NCAA teams Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights and Mapua Cardinals will participate in the four-team Iloilo Governor’s Cup: National Invitational Basketball Championships from May 17 to 20.
Knights and Cardinals agreed to be last-minute inclusions after Marinerong Pilipino Skippers and Centro Escolar University Scorpions backed out, Provincial Sports Development Officer IV Ray Cabarles told Panay News.
Skippers and CEU “decided to pull out as their schedules are in conflict with the second conference of the PBA D-League,” Cabarles said.
He said they also approached UAAP’s Growling Tigers but the latter declined as the University of Santo Tomas will have an activity during the pocket tournament.
Expected to compose the Knights are Ilonggo John Paul Calvo, Kier Quinto, Larry Muyang, Jerrick Balanza, Christian Fajarito, Edson Batiller, Christian Balagasay, Jeremaiah Taladua, Jeo Ambohot, Fran Yu, Jason Celis, and EJ Agbong.
Cardinals, on the other hand, will have Exequiel Biteng, Christian Bunag, Warren Bonifacio, Lawrence Victoria, Justin Serrano, Eric Jabel, Jasper Salenga, Noah Lugo, Daniel Aguirre, and Joaqui Garcia.
The other two teams in the competition are NCAA Season 93 men’s basketball runner-up Lyceum of the Philippines Pirates and Sky Cable-Iloilo, which will comprise former PBA players.
In the single round-robin tournament, the top team at the end of eliminations will be crowned the champion./PN
