The stage is set for powerhouse teams College of Saint Benilde and De La Salle University to test their new recruits in the off-season as they vie for the title in the Pinoyliga NEXT MAN cUP set to begin this month.
Now in its third season, the tournament will be the stage for the highly touted high-flying guard SJ Moore of the Blazers to showcase his talent for his new team.
The 6-foot-2 Moore spent his freshman year at University of Santo Tomas in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) but saw little action.
After he got his release, Saint Benilde picked up Moore and will play in Season 101 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after a one-year residency.
As for the Green Archers, they will be deep in talent for the next two years as they bolstered their unit with top prospects in guards Jacob Cortez and Kean Baclaan as well as big men Luis Pablo and Mason Amos.
Cortez helped San Beda University win the NCAA Season 99 title, while Baclaac, Pablo, and Amos all suited up in the UAAP for National University, University of the Philippines, and Ateneo de Manila University, respectively.
Head coach Charles Tiu led Saint Benilde to the NEXT MAN cUP Season 2 last March after beating La Salle in a one-game championship match.
Also in the mix is San Beda, which has stacked its roster with Filipino-American recruits and US NCAA Division 2 players in Jimmy Reyes, Janti Miller, and Xavier Gantles while Ateneo will also test its recruit in Kymani Ladi.
“The NEXT MAN cUP is a celebration of talent in the college basketball space,” said Pinoyliga tournament director Benny Benitez, who also heads the league organizing team Pride Edge Marketing.
“With the movement of players, transferring from one school to another, others even looking outside the country for talent, our third season promises to be an exciting one."