Revealed August 31, 2025 5:15pm
Up to date August 31, 2025 5:15pm
The NCAA Season 101 males’s basketball video games will tip off on October 1 on the Good Araneta Coliseum with final yr’s Ultimate 4 squads colliding within the opening day showdowns.
Host and reigning champion Mapua College will kick off its title protection in opposition to its earlier Ultimate 4 foe in Lyceum of the Philippines College, whereas Season 100 finalist De La Salle-School of Saint Benilde will renew its brewing rivalry with San Beda College.
The double-header comes on the heels of the opening rites, marking the beginning of a brand new century in league historical past.
It additionally alerts a recent begin for the NCAA because the league formally introduces a brand new match format.
Beginning this season, all 10 groups can be divided into two teams of 5 with the Cardinals main Group A alongside the Pirates, College of Perpetual Assist System DALTA, San Sebastian School-Recoletos, and Arellano College.
Group B, touted by some because the ‘group of loss of life’, consists of perennial contenders San Beda, Benilde, and Colegio de San Juan de Letran along with rising squads Jose Rizal College and Emilio Aguinaldo School.
The highest three squads from every group will advance to the crossover quarterfinals, with the 2 greatest groups incomes twice-to-beat benefits. The underside two, in the meantime, will battle in a play-in match for the final playoff berth.
The identical format can be used within the juniors basketball match.
Mapua stays one of many favorites with graduating Clint Escamis nonetheless main the cost alongside holdovers JC Recto, Cyrus Cuenco, and Yam Concepcion. They are going to be joined by new faces Icee Callangan, Cyril Gonzales, and Cyrus Nitura.
The Pirates, in the meantime, can be with out two stars JM Bravo and Mclaude Guadaña with the likes of John Barba, Gyle Montaño, and Renz Villegas now on the forefront for the Gilbert Malabanan-helmed crew.
Within the different sport, each San Beda and Benilde goal to start out their redemption tour sturdy.
The Blazers will proceed banking on the core of reigning MVP Allen Liwag, Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez, and Gab Cometa along with incoming recruits Shawn Umali and SJ Moore as they appear to eclipse their finals look final yr.
The Crimson Lions, however, will parade an intact core led by Yukien Andrada, Nygel Gonzales, Richi Calimag, Penny Estacio, Bismarck Lina, Jomel Puno, Joe Celzo, and Bryan Sajonia.
Following the opening day, Perpetual and San Sebastian, which each missed the Ultimate 4 final yr, will lock horns on October 3 adopted by the Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Jose Rizal College match-up.
Mapua and Benilde will return to motion immediately on October 4, Saturday, by squaring off with Arellano College and Emilio Aguinaldo School, respectively. LPU and San Beda will even have their second style of motion on October 5, Sunday, in opposition to San Sebastian and JRU to wrap up the opening week.
—JKC, GMA Built-in Information
