La Salle faces UB in Champions League opener

The hunt for the country’s No. 1 collegiate basketball team is on.

De La Salle University battles University of Baguio and Santo Tomas U clashes with University of Manila on Nov. 10 when the Champions League 2002 unfolds at the Makati Coliseum.

The Green Archers, who lost a three-game series to archrival Ateneo in the UAAP championship, and the UB Cardinals, the Baguio Educational Athletic League winner, collide at 1 p.m., while the UST Growling Tigers and the NAASCU titlist UM Hawks meet at 3 p.m.

Conceived by multi-titled coach Joe Lipa, the Champions League is a developmental project designed not only to crown the nation’s best collegiate team but to provide amateur basketball a pool of talent from which to draw players for future national teams.

"All the best players from all the best collegiate teams in the country will be on parade," said Lipa. "I wouldn’t be surprised if an RP Juniors team gets formed even before the tournament is over."

An endeavor that took more than a year to hammer out, with the help of the Basketball Association of the Philippines, school officials and the private sector, the Champions League 2002 will pit against each other college stars from Metro Manila and school cage heroes from the provinces, something that has not been done in a long time.

"Just for starters, Elmer Cabahug, (the former PBA hotshot) is coaching University of Visayas and I was told that the Lancers play a brand of basketball similar to that of the South Koreans," said Lipa.

Ramon Fernandez, the PBA’s first four-time most valuable player, in accepting the post of Champions League 2002 commissioner, said to be a part of collegiate tournament that is national in scope has been a long time dream.

"I’ve always wanted to be involved in something like this," said Fernandez, who played for San Carlos University in Cebu. "From these young men, potentials for the national team could be selected. This is how we should begin – from the collegiate ranks."

Also set to see action are San Sebastian, Ateneo, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Benilde, UV, University of the East, Philippine School of Business Administration, West Negros College, University of Mindanao, Las Piñas College, Jose Rizal University and University of San Jose-Recoletos.