M. Lhuillier takes on RP Team this pm

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebuano hoop buffs will be treated once more to an explosive hardcourt action as the defending Liga Pilipinas national champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños clash with the Smart-Gilas RP Developmental Team in a goodwill encounter at 6 pm today at the University of San Carlos (USC)-Main gym.

Game today

(USC-Main Gym)

6 pm Smart-RP Team vs. M. Lhuillier Cebu Niños

Tickets are reasonably priced at P50 for general admission and P100 for ringside.

It will be a typical showdown of youth against experience as the Smart-Gilas, a collection of collegiate stars in the country, goes up against the M. Lhuillier-backed Cebu Niños, arguably the best commercial team in the land.

The other highlight of the match is the duel of two great coaching minds, Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman and Cebu’s legendary bench tactician Raul “Yayoy” D. Alcoseba.

The 53-year-old Toroman shot to fame when he steered Iran to the FIBA-Asia Championship in 2007, thereby earning a ticket to last year’s Beijing Olympics.

Toroman is expected to count the most from his twin towers in 6-foot-11 Greg Slaughter of the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers and Rabeh Al-Hussaini of the Ateneo Blue Eagles. They both bagged the MVP awards in powering their respective teams to the championship in the 2008 season of the CESAFI and UAAP, respectively.

Toroman could also rely on University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigers wingman Dylan Ababou, high-scoring Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws guard Mark Barocca, Ateneo hearthrob Chris Tiu, La Salle star JV Casio, and FEU’s Mac Baracael.

Though formed just three months ago, the Smart-Gilas RP Team already showed a lot of promise. They won the title of the first China-Asean CBO Men’s Invitational Basketball Tournament last December in Guangxi, China.

It was the first international victory for the RP developmental squad, the core of which will banner the national team in the 2009 SEA Games in Laos, the 2010 Asian Games in China and 2011 FIBA Asia Men’s Championship qualifier for the London Olympics.

Early this month, Smart-Gilas fought to a 95-all draw with Burger King in a game preceding Game 4 between Alaska and Talk ‘N Text in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup Finals and lost to Rain or Shine by just three points, 81-84, in an exhibition match at the Araneta Coliseum.

Fresh from dominating the Manila leg of Liga Pilipinas, the Niños will again parade Stephen Padilla, Marlon Basco, Bruce Dacia, Ron Capati, Jercules Tangkay, and Danny Aying to form the core of his offensive arsenal.

They will be joined by the likes of Jonas Mark Ababon, Woodrow Enriquez, Ariel Mepaña, Rino Berame, Ronaldo Bucao, and Alex Cainglet.– EBV (THE FREEMAN)