THERE may be no team defending its crown, but competition is expected to remain tough when the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup unfolds Jan. 21 at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
“All teams are strong,” said coach Caloy Garcia of Caida Tiles (formerly Racal-KeraMix) as nine teams square off in the single round-robin eliminations of the pro league’s developmental tournament.
Hapee won’t be around to defend its title as the powerhouse squad opted to skip the season.
Caida and Tanduay Rhum kick off the action at 2 p.m., right after the opening ceremonies at 1 p.m.
School-based teams University of the Philippines-QRS/Jam Liner and BDO-National University tangle in the second game at 4 p.m.
Cafe France, the Foundation Cup champion also tipped as this conference’s favorite, gets its bid going against newcomer Mindanao Aguilas on Jan. 25.
Rounding out the field are AMA University Online Education, Phoenix Petroleum-Far Eastern University and Wangs Basketball.
The top four teams at the end of the elimination round will earn twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals.
Winners will advance to a best-of-three Final Four, while the title round will be a best-of-five affair.