CEBU, Philippines - With the Passerelle division wrapped up, games of the SBP division of the BEST Center SBP Passerelle Tournament backed by Milo kick off on Saturday at the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Mango Avenue Campus Gym. Leading the pack are three-time defending champion University of San Carlos, 2014 runner-up University of the Visayas, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu, Don Bosco Technology Center and University of San Jose Recoletos.
USC faces Don Bosco in the opening game at 9:00 am, while SHS-Ateneo goes up against USJR right after the first game. USC has won the past three editions of the tournament from 2012 to 2014, and is seeking a fourth straight title. UV and SHS-Ateneo are expected to crowd USC for the title this year.
In the pre-season period, USC and SHS-Ateneo de Cebu each won a championship with USC winning the M. Lhuillier VISMIN Goodwill Games and SHS-Ateneo winning the M. Lhuillier-CYBL Summer League. UV was runner-up at the M. Lhuillier VISMIN Goodwill Games. The SBP division is for players under 12 years old.
The unique team composition applied in the longest running developmental tournament supported by Milo includes five players who are under 12 years old, five players who are under 11 years old and five players who are under 10 years old.
A different set of five players play in each of the first three quarters, while player rotation in the fourth quarter is left up to the coach. The Cebu leg is one of eleven provincial legs of the tournament.
Other cities are Bacolod, Iloilo, Roxas for the Visayas; Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga for Mindanao; Lucena, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Baguio for Luzon. The NCR is considered as one region on its own. The champions from each region clash in the national finals which will be held in Baguio in December. (FREEMAN)