Champs League still tough sans Tams

Defending champion Far Eastern U wont’ be back to defend its Collegiate Champions League title.

After bombing out in the 69th season of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament, the Tamaraws disbanded their team, leaving them without a ready squad that is expected to be given a wild card entry for the Oct. 4-14 tournament proper.

"From what we’ve been told, FEU has disbanded its team, with coach Bert Flores as the only remnant from last season," said event chairman Rey Gamboa.

Even in the absence of FEU, Gamboa, the former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) chairman, still sees a stiff competition among the 16 teams vying for honor as the best collegiate team in the Philippines.

Gamboa also announced that Philippine Basketball League (PBL) head Chino Trinidad will be the Champions League commissioner.

"The tournament is actually patterned after the US NCAA’s Sweet 16, where the losers go home and the winners advance," said Gamboa during the formal launching of the meet at the PSA Forum yesterday at the Pantalan Restaurant in Manila

Even if it manages to form a new core, Gamboa said FEU won’t still qualify since under the Champions League rules, only the current official team of a school is allowed to see action.

The Tamaraws are the defending back-to-back champions of the tournament featuring powerhouse teams from the major collegiate leagues around the country.

The University of the East Warriors won the inaugural staging of the meet considered as brainchild of current State U mentor Joe Lipa.

The Champions League will be covered by Solar Sports, whose coverage is the launching pad of the network’s newest cable channel ‘Basketball TV’ (Channel 35).

Jude Turcuato, vice president for marketing, sports division of Solar, said Basketball TV takes over the channel slot of SportsPlus, whose major programs such as the National Football League(NFL), NASCAR and poker games will be transferred to Solar Sports.

Schools seeing action are the top four teams in both the UAAP and NCAA while slots are also reserved for champion teams from NCRAA, UCAA and NAASCU.