MANILA – Ten players tracing their roots from Western Visayas are playing in the UAAP Season 81 men’s basketball tournament that opens on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Seven of them were from Bacolod City while the others were from Iloilo City and Aklan and Antique provinces.
Ateneo Blue Eagles, the defending champion, has Ferdinand “Thirdy” Ravena III from Iloilo City and rookie Samjosef Belangel who for a while played for Bacolod Tay Tung High School in Bacolod City.
Bacolod City native Kirell Montalbo is returning for his fifth and final year with Season 80 runner-up De La Salle University Green Archers. He will be joined by fellow Bacolodnon Miguel Ives Corteza.
University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, one of the dark horses this season, will have graduating forward Felixberto Jaboneta of San Jose, Antique and returning Jose Piero Longa of Bacolod City.
University of the East Red Warriors will also parade a pair of Bacolodnon rookies: Jose Frederic Antiporda and Jan Gabriel Sobrevega, who once played for University of St. La Salle Bacolod.
Other WV natives this season are Keith Zaldivar of Buruanga, Aklan for Adamson University Falcons and Kimlee Bayquin of Bacolod City for Far Eastern University Tamaraws./PN
