MANILA, Philippines – The best of Manila headed by defending champion La Salle and reigning UAAP and NCAA titlists National University and San Beda invade Cebu as they take on the best of the region as the Elite Eight of the 2014 National Collegiate Championship unfolds Thursday at the Cebu City Coliseum.
La Salle, which topped last year's edition of this annual event organized by the Phl Collegiate Champions League, clash with recently crowned CESAFI champion Southwestern University at 5:15 p.m. followed by the 7 p.m. showdown between UAAP runner up Far Eastern University and University of San Carlos.
"Cebu college teams have a different style of play so we have to be ready to any scenario," said La Salle coach Juno Sauler, back from a long United States vacation, in Tuesday's press launch at the ABS-CBN's ELJ Bldg. in Quezon City.
The La Salle-SWU duel will be a rematch between last year's finals foes with the Archers sweeping the Cobras in two games although the latter beat the former in their previous meeting in the group stages the same year.
Making it more interesting is Ben Mbala, La Salle's incoming Cameroonian rookie who has undergone a two-year residency, will be facing a team he played for before relocating to Manila.
Sauler has been a beast in his first few games as he powered La Salle to topping the Metro Manila eliminations to barge into the Elite Eight.
"He's been doing well fitting with the team and he has nice attitude also," said Sauler of the 18-year-old Cameroonian.
Sauler also said they will go to Cebu with Jason Perkins, Arnold Van Opstal and Julius Sargent, who are on leave, and Almond Vosotros, Norbert Torres and Yutien Andrada, who are playing in the D-League.
San Beda, which swept Arellano last month to clinch a historic fifth straight NCAA title, in contrast, will go to Cebu with an intact line up minus coach Boyet Fernandez, who is now coaching NLEX in the PBA and was succeeded by Jamike Jarin.
"Coach Adonis Tierra will handle the team in the PCCL," said San Beda team manager Jude Roque.
Organizing PCCL chairman Rey Gamboa said the Elite Eight will be a first in the league's 12 years of existence.
"This is historic for collegiate basketball in Cebu because the best of Metro Manila will play the best in the South," said Gamboa.
Other elite eight teams are Arellano, FEU and University of Visayas.