ON A BREAK

The Philippine Star
05/18/09

I am away for my annual sabbatical leave. My commentaries on issues of the day will resume on the 29th of May 2009.

2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship Games

The last phase of the search for the best collegiate basketball teams for the current season is the “Sweet 16” Finals. This is when the gathering of the 16 top collegiate teams nationwide happens.

For the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship, the games for the “Sweet 16” Finals are scheduled to start on the 16th of November 2009.
Nine teams are automatically qualified as members of the “Sweet 16.” These are the top four teams of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) champion from Cebu City.

Completing the line up of this elite group are the top three of the Luzon-Metro Manila qualifying zonals and the top four of the VisMin-Metro Manila qualifying zonals.

Games in the “Sweet 16” finals are “knock-out affairs”: either you win and stay, or you lose and go home. The last team standing is crowned as the National Collegiate Champion.

The 16 teams are divided into two main groups with two brackets. In Group X, first bracket are the UAAP champion, top third of the Luzon-MM zonal qualifier, top third of the NCAA and top fourth of the UAAP.

In the second bracket are second placer of the NCAA, third placer of the VisMin-MM zonal qualifier, the CESAFI champion and the top Luzon-MM zonal qualifier.

In Group Y, first bracket are the NCAA champion, top fourth of the VisMin-MM zonal qualifier, top fourth of the NCAA and the top place of the VisMin-MM zonal qualifier.

In the second bracket are the second place of the UAAP, the second placer of the Luzon-MM zonal qualifier, third placer of the UAAP and second placer of the VisMin-MM zonal qualifier.

Watch this space for updates on the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championship Games or visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, SalcedoVillage, 1227 MakatiCity. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.