Batangas City welcomes the return of Mon Rogado and Adrian Santos as they shore up the Tanduay-backed Athletics when the inaugural champions visit and face the Bataan Risers in the main game of the MPBL Datu Cup at the People’s Center Capitol Drive in Balanga, Bataan tonight.
Rogado, a shooting guard, and Santos, a bruising frontliner, will be the latest inclusion of healthy bodies competing for the Athletics, who continue to miss the services of ace gunner Val Acuña and main big man Jhaymo Eguilos.
According to Batangas City coach Mac Tan, Eguilos and Acuña will need some time off to recuperate.
“Si Eguilos, knee, but he already went PRP. Strengthening na lang siya. As for Val, ‘yung shooting hand niya, tinamaan sa practice. May minor surgery siya sa kamay parang may bone spur,” added Tan.
The Athletics started their campaign of this new season without the four players, but that hardly posed a problem for the Bong Tan-owned franchise.
Navotas and Caloocan, two teams which won their first assignments, face each other at 7 p.m. as they gun for win No. 2 and the solo lead in the northern division of this fastest growing regional amateur basketball league put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.