UAAP rejects PBA appeal

The UAAP board stood pat on its earlier decision not to lend its top players to the ongoing PBA Invitational Cup and the upcoming Asian Basketball Conference, stressing its commitment to the Basketball Association of the Philippines is limited to only two specific international tournaments.

"The UAAP commitment to the BAP was to allow our players to play in the national team in both the Asian Basketball Confederation and the Southeast Asian Games but not in the PBA Invitationals," said UAAP president Jose Capistrano.

The decision thus turned down PBA commissioner Noli Eala’s appeal to allow four of the UAAP prized cagers to suit up for the Cebuana Lhuillier Nationals in the current PBA Invitationals Cup.

Twelve players were mentioned in Eala’s letter but it’s only Ateneo’s Rich Alvarez and Wesley Gonzales and University of the East’s James Yap and Paul Artado whom national team Aric del Rosario wanted on his team.

One reason cited by Capistrano was the BAP only informed the UAAP last July 9 or just three days before the opening of the league.

"Aside from that, our players have at least two games a week and practice daily, they can not fit in practice with the RP team and play in the invitational," said Capistrano.

Capistrano added that their players will not see action in the Asian Basketball Confederation in China since the ABC’s Sept. 23-Oct. 3 schedule runs on the same week of the first semester final exams.