s semis campaign in the PBL.

Adamson, which also played in the PBL under the Add-Mix franchise, tapped 6-foot-7 Nigerian Lionel Manraya to man the slot for the Falcons while drawing steady firepower from seasoned guards Jerick Cañada and Lester Alvarez, and forward Jan Colina.

Playing for the first time under new mentor Eric Gonzales, NU has considerably boosted its stock with the addition of 6-foot7 Cameroonian find Emmanuel Mbe in its roster already bolstered by the likes of three-point artist Kokoy Hermosisima, Jewel Ponferrada and Melvin Baloran, among others.

Adding spice to this year’s Fil-Oil meet are the RP under-18 and under-13 teams, which will see action as guest teams in the seniors and juniors divisions, respectively.

The organizers have also included a cheering competition which offers P 150,000 worth of scholarships to the champion. On the other hand, the best junior’s team will receive P 100,000 worth of scholarships.