Eligibility of UP’s 6-5 US rookie challenged

ONLY the eligibility of an American rookie from the University of the Philippines stands in question just a week before the UAAP men’s basketball tournament fires off.

Matthew Ball, a 6-foot-5 rookie from Canyon High School in California, has yet to complete the documents the league requires from foreign students.

“He can play but they (Maroons) have to take the risk of their games getting forfeited if they cannot present the documents on time,” said league president Nilo Ocampo after yesterday’s meeting at the MOA Arena Annex Building.

Ball has yet to submit a certificate of live birth duly authenticated by the consular office of the Philippine embassy in the United States and an Alien Certificate of Registration.

“They have the whole of first round to complete his papers,” said league secretary-treasurer Junel Baculi. “But if they want to play safe, they can just line him up and not field him.”

Unlike previous seasons, the league only has a lean seven-player cast of foreigners that includes Far Eastern U’s Christian Sentcheu (Cameroonian) and Anthony Hargrove (American), National U’s Henri Atanga Betayene and Emmanuel Mbe (Cameroonians), UP’s Alinko Mbah (Nigerian) and University of Santo Tomas’ Karim Abdul (Cameroonian).

All other six have passed the screening.

Season 75 kicks off on July 14 with host NU battling University of the East at 2 p.m., right after a one-hour opening rite at MOA Arena.

FEU clashes with UST at 4 p.m.

Ateneo open its bid for a fifth straight championship the next day against Adamson at 4 p.m., after the game between La Salle and UP.