HOPE FOR SOUTHERN CAGERS: PBA approves creation of D-League for Cebu

After numerous failed attempts to breathe life into the south’s commercial basketball scene, aspiring basketball players have been yet again given hope after the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) board of governors approved the creation of the PBA Developmental League or D-League in Cebu City.

The development came during the annual planning session of the PBA board of governors and league commissioner Chito Narvasa that is currently being held in Seoul, South Korea. The news was relayed to this writer by Southwestern University-Phinma head coach Yayoy Alcoseba and Batang Gilas team manager, Andrew Teh, who is with the PBA delegation in South Korea.

“It should be be a welcome development as far as our basketball in the Visayas-Mindanao is concerned,” Teh said. “There’s just lots of talent [in the Vis-Min] and we hope that we can contribute in giving opportunities for players to showcase their skills and hopefully they will be noticed by the pro club teams.”

Alcoseba also sees this as a exciting development for Cebu’s aspiring cagers.

“It’s been far too long since we have had a commercial basketball league here in Cebu. We have a lot of talented basketball players here that aren’t being given the opportunity to showcase their skills because the D-League is in Manila and for one reason or another, a lot of them just don’t have the means to go there,” said Alcoseba, who was thrilled at the prospect of once again leading the M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu Niños — arguably the most successful commercial basketball squad in the country.

Another familiar face in the commercial basketball scene, Jun Noel, who once steered Hapee Toothpaste in the defunct Philippine Basketball League, the Negros Slashers in the Metropolitan Basketball Association and the Misamis Oriental Meteors in the Liga Pilipinas, said that the creation of this tournament will open new avenues for a lot of basketball players here.

“At the very least, they now don’t have to go to Manila anymore and that takes a load off their shoulders. I’m excited and I’m very happy to know about this,” said Noel, currently the head coach of the University of San Jose-Recoletos Jaguars in the Cesafi.

Both Noel and Alcoseba said that this Cebu D-League has been a long time coming, with its roots being traced to the time of former PBA commissioner Chito Salud. After Salud stepped down and Narvasa took over, it took a while for the idea to be discussed once again.

University of Cebu head coach Kern Sesante, himself a former standout in the commercial basketball scene during his playing years, shared that this will help the players, especially those that harbor dreams of making it to the pros, become more equipped to handle playing at the next level.

“It will really help them become more skilled and more confident. The exposure and experience that they will gain from this is really important,” Sesante said.

Scouts’ attention in Manila

University of the Visayas’ champion head coach, Gary Cortes, welcomed the idea of the D-League in Cebu but he still believes that the players’ best chances of reaching the pros, lie in Manila.

“I welcome that development. It gives our players here a league to play in. But I still believe that the scouts will still pay attention more to the D-League in Manila. You see, they’re looking at the consistency of play from the players and they can’t get that from just looking at a few games here,” said Cortes.

As for Cebu’s finest collegiate players, they still must wait for their graduation or the exhaustion of their eligibility before they’re able to suit up in the D-League. This was reiterated by Cesafi commissioner, Felix Tiukinhoy, who said that league rules prohibit current players from competing in the D-League. He also added that he personally wasn’t amenable to proposing an amendment of the league rules.

It can be recalled that back in 2012, SWU recruit Criz Dumapig was barred from playing during that season after it was found out that he played for the Café France Bakers in the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup.