WHILE all eyes will be on defending champion La Salle, six other teams are out to hit the bullseye off the back of the Green Archers in the PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup starting tomorrow at the Ynares Sports Arena.
“Not just La Salle, San Beda, and Letran because the other collegiate teams are also beefing up their lineups,” PBA Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro said yesterday in the Philippine Sportswriters Association forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“Magaganda ang games natin because it’s the team’s way of developing their players in preparation for their respective mother leagues,” he added.
Now under coach Topex Robinson, EcoOil-La Salle launches its bid for a second straight crown against Centro Escolar University at 4 p.m.
Newcomer Philippine Sports Performance Fitness gym tackles Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda University in the match kicking off the developmental league’s new season at 2 o’clock.
The Archers won it all last year after beating the Skippers in three grueling games in the Big Dance.
Also seeing action in the tilt are defending three-time NCAA titlist Wang’s Basketball-Letran, AMA Online, and Perpetual Help.
All games will be shown live on One Sports and PBA Rush, and to be played at Ynares Pasig and FilOil-EcoOil Centre every Tuesday and Thursday.
All seven teams will play a single round robin, with the top two reaching the semifinals outright.
The third and fourth-ranked squads will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against the No. 5 and No. 6 quintets in the crossover quarterfinals.
Both the semis and finals are best-of-three stiffs.
Castro said the D-League will only have one conference this year and in 2024.
“For now, based sa calendar natin entering the 48th season with two conferences of the PBA, we’ll have one D-League conference by 2024,” he said.
