THREE BASKETBALL teams from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) headed by reigning champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers will be aiming to bring national glory to Cebu as they compete in the 18th FilOil Unigames in Bacolod City starting today.
Aside from UV, also competing in the basketball tournament are Cesafi third placers University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors and the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars.
The 28 competing teams have been bracketed into six divisions, with UV being clumped together with former UAAP champions Ateneo, Holy Angel University, Colegio de San Agustin-B and the University of Immaculate Concepcion in bracket B.
The Warriors are in bracket D along with recent UAAP runners-up University of Santo Tomas, Hercor College, Father Saturnino Urios University and St. Louis University.
The Jaguars were assigned to bracket E, along with Ateneo-B, Holy Cross of Davao College, University of Northern Philippines and the University of St. La Salle (USLS).
The games will be staged at the USLS Coliseum, the Bacolod Tay Tung High School gym and the West Negros University gym.
Absent from the list of teams is Cesafi runner-up Southwestern University. Athletic director Ryan Aznar said the team will not compete as a result of the one-year residency rule that it is adopting. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio