NCAA All-Star highlights 90th season

MANILA, Philippines - A first-ever All Star Game, involving all 10 participating teams, will spice up this year’s NCAA men’s basketball competitions when the league’s 90th season kicks off Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia arena.

The mid-season charity event, aimed at raising funds to finance the league’s social responsibility, will be held middle of August right after the first round elims, according to NCAA Management Committee (ManCom) chairman Paul Supan of host school Jose Rizal University.

“It (All-Star match) will be held between the first and the second round of eliminations,” said Supan during yesterday PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate. “We wanted to give back something to society.”

The basketball All-Star game will be one of the highlights of the league’s first semester, where chess, badminton, taekwondo, swimming, and table tennis events will also be held.

The second semester on the other hand, will be consisted of volleyball, lawn tennis, football, cheerleading, beach volleyball, and track and field.

Supan was joined in the session presented by Shakey’s, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. by other members of the NCAA Board including Jose Marie Lacson of San Beda, Dax Castellano of College of St. Benilde, Arellano’s Peter Cayco, and Jeff Tamayo of Perpetual Help.

The ManCom chairman said still being discussed is the airing of the All-Star game by television coveror TV5, although he assured two games will be aired live over Interaksyon TV, with the second game to be simulcast over Sports5.

Games will be played every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while only a single game is to going to be held on Saturday.

Supan added new members Emilio Aguinaldo College and Lyceum are in its final year of probationary, and the status of both schools will be evaluated by season’s end whether the Generals and Pirates are going to be elevated as regular members of the country’s oldest collegiate league.

While admitting there are feelers wanting to join the league as new member schools, Supan said the NCAA would rather keep everything in status quo.

“At the moment, NCAA is ok with 10,” he stressed.