Cebu teams take on Manila squads with PCCL 'Elite 8' spots at stake

Two collegiate teams from the basketball powerhouse province of Cebu will try to advance into the "Elite 8" when they meet separate opponents Saturday in the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) at The Arena in San Juan City. Nine-time reigning CESAFI champion University of the Visayas collides with wild-card entrant Mapua in the 4 p.m. main game after runner-up University of Cebu meets UAAP second placer University of the East in the 2 p.m. curtain raiser. The winners will join Far Eastern U, San Beda, Letran and Ateneo in the next phase of the tournament which will decide this year's national champion. The Green Lancers of coach Boy Cabahug will rely once more on 6-foot-11 Filipino-American Greg Slaughter, who won his second straight CESAFI most valuable player award. UV, the only team that has won the crown since the league was launched in 2001, is hoping to improve from its early elimination to University of the East last season. Since the PCCL was launched in 2002, the Green Lancers took home third place honors twice and placed second to Ateneo two years ago. But in order to reach the next phase, they will have to hurdle the Cardinals, who reached the Sweet 16 through the zonal phase behind Allan Mangahas’ shooting. Meanwhile, the Rhoel Gomez-coached Webmasters entered this phase by virtue of the Cebu zonals after placing second to UV in the CESAFI finals. Fans in the metropolis will finally get a personal view of UC’s 6-foot-9 star June Mar Fajardo, who is being eyed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to join the Smart Gilas national team. But they are expected to have a hard time against the Red Warriors, who forced Ateneo to the limit before losing the UAAP crown in three full games. UE coach Lawrence Chongson will rely heavily on Paul Lee and Pari Llagas as the Warriors might play minus old reliables Elmer Espiritu, Val Acuña, Rudy Lingganay and Toto Bandaying. Espiritu and Acuña have already signed up with the Philippine Patriots in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) although both are still in the country awaiting their home game against the Thailand Tigers on Tuesday. However, Lingganay and Bandaying appear to be a long shot as both are now based in Malaysia suiting up for the ABL's Kuala Lumpur Dragons. – GMANews.TV