Cebu hosts Filoil Premier Cup preseason
MANILA, Philippines — Preseason action heads to Cebu for the first time when the eighth edition of the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup rolls off this month.
Boasting its biggest field yet, the tournament pits a total of 21 men’s basketball teams, including four provincial squads, starting April 23 at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
“This year, we are continuing [the league’s] expansion by not only adding new teams but also taking the games out of town,” said tournament director Joey Guillermo.
UAAP champion La Salle and University of the East will see action in Cebu from May 22 to 25 against Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champion University of Visayas, University of San Carlos and Southwestern University.
“If the provincial teams are excited to play in Manila, the Manila schools are also excited to show what they can do in Cebu,” said La Salle team manager Raffy Villavicencio.
Holy Trinity College of General Santos City along with National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (Naascu) titlist Centro Escolar U and St. Clare College will also debut in the tournament.
“We will be able to gauge the competitiveness of our team against other teams, especially those belonging to the big collegiate leagues like the NCAA and UAAP,” said UV coach and former PBA cager Felix Belano.
Coach Pol Torrijos said his HTC Wildcats, the first school from Mindanao to compete in the summer tournament, will field the core of the team that bagged the regional crown in the 2012 and 2013 Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL).
“It will be a gauge not only for our team but also for our program,” said Torrijos.
