That fabled basketball rivalry between the country’s fiercest collegiate rivals is bound to expand its footprint to Davao City.
De L Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University take their epic basketball battle to the 38th Kadayawan Invitational Basketball Tournament set August 3-6.
USEP Gym will be the new battleground between the Katipunan-based Blue Eagles and the Green Archers from Taft.
Up for grabs is the coveted Kadayawan trophy — the Holy Grail of the South — previously hoisted by UAAP squads Far Eastern University, Adamson University and NCAA’s San Beda University.
Even De La Salle has hoisted the trophy themselves.
The pressure will be on the UAAP’s winningest franchise Ateneo.
But let’s not get ahead of the story.
The six-team tournament is so deep, anything can happen.
Even Ateneo and DLSU will find tough punching a finals ticket.
First, there’s the defending champion Adamson University who will be bannered by Gilas mainstay Jerom Lastimosa. The Falcons lost to Ateneo in this year’s UAAP Finals.
Then there’s the former champion San Beda Red Lions and 2023 NCAA runner up College of St. Benilde.
The hometown bet Jose Maria College, who advanced to the PCCL Nationals this year, could also spoil the party.
With the assembly of powerhouse squads, the tournament is a masterstroke of SBP regional head Glenn Escandor.
The tournament, which is free to the public, is backed up by the city government of Davao.
