NINE universities will see action in men’s basketball when the 33rd season of the Baguio – Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL) formally opens October 4 with Cordillera Career Development College (CCDC) as host.
With Kings College of the Philippines earlier filing for a leave of absence in the BBEAL, University of the Philippines (UP) – Baguio will also skip the men’s basketball competition according to CCDC athletic director Eduardo Laureno.
“KCP has filed their leave of absence while UP will not join the basketball competition,” he quipped.
University of Baguio Cardinals will be the team to beat this year seeking another title retention bid when competition proper starts October 5, a day after the opening program.
Also in the hunt for the crown are Saint Louis University Navigators who stunned the field last year after marching to the finals only to get sweep by the Cardinals in two games.
Season 31 champion University of the Cordilleras Jaguars and Baguio College of Technology Atoms will also be among the favorites with Philippine Military Academy and host CCDC Admirals.
Other competing universities are Baguio Central University Eagles, Benguet State University Wildcats, and Pines City Colleges Warriors.
Laureno also announced Danny Soria will supervise both the men and women’s basketball competition in a round robin format with the top four teams advancing to the semis in a bid to make the competition more exciting.
“Sayang naman yung isang taong pinaghandaan ng mga teams kung apat o tatlong laro lang sa eliminations. Kaya naisip naming gawing single round robin. All nine teams will be playing one another,” he said.
In the past two seasons, BBEAL teams were bracketed into two with the top three in each bracket advancing to the next round in a step ladder format.
Laureano added accredited referees from the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas will officiate the games.
“We have not asked any group to officiate but what we want is that basketball referees should be members of the SBP,” he said.
Aside from the centerpiece basketball tournament, the 33rd BBEAL will have eight other sports event to be played in the first semester.
Laureano added archery, badminton, baseball, chess, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, and wushu will all be played in the first semester while 10 other sports will see action in the second phase of the competition including the men’s and women’s volleyball.