The Samsung-Bantay Bata 163 All-Star Game fires off today with the best players from the UAAP and NCAA’s finest cagers clashing at The Arena in San Juan.
Franz Pumaren, who recently steered De La Salle to its seventh UAAP title overall over University of the East, will handle the UAAP side while Frankie Lim, coach of the back-to-back champion San Beda squad, will handle the NCAA squad.
“I don’t want to promise anything, all I can say is that the UAAP will be competitive,” said Pumaren, who swept younger brother Dindo and the University of the East in the UAAP finale.
The UAAP, which beat the NCAA, 83-78, last year, will be led by La Salle standouts Cholo Villanueva, TY Tang, JV Casio and Rico Maeirhofer and UE hotshots Mark Borboran and Marcy Arellano.
The rest of the squad will be composed of Ateneo’s Ford Arao and Nonoy Baclao, UST’s Dylan Ababou and Japs Cuan, Far Eastern U’s Mac Baracael, National U’s Edwin Asoro, Adamson’s Roel Hugnatan and State U’s Mike Gamboa.
UAAP MVP Jervy Cruz of UST, Patrick Cabahug of Adamson and Jonathan Fernandez of NU were selected but they will not be around since they are currently with the Harbour Centre-backed RP team playing a series of tuneup games in Korea as part of the squad’s preparation for the 24th Southeast Asian Games set Dec. 6-16 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
“For my four guys, JV, TY, Cholo and Rico, I can’t demand everything on them since they are not in great shape after winning the championship. I have 10 guys who I expect to step up,” said Pumaren.
Ateneo star Chris Tiu was also picked but he too is unavailable because he is still on vacation in the US.
The NCAA, for its part, will be bannered by Nigerian behemoth Sam Ekwe, Dave Marcelo, Ogie Menor, Pong Escobal and Borgie Hermida from San Beda, reigning MVP Kelvin dela Peña of Mapua, Bryan Faundo, RJ Jazul and Rey Guevarra of Letran, John Sena and John Wilson of Jose Rizal, Jason Ballesteros of San Sebastian, Mike Kong of Perpetual Help and Martin Urra of St. Benilde.
Spicing up the day-long festivities, held to raise funds for the children of Bantay Bata 163, are the slam dunk contest, a three-point shootout and a 2-ball event starting at 2 p.m. – Joey Villar