MANILA, Philippines — Regional hoops return on Easter Sunday as Sportsclick AsiaBasket International Championship begins at the Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA) Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
Slated from April 9 to 18, ten clubs will vie in the summer international organized by Filbasket, led by President Jai Reyes.
The roster of teams are bannered by two local collegiate teams from the NCAA including Season 98 runners-up College of St. Benilde Blazers and the San Beda Red Lions.
Tipped to make waves in the international tourney is Filipino squad Shawarma Shack Pilipinas, who will employ 3x3 stars Ken Bono and Mike Harry Nzeusseu.
Also playing for them are Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League veterans James Martinez, Nikki Monteclaro, and RJ Deles.
Th3rd Floor-KalosPH Cooly brings in the star power as former reality show mainstay Gerald Anderson leads the way with six-foot-nine beanpole Ladis Lepalm.
Sanzar Pharmaceuticals will see three former NCAA players in Shaq Alanes, Jeremiah Taladua, and 6-foot-10 Cameroonian center Hamadou Laminou.
Fil-Am guard Jameel McGill will also be on tap as the team's ASEAN heritage import.
Each club in the tournament is allowed to sign one ASEAN heritage import, and two World Imports.
Rounding up the Filipino teams are the MFT Fruitmasters and the BGC Builders.
San Beda star Francis Abarcar features for MFT while the Builders are led by former ASEAN Basketball League stars JR Cawaling, Patrick Cabahug and Gino Jumao-As.
The Fruitmasters made most of the allotment for imports, though, as they have signed former PBA imports Liam McMorrow and Arizona Reid.
Three Malaysian teams are set to defend homecourt against the visiting Filipinos, headlined by the Malaysian National Team led by Ting Chun Hong.
Harimau Malaysia will be using the regional tiff as part of their build-up for the upcoming 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia next month.
MBC Kirin will feature a Malaysian core but will also be reinforced by Thai player Wutipong Dasom and American reinforcement William Vedder Freeman.
Rounding up the local teams is KL Aseel who will be bringing in NCAA champion Louie Sangalang from the Letran Knights and American Jalen Robinson to backstop their campaign.
Filipino mentor Kristoffer Reyes will oversee KL Aseel for the tiff.
The Sportsclick AsiaBasket International Championship begins with a doubleheader on Easter Sunday with Sanzar battling Shawarma Shack in the first game at 5 p.m. and MBC taking on The Th3rd Floor in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
CSB will then debut in the tournament on Tuesday, opening a quadruple-header at 2 p.m. against Sanzar even as the other five teams also open their campaigns on the said day: BGC versus San Beda at 4 p.m., Harimau Malaysia against MFT at 6 p.m., and KL debuting against MBC Kirin at 8 p.m.
The top two teams per group after the round robin phase will clash in the crossover semis on April 16 with the winners going to the April 18 final.
A consolation game for third place will be first played on April 18 between the two losing semifinalists before the championship game.