14 teams slug it out for PSL second conference crown  

MANILA, Philippines — The Pilipinas Super League (PSL) returns to action with a bigger field of 14 teams when it rolls off its second conference Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Reigning champion Davao Occidental, which ruled the inaugural Pearl of the Orient Cup, headlines the stacked cast for the Pro Division Second Conference Dumper Cup with an expected strong resistance from all the other squads.

The strongest of them, as the coaches tagged, will be the Boracay Islanders led by ex-PBA players like Jayjay Helterbrand, Mac Cardona, KG Canaleta and Brian Faundo and celebrity-athlete Gerald Anderson.

“We have a lot of respect for Boracay. We know what they’re capable of. They’re gonna be competitive,” said Davao deputy coach Don Dulay, who has John Wilson, also an ex-pro, leading the team.

The Pampanga Giant Lanterns also loom as a challenger with Bicol Spicy Oragon, Pampanga Royce Hotel, Nueva Ecija Slashers, ARS Warriors (San Pedro), Batang Kankaloo (Caloocan), Cagayan De Oro-PSP, Manila Stars, Sta. Rosa Lions, Muntinlupa, Lakan Bulacan and host Quezon City Beacons vowing an all-out battle.

Each team is allowed to field one Filipino-foreign player (with a Philippine passport as requirement) with no height limit — adding spice to an anticipated wide open race for the PSL crown.

“Defending titlist Davao is still the barometer pero nandyan yung mga contender teams natin. We can’t discount anybody,” said PSL president Rocky Chan, who was joined by vice president Ray Alao, commissioner Marc Pingris and head of basketball operations Leo Isaac in the official presser.