CEU Scorpions team to watch in UCBL Season 4

MANILA, Philippines — Based on experience, from the head coach down to the players, Centro Escolar University may well be the center of attraction in the fourth sesason of the Universities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL).

At the helm of the team is Derrick Pumaren, a seasoned coach in the amateur and professional ranks, where he won two titles with Sunkist in the PBA in 1995. He will handle a team that sees action in the PBA D-League, where the Scorpions have proven their worth against commercial teams.

The Scorpions will rely on a handful of D-League veterans led by Fran Diaz and Dave Bernabe, and 6-foot-11 Maodomalick Diouf from Senegal.

On paper, the 2019 D-League runner-up is the team to watch, considering the defending champion, Diliman College, is parading a lineup with eight rookies. Olivarez College, last year’s runner-up, is another serious contender for the new UCBL season that unfolds Sept. 5 at the Olivarez College Gym in Parañaque.

“It’s still Diliman or Olivarez,” said Pumaren as he tried to downplay their chances during yesterday’s press conference at H20 Hotel to drum up the fourth season of the league that has eight participating teams.

Deep inside, however, Pumaren must like his chances.

Also out to crowd the favorites are Technological Institute of the Philippines, Lyceum of the Philippines-Batangas, University of Batangas, Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas, Cavite and National College of Business and Arts, a newcomer.

Franklin Evidente, UCBL president, and Horacio Lim, tournament director, graced the press launch together with the head coaches of the participating teams.

Evidente is upbeat about the new UCBL season, and takes pride in saying that all matches, with regular triple-bills on Mondays and Thursdays, will be aired on Solar Sports.

Seeing action on opening day are PCU-D against returning University of Batangas at 1 p.m. and Olivarez against CEU in an early clash among the favorites at 3 p.m.

Lim said the eight teams will play a single-round robin with seven matches per team in the prelims. If necessary, Game 3 of the best-of-three finals will be played Nov. 14.

Due to the country’s hosting of the SEA Games from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, Evidente said the UCBL is speeding things up because the SEA Games organizers are making sure that no other league will be ongoing while the SEA Games is on.