(CNN Philippines) — Defending preseason champion La Salle takes on NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) heavyweight San Beda on the opening day of the FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup on Saturday (April 25).
Game time is set at 4PM at The Arena in San Juan.
The Green Archers were busy in recruiting some of the best high school standouts in the country.
It paid off when they acquired Batang Gilas players Andrei Caracut and Jollo Go, stalwarts John Gob and Mark Dyke, and playmaker Enzo Navarro.
They will be teaming up alongside Jeron Teng, Jason Perkins, and Kib Montalbo, among others.
Related: LSGH standout John Gob to bolster Green Archers’ frontline
San Beda, meanwhile, will be bannered by key returnees Baser Amer and Ola Adeogun. They are coming off a two-week Las Vegas training.
Eighteen squads will clash in this season’s tournament.
Reigning UAAP kings National University is under Group A together with Adamson, Letran, Far Eastern University, Jose Rizal University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Perpetual Help, College of Saint Benilde, and University of San Jose Recoletos.
Group B, on the other hand, is composed of San Beda, La Salle, Mapua, Lyceum, University of the East, University of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, Centro Escolar University, and Southwestern University.
The tournament follows a single-round robin format, where the top four teams from each group will advance to the playoffs.
