THE Cebu City Inter-Collegiate Invitational basketball tournament gets underway Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, with the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors facing the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars at the Cebu City Sports Institute Gym in Sawang Calero.
Three teams from Manila will be seeing action in the tournament. These are the University of Perpetual Help Delta System Altas, St. Benilde College, and the Adamson University Soaring Falcons.
Rocky Alcoseba, commissioner of the five-day competition, clarified that games involving Manila-based teams will begin on Friday yet.
“The Manila teams will arrive on Aug. 21, so to stay on schedule, we decided to let USC and USJ-R play first on Aug. 20,” Alcoseba said in an interview with Cebu sportswriters.
The Warriors-Jaguars matchup is scheduled for 8 p.m.
On the same day, the Visayas G-Hoops Season 1 basketball tournament will also kick off at the same venue.
According to Alcoseba, who also co-founded G-Hoops, the grassroots-based tournament will hold its 15-under and 12-under division games in the morning until September, while the inter-collegiate games will take place in the afternoon until Aug. 25.
Alcoseba said that integrating G-Hoops into the weeklong basketball showcase is aimed at giving young players consistent exposure to high-level competition, while offering basketball fans in Cebu a mix of grassroots and elite collegiate action.
“We organized this for the kids. It’s one way for them to improve through consistent exposure and tournaments. The more games they play, the more experience they gain and the more guidance they get from coaches. That’s our vision for G-Hoops,” Alcoseba said.
He added that the event also helps promote sports tourism, with participating teams coming not only from Cebu City but also from Ormoc, Tacloban, Bohol, and various municipalities in Cebu Province.
Local teams from Abellana National School and Gothong High School will also be joining.
More than 20 teams are expected to compete across the two divisions.
In the 15-under category, Pool A includes the Guadalupe Guardians, OCCCI Sheer Masters, Young Ballers Club, and Well Family Clinic-Guadalupe, while Pool B is composed of Apas National High School Falcons, WLC Baby Mustangs, CKBA, and Coach Ed’s One-on-One Basketball. Comprising the Pool C are Gothong Black Stallions, AVC Law Arkins, Youth Basketball Skills Development, and Abellana Chiefs.
In the 12-under division, Pool A includes Hoopster Training Camp, Coach Ed’s, and RJN Rodjoan, while Pool B features ARC Arkins, Angat Ka Hilongos, and Coach Cho X Young Ballers Club. / JBM