UAAP uses game video to decide disputed calls

MANILA, Philippines - The UAAP will follow the lead of the NBA and the PBA in allowing a video review in cases of contested calls on out-of-bounds situations at crunchtime in the league’s Season 75 basketball competitions which unfolds July 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“In the last two minutes of the game, if there’s a challenge on tap-outs, there will be a video review just like in the NBA and PBA,” UAAP Season 75 secretary-treasurer Junel Baculi of host National U said during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Ave.

The new rule on video review was among the rules and regulations that the board of trustees adopted during a recent meeting.

The board, according to Baculi, also decided to hold a break in its junior basketball competitions next month to give way to concerned players’ stint with the national team in the Fiba Asia Under-18 championship slated Aug. 17-26 in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.

“The UAAP board of trustees allowed some players of the UAAP to join the U-18 team of coach Olsen Racela. We’ve allowed them to go during the qualifying (SEABA tourney last week) and we’ll allow them to go with the team from Aug. 17-26 in Mongolia.

“We’ll be temporarily suspending our junior competitions to give way to the request of the national team,” said Baculi.

NU is preparing a grand opening for Season 75, highlighted by a colorful lights and sounds show at the new MOA Arena’s two wrap-around LEDs.

Action immediately commences after the hour-long kickoff with host Bulldogs, fresh from winning the Filoil Pre-season Cup, battling University of the East at 2 p.m. followed by the showdown between contenders University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University.

“We just promise to give our best,” said NU ace Bobby Ray Parks Jr. who also attended the forum along with teammate Ajit Singh and UST’s Jeric Fortuna.

“I know we accomplished a lot in the pre-season but the UAAP is a different thing altogether so we have to be fully ready,” added Parks, last season’s MVP.

Fortuna expressed high hopes for the Tigers, who will bring back its 2011 cast and re-enter two players missing from last season, Clark Bautista and Aljon Mariano.

“We’ve been together for at least two years already so I guess that would be our advantage. I think we’ll have a big chance this year to reach the finals,” said Fortuna, adding they gained experience from playing for Blackwater in the PBA D-League.

All four guests in the weekly forum tagged four-time reigning titlist Ateneo as the team to beat again.

“Of course, it will still be Ateneo. They’re the defending champions, they’ve won it four straight times and they’re going for their fifth straight. But I’m sure all the other universities are preparing very hard to topple the No. 1 squad,” said Baculi.