EXPECT fireworks to hit the hardcourt when the University of Baguio-Victory Liner squares off against the Saint Louis University-Magnolia for the championship of the National Basketball Training Center Inter-City Tournament.

Fresh from behind win, SLU-Magnolia is expected to go all out on the offensive end while the UB-Victory Liner is set to refocus on its defense.

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It will also be a shoot-out for both squads in the offensive ends as the two teams boast of high three point shooting percentages.

Expected to lead the charges for the UB squad are Carlo John Siobal and Ian Bernal plus their support crew in Gerard Banta and Patrick Paralag.

SLU, on the other hand, will be bannered by Tyrone Mendoza and is expected to draw support from Roben Baltazar, Charlton Trinidad and their hardworking bench players.

Saint Louis is coming from a three game winning streak including a 78-76 squeaker against University of Baguio during Sunday's game at the CCDC gymnasium in La Trinidad in the 18 and under basketball tournament backed by San Miguel Pure Foods Company (SMPFC) and telecommunication giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) unit Smart Communications and Burlington.

The winner will represent the city in the regional finals in the form of a pocket tournament in which the list will be whittled down to 24 teams, with 12 from Luzon, six from the Visayas and six from Mindanao.

This will feature 480 players and 72 coaches. This will be held from March to April 2010 for Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

The much-awaited highlight is the national finals, which will showcase the eight winners of the regional finals in a four-day pocket tournament set tentatively in May.

Two national crowns are at stake making the tournament even more competitive as the league field has grown to 108 teams from a humble start of only 29 clubs backed by commercial and local government units.

The national finals will feature four teams from the NCR contesting the NCR title and eight teams from the provinces battling it out for the national title in the tournament envisioned to be a feeder program for varsity squads and teams catering to leagues such as the UAAP, NCAA, Philippine Basketball League, Philippine Basketball Association and the Liga Pilipinas.

Extensive talent identification camps were conducted by the organizers to help participating teams determine the players who will join their rosters in the ongoing Nokia National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) D-League.