Dominate Visayas?
Bleacher Talk
November 9, 2008
Dominate Visayas?
Cebu has always boasted that it’s the hotbed of basketball south of Manila. But if it’s a real dominance over the rest of our neighbors in Visayas and Mindanao, this will have to cover all levels of basketball.
At the higher level of basketball, Cebu is virtually unstoppable. The M. Lhuillier ballclub has always been tops in the semi pro circuit, representing Cebu in the Liga Plipinas and their previous leagues such as the MVBA and URBL. At the collegiate level, the University of the Visayas has always been tagged as the top collegiate team in the Vismin and is even considered a threat to the top teams of the UAAP and NCAA. We’re not counting the PBA and PBL here since these are more national in scope. But I’d like to see M. Lhuillier take their action to this level (this makes another story).
The Central Visayas has also been our domain in the Palarong Pambansa even if we suffered a glitch when Bohol defeated Cebu City in the high school division of the CVIRAA 2008 games. Cebu’s grade school team, though has always been CVIRAA’s official grade school representative in the Palaro almost every year.
So what else is there to conquer? Is there another level which we have or have not dominated with regularity so far? Don’t look now but the developmental youth sector is something we’ll need to work on.
This is the age group for 14 and 11 year old boys that are identified with the BEST Center. For reference, this is a notch below the high school or juniors division. The BEST Center has organized its twin Passerelle and Small Basketeers Philippines tournament for the past 23 years with Milo as its main sponsor. This is why it’s also more popularly known as the Milo BEST tournament. It’s the longest running and most popular tournament for the youth which is also nationwide in scope.
At present, two Cebu-based schools are fighting it out in the Visayas Regional Finals of the tournament being held in Bacolod City. The University of San Carlos North Campus (USC NC) is playing in the SBP division, while Sacred Heart School-Jesuit (SHS-J) is carrying Cebu’s colors in the Passerelle division. USC NC is up against Bacolod Tay Tung School, Ateneo de Iloilo and Filamer Christian School of Roxas. SHS-J is battling the challenge of Ateneo de Iloilo, St. John’s Institute of Bacolod and the College of St. John of Roxas.
Cebu has made trips to the Milo BEST Tournament’s Visayas Finals every year but dominating it has not been an easy task. USC South Campus was a consistent Cebu SBP champion in the past and has even won the Visayas leg. SHS-J won the Visayas leg last year but fell short in the national finals.
In the Passerelle division, USC North has consistently been a Cebu champ also in the past, while SHS-J has won the last two editions of the Cebu leg. But again, winning the Visayas trophy has become a daunting task.
So what gives? Are Bacolod and Iloilo much better than us? Are we ill-prepared? For now, it’s safe to say that the level of competition is dead even among Cebu, Iloilo and Roxas. Unless of course we score a double SBP/Passerelle championship. And it’s something that could happen this afternoon.
But it won’t be easy. Both teams faced a grueling two-day schedule of playing two games per day yesterday and today, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Their last elimination round game will be played this morning while the championship will have to be won this afternoon. In a span of just 48 hours, a Visayas champion will be determined, and head off to Iloilo in two weeks time.
If we are to dominate the Visayas, the first thing that must take place is the elevation of the competition at the local level. Only if all our teams are strong will we be sure of winning the Visayas leg as the real challenge will come from among our own lot. USC NC was challenged by Don Bosco in the Cebu SBP finals while SHS-J had some tough games against USC NC in the Passerelle finals and UC in the elimination round. The big question is if all these were enough to strengthen both USC NC and SHS-J.
It’s rather tough to put this kind of pressure on 14 and 12 year old kids. How I wish we didn’t have to do it. But for Cebu to dominate the Visayas, I guess it has to be done.
November 9, 2008
Dominate Visayas?
Cebu has always boasted that it’s the hotbed of basketball south of Manila. But if it’s a real dominance over the rest of our neighbors in Visayas and Mindanao, this will have to cover all levels of basketball.
At the higher level of basketball, Cebu is virtually unstoppable. The M. Lhuillier ballclub has always been tops in the semi pro circuit, representing Cebu in the Liga Plipinas and their previous leagues such as the MVBA and URBL. At the collegiate level, the University of the Visayas has always been tagged as the top collegiate team in the Vismin and is even considered a threat to the top teams of the UAAP and NCAA. We’re not counting the PBA and PBL here since these are more national in scope. But I’d like to see M. Lhuillier take their action to this level (this makes another story).
The Central Visayas has also been our domain in the Palarong Pambansa even if we suffered a glitch when Bohol defeated Cebu City in the high school division of the CVIRAA 2008 games. Cebu’s grade school team, though has always been CVIRAA’s official grade school representative in the Palaro almost every year.
So what else is there to conquer? Is there another level which we have or have not dominated with regularity so far? Don’t look now but the developmental youth sector is something we’ll need to work on.
This is the age group for 14 and 11 year old boys that are identified with the BEST Center. For reference, this is a notch below the high school or juniors division. The BEST Center has organized its twin Passerelle and Small Basketeers Philippines tournament for the past 23 years with Milo as its main sponsor. This is why it’s also more popularly known as the Milo BEST tournament. It’s the longest running and most popular tournament for the youth which is also nationwide in scope.
At present, two Cebu-based schools are fighting it out in the Visayas Regional Finals of the tournament being held in Bacolod City. The University of San Carlos North Campus (USC NC) is playing in the SBP division, while Sacred Heart School-Jesuit (SHS-J) is carrying Cebu’s colors in the Passerelle division. USC NC is up against Bacolod Tay Tung School, Ateneo de Iloilo and Filamer Christian School of Roxas. SHS-J is battling the challenge of Ateneo de Iloilo, St. John’s Institute of Bacolod and the College of St. John of Roxas.
Cebu has made trips to the Milo BEST Tournament’s Visayas Finals every year but dominating it has not been an easy task. USC South Campus was a consistent Cebu SBP champion in the past and has even won the Visayas leg. SHS-J won the Visayas leg last year but fell short in the national finals.
In the Passerelle division, USC North has consistently been a Cebu champ also in the past, while SHS-J has won the last two editions of the Cebu leg. But again, winning the Visayas trophy has become a daunting task.
So what gives? Are Bacolod and Iloilo much better than us? Are we ill-prepared? For now, it’s safe to say that the level of competition is dead even among Cebu, Iloilo and Roxas. Unless of course we score a double SBP/Passerelle championship. And it’s something that could happen this afternoon.
But it won’t be easy. Both teams faced a grueling two-day schedule of playing two games per day yesterday and today, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Their last elimination round game will be played this morning while the championship will have to be won this afternoon. In a span of just 48 hours, a Visayas champion will be determined, and head off to Iloilo in two weeks time.
If we are to dominate the Visayas, the first thing that must take place is the elevation of the competition at the local level. Only if all our teams are strong will we be sure of winning the Visayas leg as the real challenge will come from among our own lot. USC NC was challenged by Don Bosco in the Cebu SBP finals while SHS-J had some tough games against USC NC in the Passerelle finals and UC in the elimination round. The big question is if all these were enough to strengthen both USC NC and SHS-J.
It’s rather tough to put this kind of pressure on 14 and 12 year old kids. How I wish we didn’t have to do it. But for Cebu to dominate the Visayas, I guess it has to be done.
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