Eagles, Pirates banner City Hoops 25-Under cagefest

MANILA, Philippines — The SMART City Hoops Summer Classic is set to unveil a senior division set to be comprised of the country’s top collegiate teams.

"We decided to open the 25-Under division this year because the schools have been clamoring for an invitational tournament that will be held in a high-quality facility that is well-organized and has good competition," said City Hoops founder Homer Bautista.

Headlining the six-team tournament are defending UAAP champions Ateneo Blue Eagles and NCAA runners-up Lyceum Pirates.

Joining them are the Letran Knights, UP Fighting Maroons, FEU Tamaraws and the College of Saint Benilde Blazers.

The format of the tournament will be a single round robin. The top-seeded squad at the end of the elimination round will gain an outright berth to the finals set on May 19.

On the other hand, the second-seeded team will take on the fifth-ranked team while the third-seeded squad faces the fourth-ranked in the knockout phase. The winners will face each other in the win-or-go-home semifinal clash.

"Hopefully, by next year we can increase the number of teams as we look to give the schools and their student-athletes an experience like never before," Bautista added.

For the Summer Classic, the league will stay true to its roots as it will still hold its age-group divisions. Aside from the 25-Under invitational, City Hoops will host six other divisions, namely the 19-U, 17-U, 15-U, 13-U, 12-U and 10-U tournaments.

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City Hoops mainstays Lyceum, JRU, Letran, Xavier School, San Sebastian, La Salle Green Hills, San Beda-Alabang, San Benildo and Claret School will continue to take part in the lower-division tournaments. Elizabeth Seton and Don Bosco-Makati complete the cast.

The tournament, sponsored by SMART Communications and presented by Chooks-to-Go, is set to begin on Saturday, April 14 as the FEU Tamaraws take on the Letran Knights at 2:30 p.m. followed by the Lyceum Pirates-UP Fighting Maroons tilt at 4 p.m. All games will be held at the Indoor Court of Greenhills West in San Juan City.