THE CESAFI products that this year’s All Star teams will be named after expressed their elation upon learning of the distinction.
At this year’s All Star event set for October 14, the high school game will pit Team Desiderio against Team Tallo while the collegiate match will see Team Fajardo take on Team Slaughter.
The teams were named after current University of the Philippines star, Paul Desiderio, a former juniors MVP of the Cesafi while he was still playing for the University of the Visayas (UV); Macmac Tallo, the former two-time Cesafi MVP formerly of Southwestern University (SWU)-Phinma who is now making waves for NLEX in the PBA; Greg Slaughter of Brgy. Ginebra, who used to don the green and white of UV; and reigning PBA MVP, Junemar Fajardo of San Miguel, an alumna of the University of Cebu (UC).
The setup is patterned to the format of last year’s All Star game in the NBA, wherein team captains picked from a pre-selected pool of players.
In the Cesafi’s case, the high school coaches will preside over the drafting of their teams with Ateneo de Cebu’s Rommel Rasmo and UV’s Jun Pepito doing the honors for the high school division and UC’s Yayoy Alcoseba and UV’s Gary Cortes doing the picking in the collegiate division.
Upon hearing of the news, Desiderio could not help but look back on his Cesafi career wherein he helped UV win the 2011 juniors crown.
“Sobrang happy nako kasi akoa apilyedo naa sa Cesafi all star. Sobra ka memorable nako ang Cesafi kay diha nag sugod akoa career,” said Desiderio, who is playing in his final season for UP in the UAAP.
He was named to the UAAP Mythical Five last season. (I’m so happy that my family name is in the Cesafi all star. The Cesafi is so memorable for me because that’s where my career started.)
Tallo, on the other hand, never imagined something like this happening to him.
“Isang karangalan. All-star team being named after me sa pinakamalaking league sa Cebu? I’m flattered kasi never ko naman na imagine yan eh,” said the guard who led SWU-Phinma to two titles in his four seasons over in Urgello. (It’s an honor. An all-star team being named after me in the biggest league in Cebu? I’m flattered because I never imagined that to happen.)
Slaughter was also honored at the distinction.
“It’s an honor to be back in Cesafi basketball in any way. Cesafi will always be special to me as it was the first league I played in and had some of my most exciting times there,” said the 7-footer who once incited “Slaughtermania” in his rookie season for the Green Lancers.