ZARK’S Burger-Lyceum and Marinerong Pilipino face off today to start hostilities in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association D-League Aspirants’ Cup at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.
A capacity crowd is expected to show up for the lone encounter set at 4 p.m. after a brief opening ceremony starting at 3 o’clock.
The two teams are considered early favorites in the 13-team field mainly because of their bench depth.
After a forgettable stint in the Foundation Cup, Zark’s is returning with a solid roster built around the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) runner-up Lyceum Pirates.
The Marinerong Pilipino, on the other hand, is coming off a surprise semifinals appearance also last conference.
While he will be working with an experience team that went unbeaten in the eliminations of the NCAA, Zark’s Burger-Lyceum Coach Topex Robinson quickly dismissed the early attention.
He said the D-League is high-level competition where discipline, experience and chemistry matters.
“I don’t think we can be considered as a top contender. This is a different league, and we lack the experience,” said Robinson whose team will be led by NCAA Season 93 Most Valuable Player CJ Perez.
“This is a different level for us. This league is the next step to the PBA, so we’ll see how my players will respond to the competition.”
Robinson said he is excited to play against the well-coached Marinerong Pilipino side.
Skippers’ Coach Koy Banal said chemistry is something his team has to work on.
“We are practically a new team, with seven players who just practiced less than three weeks ago. I wish we could have more time to practice as a team because it takes time to learn the system. So chemistry is definitely going to be a disadvantage for us,” Banal said.
Marinerong Pilipino made its bench a lot deeper with the acquisition of rookies Alvin Pasaol, Abu Tratter and Vince Tolentino.