COMPETITION at the grassroots level of Cebuano basketball gets going once again as the Cebu leg of the BEST Center SBP/Passerelle Twin Tournament unfolds tomorrow at the University of San Carlos (USC) North Campus gym along Mango Avenue.
Raring to defend their crowns are the USC Baby Warriors and the University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers, the respective champions of the Small Basketeers of the Philippines and the Passerelle divisions.
The two squads also advanced to the national finals of the tournament in Manila but fell to La Salle Greenhills in the title game.
The SBP division is for players in the Under 12 age group with a new composition of players per age group starting this year. Each SBP team is now composed of a maximum of five Under 12 players, five Under 11 players and five Under 10 players.
Out to challenge USC are 2012 runner-up Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), Cebu Eastern College (CEC), UV, University of San Jose Recoletos (USJR) and Don Bosco Technology Center (DBTC).
The Passerelle division is for the Under 15 age group, with each team being composed of five players each from the Under 15, 14 and 13 years old age group. USC is out to outdo its runner-up finish to UV last year, and is making a serious run at a double championship. The other contenders include SHS-AdC, CEC, USJR, DBTC and Southwestern University. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio