THE Cebu Greats will start their 2026 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) season against the Rizal Xentro Mall Golden Coolers on Friday, April 10, at 5 p.m.
The game will be played at the Alonte Sports Complex.
The Cebu team made big changes to its lineup during the offseason to improve teamwork and compete better against stronger teams.
New players include Brian Heruela, Emman Calo, and Simon Camacho.
Veteran Cebuano player Dondon Hontiveros will also return to play. He is currently an assistant coach but will suit up alongside his son, Ice Hontiveros.
Some players from last season are also back, including JR Quinahan, Jun Manzo, Paul Desiderio, Alvin Baetion, Brylle Ivan Meca, and Mark Meneses.
More new players have joined the team, such as Andrey Armenion, Ron Dennison, Gab Dagangon, Kint Ariar, Dhon Reverente, and Wowie Escosio.
Team manager Jhon Santos said more players may still be added.
“We still have three more, but we can’t reveal them yet,” Santos said.
Each team in the league can have up to 22 players.
In another opening-day game at 7 p.m., host Biñan will face the GenSan Warriors, led by Cebuano player Nic Cabanero.
Games will also be held at the Caloocan Sports Complex. The San Juan Knights will take on the Pasay Voyagers, while Batang Kankaloo will battle the Quezon City Black Bulls.
The MPBL season uses a round-robin format, where teams play against each other. The top teams will move on to the playoffs.
The best teams from the North and South divisions will meet in a best-of-seven finals to decide the 2026 champion. / JBM