Mapua Cardinals have a good time after winning the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament following a finals sweep of the College of St. Benilde Blazers.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Mapua star Clint Escamis, the reigning NCAA Finals MVP, thinks the brand new format is sweet for the league, which opens its one hundred and first Season on October 1.
Escamis and the Cardinals are embracing the challenge of defending their title because the league shifts right into a two-group format.
READ: NCAA Season 101’s fresh format: How it really works
“I feel like more people will tune in additional to the games on a consistent basis,” Clint Escamis told the Inquirer.
“I’m a giant fan of that (format) since it boosts school spirit all season round. We’ll just compete and formulate latest strategies for the brand new format.”
Mapua is in Group A with fellow semifinalist Lyceum in addition to Perpetual Help, San Sebastian and Arellano.
Group B, which some are dubbing because the “group of death,” meanwhile, consists of Final 4 squads San Beda and College of St. Benilde, Letran, Jose Rizal University and Emilio Aguinaldo College.
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For transparency, last yr’s No. 1 and No. 2 seeds Mapua and Lyceum were robotically grouped in Pool Some time the second and third-ranked squads Benilde and San Beda were put in Pool B.
The opposite schools were randomly chosen via lottery by the league’s Management Committee on Friday.
Season 101 suggestions off on October 1 with the Cardinals taking up the Pirates, followed by a Final 4 rematch between the Red Lions and the Blazers.