AKSIYONG umaatikabo ang natutunghayan sa 11th season ng SM-NBTC (National Basketball Training Center) League na nagsimula nitong Marso 18 sa MOA Arena.
Kabuuang 32 high school team, kabilang ang mga kampeon sa Filipino communities na nakabase sa Australia, Canada, New Zealand, at United States of America, ang sumasabak laban sa mga local team ngayong season.
Nitong Lunes, hataw si Jalen Green sa naiskor na 26 puntos para sandigan ang FilAm Sports-USA sa 92-56 panalo kontra De La Salle Lipa sa Cuneta Astrodome.
Nanguna si Matthew Virtucio sa La Salle sa natipang 14 puntos.
Sa iba pang laro, ginapi ng No.11 Durham Crossover Canada, sa pangunguna ni Tyler Garcia na may 28 punto, ang No. 22 University of Baguio, 80-75.
Nagwagi ang No. 3 Chiang Kai Shek College kontra No. 30 St. Columban College-Pagadian, 68-44.
Sunod na makakaharap ng Blue Dragons ang No. 14 Letran Squires, nagwagi kontra No. 19 Assumption College of Davao, 86-83, tinalo ng No. 15 Lyceum-Cavite ang Camp David New Zealand, 85-59.
Itinuturing seeded entries ang UAAP Juniors champion Ateneo De Manila, NCAA Juniors division titlist La Salle Greenhills, CESAFI king University of Visayas, at MBL winner Chiang Kai Shek. Nakalaro naman tangan ang wild cards ang National University, Mapua, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo De Cebu, San Beda College, UST, Letran, at Adamson.
Kabilang din ang koponan mula sa Cagayan De Oro, Cavite, Davao, Midsayap, Baguio, Roxas City, Calamba, Bataan, Bacolod, Ormoc, Dumaguete, Pagadian, Dagupan, San Fernando, Naga, at Lipa City.
“Every year that we have been organizing the tournament, we have refined it to what it is now – a premier showcase for high school basketball,” pahayag ni SM-NBTC Founder Eric Altamirano.
“We have seen it grow from an initial few cities to over 70 cities all over the country. And it has also become a springboard for Fil-foreign teams to showcase their players who might want to study in the Philippines or play for the various national teams,” aniya.
“SM has been proudly supporting NBTC since 2015, as we believe in what they stand for: to champion the skills of the Filipino youth through sports development by applying the values of leadership, teamwork, excellence, and discipline,” sambit naman ni SM Prime Holdings Inc. Chairman to the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy.
“As part of the SM group, Mall of Asia Arena is also in proud support of SM-NBTC League by providing a venue with world-class facilities,” sambit ni SMLifestyle Entertainment Inc. Chief Operating Officer Herman Medina-Cue.
