NCAA stages first All-Star game; East faces West

LETRAN’S Rey Nambatac (middle) and the Perpetual pair of Juneric Baloria (left) and Earl Thomnson will occupy different sides of today’s NCAA All-Star game. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

The country’s oldest collegiate league showcases its finest talents this season when East meets West in the first NCAA All-Star game today at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Selected by the league’s coaches, the East will be composed of top players from San Beda, Perpetual Help, Arellano University, San Sebastian and Jose Rizal with San Beda’s Boyet Fernandez as coach.

Mentored by Letran’s Caloy Garcia, the West will comprise of stars from College of St. Benilde, Emilio Aguinaldo, Letran, Mapua and Lyceum.

Listed in the East lineup are San Beda’s Baser Amer and Arthur dela Cruz, San Sebastian’s Bradwyn Guinto and Perpetual Help’s Earl Scottie Thompson, Harold Arboleda and Juneric Baloria who leads the league in scoring.

Arellano’s Prince Caperal, Isaiah Ciriacruz and John Pinto, San Sebastian’s Jaymar Perez and Jovit dela Cruz, Jose Rizal’s Philip Paniamogan, Michael Mabulac and Bernabe Teodoro and San Beda’s Kyle Pascual complete the East squad.

The West will be spearheaded by Letran’s Kevin Racal and Mark Cruz, Lyceum’s Joseph Gabayni and St. Benilde’s Mark Romero and Juan Paulo Taha. Also part of the West squad are EAC’s Jack Arquero, John Tayongtong and Jan Jamon, St. Benilde’s Roberto Bartolo, Mapua’s Jeson Cantos, Jessie Saitanan and Andrew Estrella, Lyceum’s Shane Ko and Dexter Zamora and Letran’s Rey Nambatac.

Proceeds of the showcase will benefit Hospicio de San Jose.