De Ll Salle-EcoOil begins its title-retention bid against Centro Escolar University as the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup comes off the wraps on Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.
The meet marks the first official coaching job for Topex Robinson as new coach of the Green Archers, who won last year’s edition of the tournament by beating Marinerong Pilipino in the deciding Game 3 of the finals, 91-78.
Marinerong Pilipino has tied-up with San Beda Red Lions this time and will be one of the seven competing teams this season together with defending NCAA men’s basketball champion Wang’s Basketball-Letran, AMA Online, Perpetual Help University, and the Philippine Sports Performance Fitness gym.
The La Salle-EcoOil-CEU encounter serves as the main game on opening day at 4 p.m., just after the Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda versus Philippine Sports Performance Fitness gym game set at 2 p.m.
“Not just La Salle, San Beda, and Letran because the other collegiate teams are also beefing up their lineups,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum Tuesday at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
“Magaganda ang games natin because it’s the team’s way of developing their players in preparation for their respective mother leagues.”
All games will be shown live on One Sports and PBA Rush, and to be played at Ynares Pasig and FilOil-EcoOil Centre every Tuesday and Thursday.
All seven teams will play a single round robin, with the top two advancing outright in the semis.
The third and fourth teams meanwhile, enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against the fifth and sixth teams in a crossover quarterfinals phase.
Both semis and finals are best-of-three series.
Castro also announced in the same forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) the D-League will only have one conference this year and in 2024.
“For now, based sa calendar natin entering the 48th season with two conferences of the PBA, we’ll have one D-League conference by 2024,” he said.