Next Generation Basketball League sets spotlight on junior cagers

MANILA, Philippines – Top junior teams from the UAAP and the NCAA will slug it out in the inaugural season of the Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) set to tip off next month.

UAAP squads Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, National University and the University of the East will see action in the tourney opening August 11. 

NCAA teams Colegio de San Juan de Letran, San Beda University, La Salle Green Hills, Mapua University, University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, Arellano University, Jose Rizal University and Lyceum of the Philippines University will also participate in the competition. 

Xavier School and the MGC New Life Christian Academy complete the teams competing in the NGBL. 

The teams will duke it out for a P300,000 champion’s purse. 

In a statement, league commissioner Ronnie Magsanoc said the league aims to “give the young student-athletes more exposure and help in their transition to collegiate basketball.”

“It is a mission to help the student-athletes. The NGBL is here to give them the maximum exposure for us to create the best homegrown talents,” Magsanoc said.

“As [tournament director LA Tenorio] said, he came from the high school program, so he had the idea. He wants to bring back the opportunities to homegrown players,” he added. 

“There’s a rationale behind it, there's a story behind it, but more than that, there is a vision.”

The teams will be divided into two groups, with each having a single round-robin elimination. 

The top four teams will advance to the crossover knockout quarterfinals, and the semifinals and the Finals will also be determined via knockout games.