Dondon Hontiveros leads cast of ‘reloaded’ Cebu Greats roster
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuano hotshot Dondon Hontiveros will lead the cast of a ‘reloaded’ roster of the Cebu Greats that will compete in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Season 26.
The Cebu Greats officially unveiled their strengthened roster ahead of their second season in the MPBL Season 26 last Saturday, April 3.
Hontiveros, a former assistant coach, has decided to suit up after serving on the sidelines last season while supporting his son, Ice, on the court.
READ: Cebu Greats unveil ‘Reloaded’ roster ahead of MPBL season
Hontiveros had a stellar 17-year career in the PBA. He won 3 titles with San Miguel (2) and Alaska (1). After retiring from the pros in 2018, he went into politics as a Cebu City councilor in 2021.
Other key additions are former PBA point guard Brian Heruela and ex-Basilan scoring standout Emman Calo.
Desidero and Heruela will team up again after a brief stint with the Blackwater Elite in the PBA.
Returning players for the Greats are JR Quinahan, Jun Manzo, Paul Desiderio, Alvin Baetiong, Ice Hontiveros, and Mark Meneses.
Completing the roster are Andrey Armenion, Ron Dennison, Brylle Ivan Meca, Gab Dagangon, Simon Camacho, Dhon Reverente, Kint Ariar, and Wowie Escosio.
Players not returning this season include Mac Tallo, Paulo Hubalde, Jan Jamon, Limuel Tampus, Lean Martel, Reed Juntilla, and Reeve Ugsang.
The Cebu Greats aim to improve on their previous campaign, stepping in as the successor to the Cebu Classics, which disbanded amid internal turmoil that left players and staff unpaid.
Former coach Mike Reyes eventually moved on to coach the FEU-D Baby Tamaraws, leading them to a UAAP high school title.
Formed after the challenging season of the Cebu Classics, the Cebu Greats finished 24th overall with 11 wins and 18 losses. Despite being a relatively new team, they competed in the play-in tournament, marking a promising start for the franchise.
The team already teased Cebuano basketball fans of their newly improved roster after competing and winning the title of the inaugural Mayor Aljew Frasco Cup 2026 in Liloan as EZ Tech squad.
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