MANILA, Philippines - The Sweet 16, the Seaoil National Basketball Training Center’s version of the US NCAA’s March Madness, kicks offs after nine months of competition among over 200 high schools from 20 cities all over the nation as they fight for the bragging rights to be called No. 1 in the land.
The format calls for sudden death KO matches at the Philsports Arena and Ynares Center in Pasig March 1 and 2 while the Seaoil NBTC Finals will be played on March 3 after the second Seaoil NBTC High School All-Star Game.
On tap in the Round of 16 are Meralco-Christian Values School from Cavite, Smart-Sto. Domingo National HS from Legazpi City, Meralco-Calayan Educational Foundation Inc. (Lucena), NLEX-St. Albert D’ Great School (Dagupan), NLEX-Don Bosco Technical Institute (Tarlac), NLEX-La Union, Philex-Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori School (Cagayan de Oro), Philex-Holy Child College (Davao), Philex-Southern City College (Zamboanga), Smart-Iloilo Central Commercial HS, Smart-West Negros University (Bacolod), Maynilad-Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu as well as Manila-based champions Extreme 97-San Beda College, Exceed Diesel-National University, 4T Power-Faith Academy, and Mako-Hope Christian HS.
The teams came from cities that participated in elimination tournaments in North Luzon (La Union, Olongapo, Baguio, Dagupan and Tarlac), South Luzon (Cavite, Lucena, Batangas, Legazpi and Naga), Visayas (Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Ormoc, and Tacloban), and Mindanao (Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Bukidnon and Zamboanga).
Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu is the two-time defending tournament champion. In last year’s finals, the Magis Eagles behind Julius Cadavis and Henry Asilum defeated La Union College of Nursing Arts and Sciences, 90-78.
Cadavis is now with the Arellano University Chiefs in the NCAA while Asilum is with the UP Fighting Maroons.
The Seaoil NBTC tournament is also supported by the MVP Sports Foundation and, as per agreement with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios, has been designated the official high school basketball tournament of the SBP.