FIVE squads debut when the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup gets going with a 14-team field starting this Thursday at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Four of the five new squads will field school-based rosters in the developmental tournament where Blackwater Sports will vie for back-to-back championships.
Banco de Oro (National University), Derulo Accelero Oilers (University of the Philippines), Air21 (Arellano) and Zambales M-Builders (Trinity University) all linked up with schools in their maiden run as Wang’s Basketball Team rounds out the new teams.
Bent on extending its reign, Blackwater recently played in Cebu for a series of tune-up games against commercial team M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala and collegiate squads Southwestern University and University of San Carlos.
The Elite bagged their first crown last conference after a surprise Finals sweep of the NLEX Road Warriors, who have dominated since the inaugural season with four straight titles.
NLEX, though, thinks it will be among the underdogs as it goes school-based for the first time after years of parading virtual all-star teams.
The Road Warriors forged a tie-up with NCAA champion San Beda following the departure of several key cogs led by Greg Slaughter and RR Garcia, who signed up for the PBA Rookie Draft.
Boracay Rum, meanwhile, emerged as an early favorite after acquiring Filipino-Italian guard Chris Banchero in the league’s first Draft last month.
Banchero became the No. 1 pick just months after winning the Finals MVP in San Miguel Beer’s championship romp in the Asean Basketball League (ABL).
Other teams seeing action this season are Big Chill, Cebuana Lhuillier, Café France, Cagayan Valley, Hog’s Breath and Jumbo Plastic.
Teams will battle in a single-round eliminations where the the top two teams will earn outright semifinal berths, while the next four clash in the quarterfinals.