Champs league sets comeback

MANILA, Philippines — The National Collegiate Championships (NCC) will make a comeback after a two-year hiatus as the organizing Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) stages the 14th edition of the senior men’s basketball event with an Elite Eight format at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan, tentatively on Feb. 2-11.

PCCL chairman Rey Gamboa said yesterday the dates are now being confirmed with the schools participating in the competition. The qualified teams are UAAP champion Ateneo, NCAA champion San Beda, CESAFI champion University of the Visayas, Luzon regional champion Naga College Foundation, Mindanao regional champion Holy Trinity College of General Santos City, UAAP runner-up La Salle and NCAA runner-up Lyceum. Only the NCR slot is vacant and it will be filled by the winner of a seven-team qualifying tournament next month involving the third and fourth placers of the UAAP (FEU, Adamson) and NCAA (San Sebastian, Jose Rizal), NAASCU champion St. Claire, ISAA champion PATTS and UCBL champion Colegio de San Lorenzo.

Gamboa said all players in the lineups of teams this season are eligible to see action. That means Vince Tolentino, Chiz Ikeh and Chris Porter may suit up for Ateneo and Abu Tratter for La Salle even as they’ve completed their years of eligibility in the UAAP. “If graduating players are not able to play or some players are injured, teams may make replacements but only with players eligible for next season,” said Gamboa. Players in residence may be lined up only as replacements if they’re eligible for the next campaign. 

It’s not certain if La Salle’s Ben Mbala, the reigning two-time UAAP MVP, will play for the Archers. He has a year left of eligibility in the UAAP but it may be cancelled because of the limit of playing within seven years of high school graduation. The rule was suspended the last two seasons but will be restored unless it is repealed. Mbala left Manila for Cameroon last Sunday to spend the holidays with family but will be back next month.

Gamboa said Joe Lipa will remain PCCL commissioner. He mentioned that Filoil Flying V will be the main presentor and talks are ongoing for the branding of the tournament. The Elite Eight format will split the teams into two groups of four – Ateneo, Lyceum, UV and Naga College Foundation in one group while San Beda, La Salle, Holy Trinity and the NCR qualifier in the other. After a single round-robin, the top two finishers of each group advance to the crossover knockout semifinals with the survivors to dispute the championship.

Ateneo and FEU top the list of most NCC titles with three apiece since the PCCL started in 2002. UE, La Salle and San Beda have won two each and San Sebastian and UST, one each. San Beda and FEU were declared co-champions in the last NCC tournament in 2015 as organizers decided to cancel the final due to inclement weather. PCCL is a non-profit, SBP-accredited body which organizes the NCC and provides funding for travel and accommodations of provincial teams through sponsorships.