Top college hoops squads to duke it out in ‘The Big Dance’

MANILA, Philippines – The Pinoyliga Collegiate Cup has elevated the arena for the best colleges and universities nationwide with a historic The Big Dance tournament on July 30 to August 18.

Patterned after the NCAA March Madness in the United States and following the footsteps of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League, the Big Dance will feature 28 teams from across the archipelago in a knockout elimination tournament based on seedings and rankings.

Teams from the UAAP, NCAA, CESAFI, NAASCU, ISAA, NCRAA and NCAA South are in for Year 1 of the breakthrough tourney headed by Pinoyliga founder Benny Benitez and Big Dance commissioner Russell Raypon.

Benitez said it’s a new platform to complete the Philippine collegiate scene with a national championship like the Palarong Pambansa and the NBTC National Finals for high school.

“Parang may kulang para makumpleto ang Philippine collegiate landscape. That’s the concept and rationale behind the Big Dance. It’s about filling in the gaps in Philippine basketball,” said Benitez in a media briefing yesterday at the Amelie Hotel in Manila.

“It’s the culmination of all collegiate leagues. This is not just an event or tournament. This is a process for the development of Philippine collegiate basketball.”

The Big Dance, with blessing from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, will introduce a masterpiece perpetual trophy worth P200,000 for the champion made by renowned artist Cameron Castrillo. It will be passed upon by the champions moving forward with the first team to go three-peat owning it for good.

Pinoy Liga aims to cover more leagues and invite more teams, which will be selected based on merits all season-long, for seedings and rankings in the upcoming seasons but opts to start with 28 teams for Year 1.

NCAA powerhouse Letran, UAAP’s Adamson, St. Benilde and NCAA champion San Beda headline the 28-team cast as the Top Four seeds, who will have a bye in the first round.

University of Cebu will represent CESAFI and Visayas as the farthest team for now as unheralded squads from all over NCR and Luzon vow to give the fancied favorites a run for their own money.

“The Big Dance has the potential to have some great storylines and miracle runs featuring unheralded teams (like the March Madness). It will honor the best of Philippine collegiate basketball,” beamed Raypon, who also oversees the Big Dance Power 40 rankings based on league status, level of competition, wins and losses and strength of the school’s basketball programs among the few criterias.

UAAP champion La Salle is not in the cast for now due to its international campaign in the World University Basketball Series in Japan on the same date. So do other UAAP and NCAA teams with prior engagements.

Elimination games start on Tuesday at the Enderun Colleges Gym and Amoranto Arena before the Round of 16, Round of 8, Final Four and national title game at either Rizal Memorial Coliseum, PhilSports Complex or Ninoy Aquino Stadium on August 18.