Top NCAA cagers collide in first-ever All-Star game

MANILA, Philippines – The NCAA cream of the crop will battle it out on August 16 when the league holds its first-ever All-Star Game in its 90-year history at The Arena in San Juan City.

NCAA Management Committee chairman Paul Supan of Season 90 host Jose Rizal has divided the schools into two teams: the East and the West All-Stars.

The East will be composed of top players from San Beda, Perpetual Help, Arellano University, San Sebastian and Jose Rizal while the West will be made up of College of St. Benilde, Emilio Aguinaldo, Letran, Mapua and Lyceum cagers.

Among the best players of the East are San Beda's Baser Amer and Arthur dela Cruz, San Sebastian's Bradwyn Guinto and Perpetual Help's Earl Scottie Thompson, Harold Arboleda and Juneric Baloria, while the West will be spearheaded by Letran's Kevin Racal and Mark Cruz, Lyceum's Joseph Gabayni and St. Benilde's Mark Romero and Juan Paulo Taha.

The East's other members are Arellano's Prince Caperal, Isiah Ciriacruz and John Pinto, San Sebastian's Jaymar Perez and Jovit dela Cruz, Jose Rizal's Philip Paniamogan, Michael Mabulac and Bernabe Teodoro and San Beda's Kyle Pascual.

EAC's Jack Arquero, John Tayongtong and Jan Jamon, St. Benilde's Roberto Bartolo, Mapua's Jeson Cantos, Jessie Saitana and Andrew Estrella, Lyceum's Shane Ko and Dexter Zamora and Letran's Rey Nambatac.

The East will be coached by San Beda's Boyet Fernandez while the West by Letran's Caloy Garcia.

And it's for a cause.

"We'll have kids from Hospicio de San Jose as guests and beneficiary. Portions of proceeds will also go to NCAA players in the national team and the NCAA personnel assistance fund," said Supan.