UE, La Salle, San Beda, Letran banner 9th Filoil Flying V opening

MANILA, Philippines – The ninth Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup formally gets underway on Saturday, April 26, when the men’s division finally sees action in the country’s top preseason collegiate basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Arena of San Juan.

Last year’s NCAA Finals protagonists San Beda College and Letran battle it out at 2 p.m. while Filoil defending champion the University of the East takes on reigning UAAP champion De La Salle University at 4 p.m.

The Lions will miss Rome De La Rosa, who has graduated, but head coach Boyet Fernandez hopes that Javee Mocon, a star with their junior champions, will fill that void. Another former Red Cub moving up to the seniors is point guard Ranbill Tongco, who will add depth to the position already manned by Baser Amer, Ryusei Koga and Ivan Ludovice.

The Knights will be hard-pressed to fill the void left by key players, including last year’s NCAA Most Valuable Player Raymond Almazan, power forward Jonathan Belorio and point guard Franz Dysam.

The Warriors, meanwhile, will be without familiar faces in the graduated team captain Adrian Santos, JR Sumido, Ralf Olivares, JM Noble, Jai Flores, and Lord Casajeros as well as head coach Boysie Zamar. Shoring up UE’s depleted frontline is 6’6” Cameroonian center Moustaph Arafat, who will back up Charles Mammie.

The Recto-based squad will likewise parade new coach Derrick Pumaren, who will be on the job for two weeks when they tip off against the Green Archers.

The Archers have only lost LA Revilla to the pros but will have talented newcomers like Abu Tratter, Julian Sargent, Terrence Mustre and Prince Rivero on hand to extend La Salle’s UAAP reign.

Other seniors squads seeing action on Saturday are the San Sebastian Stags, who will play the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at 9:30 a.m.

The Far Eastern University Tamaraws will take on the Mapua Cardinals, who will return to the summer tournament after a one-year sabbatical at 11:15.

Tickets to the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup are available at all SM TicketNet outlets as well as the game venue.

The preseason collegiate basketball tournament is sponsored by Filoil, Flying V, Total, Hanes, Timex, Starmobile, San Miguel Corporation, Meralco, BDO, Silverworks, Gatorade, Gerry’s Grill, Reyes Barbecue, LGR, Brothers Burger, BPI, PBCom, Molten, CDO, Bayo, Douwe Egberts, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oxycan, Red Logo and Bacchus.