Games Thursday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
10:30 a.m. – Wangs Basketball @26-Letran vs Adalem
Construction-St. Clare
12:30 p.m. – CEU vs AMA Online
Wangs Basketball @26-Letran and Adalem Construction-St. Clare raise the curtain to a brand new season as they start hostilities in the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Thursday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Champions in their respective tourneys, the Knights, and the Saints battle at 10:30 a.m. as they usher in a long-awaited return of the developmental league after two years on the shelf.
Wangs-Letran coach Bonnie Tan, however, would like to temper expectations from his wards despite coming into the tourney as back-to-back NCAA kings.
“Medyo kulang pa ang preparations namin. We just resumed practicing this week, so mate-test talaga yung tibay ng mga bata,” said the soft-spoken mentor with the Knights leaning on Fran Yu, Brent Paraiso, and the debuting Ira Bataller.
NCAA MVP Rhenz Abando remains doubtful for the tiff as he’s still with Gilas Pilipinas preparing for the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup in Indonesia.
Adalem-St. Clare mentor Jinino Manansala, on the other hand, thinks that no team is a pushover in this eight-team field, saying, “Lalaban lahat yan, kaya importante sa amin na makasabay. Hindi naman kami sumali dito para tumakbo-takbo lang.”
The Saints are coming off a five-peat triumph in NAASCU behind the efforts of MVP Johnsherick Estrada, John Rojas, and Senegalese center Babacar Ndong.
In the second game, Centro Escolar University and AMA Online parade young wards when they collide at 12:30 p.m.
Veterans Franz Diaz and Dave Bernabe will lead the fight for the Scorpions, while the Kings will once again field Reed Baclig and recording artist Eduardo “Young JV” Kapunan in the contest.