THE Cebu City Sharks added much-needed firepower for their second season in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) after officially signing former pro and fan favorite Eliud Poligrates in the off season.

“We can’t discuss the details of the contract as of now but he’s definitely on board. We expect him to help the team in a big way,” Omega Pro Sports International (Opsi) vice president Jerome Calatrava told SunStar Cebu.

Calatrava said the Sharks team released some of their players to make way for new ones. The team will be built around Poligrates, Patrick Cabahug and some of the other key players in the Sharks’ playoff run in the Datu Cup.

The Cebu City Sharks finished as the eighth seed in the South Division but lost to eventual runner-up Davao Occidental in the first round. The team was without its star, Cabahug, who was sidelined with an ankle injury.

Calatrava said they will announce soon the other players that they have signed for the upcoming season.

The 31-year-old Poligrates is a former Southwestern University standout. He made a name for himself playing in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) with his flashy ball handling skills.

He was drafted in the PBA by the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters in 2013 as the 27th pick overall. He played 44 games in the PBA for the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters, Air 21 and Kia. He averaged 4.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes of action. (EKA)