It is no secret that the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) is the most popular collegiate basketball league in the Philippines. Due to its huge fan base, the UAAP commands the highest broadcasting deal among all collegiate leagues in the country. It helps a lot that the UAAP hosts the biggest basketball rivalry between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the De La Salle green Archers. Every time these two storied rivals meet, the venue is filled to the brim.
Coming in second to the UAAP is the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Although it is the oldest collegiate league established in 1924, its member universities and colleges pale in comparison to the student population of the UAAP schools. Nevertheless, the NCAA produced basketball players that are equally, if not better, talented compared to their UAAP peers.
Unknown to many, there are several collegiate leagues outside the UAAP and the NCAA. In the Visayas, the Cebu Schools Athletics Foundation, Inc. (CeSAFI) is the hotbed of basketball talents. It was established in 2001 and is highly regarded as the best collegiate basketball league outside of Metro Manila. Aside from CeSAFI, the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAASCU) has also been existing since 2001 and it served as the training ground for several PBA players. Perhaps the youngest collegiate basketball league is the Universities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL) which started in 2016.
The players from these minor leagues have less tv exposure versus their UAAP and NCAA peers but their skills can't be taken lightly. As a proof, the UAAP and the NCAA has constantly poached talented basketball players from these minor leagues by giving them the opportunity to play in the biggest stage on national TV. While many have accepted the offers and transferred, a number of them chose to stay.
With the emergence of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a nationwide league with vast TV exposure due to its broadcast deal with ABS-CBN S+A, many basketball athletes who have been plying their skills under the radar have the opportunity to show what they got. In fact, several of them stood out in the recently concluded season of the MPBL. They even outshone some of their peers who graduated from UAAP and NCAA schools.
Get to know some of these notable players.
ARIS DIONISIO and CHRIS BITOON (MANILA STARS)
The dynamic duo of Aris Dionisio and Chris Bitoon powered the Manila Stars up to the Finals of the competitive North Division. Although their team failed to capture the Datu Cup, each of them had a very productive season as they both qualified into the MPBL all-first team and the all stars game.
In addition to being part of the all MPBL first team, Aris Dionisio also earned the MPBL's Defensive Player of the Year by averaging 1.53 steals and 2.38 blocks per game. He was also a dependable weapon on the offensive end as he registered an average of 13.69 points per game.
As a 6'5 lanky forward, Aris Dionisio was the utility swiss knife for St. Clare Saints in the NAASCU. He won two (2) championship before he waived his last playing year in 2018 to play in the MPBL. In hindsight, he made the right decision as he proved he can compete with players from the big leagues. As a matter of fact, his star shone brighter than the rest which increased his draft stock in the PBA.
Aris Dioniso hails from Bustos, Bulacan. He was initially recruited to play for PSBA under Philip Cezar who also coached the Manila Stars. He later transferred to the basketball team of St. Clare Saints to play for Jinino Manansala. In his stay with the Saints, not only did he bring home the championship twice, he also bagged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Complementing Dionisio in the Manila Stars is his college teammate Chris Bitoon. Bitoon became a vital cog in the Star's offense given his output of 14.97 points per game on top of 3.75 rebounds and 4 assists each game. He was also one of the leaders in average steals per game at 1.66. Given his overall effectiveness at both ends of the floor, he gained the nod of coaches who selected him as part of the All MPBL first team together with his teammate Aris Dionisio.
Bitoon is a product of the Manuel L. Quezon University Basketball program in the NAASCU. He didn't win a championship in the said league but he still distinguished his self from the rest. He elevated his game when he took his talent into the PDA D-league where he teamed up with Aris Dionisio.
JHONARD CLARITO and MIKE AYONAYON (SAN JUAN KNIGHTS)
Clarito is perhaps the biggest revelation in the Championship series between his team, San Juan Knights, and the Davao Occidental Tigers. In their do-or-die game, Clarito scored his team's last six (6) points to carry the Knights into its third national Championship. He also earned the best player of the game citation in game 3 when he grabbed 18 big rebounds plus 12 crucial points.
It's quite ironic that a kid from Davao Region denied a hometown celebration for the Davao Occidental Tigers. Clarito was born in Davao Del Sur but he honed his basketball skills by playing for the De Ocampo College Stallions in the NAASCU which is the same league where Dionisio and Bitoon made their mark. He last played for the De Ocampo College Stallions in 2017 and joined the MPBL for the 2018-2019 season.
Clarito didn't win the championship by his lone self. He also received enough help from Mike Ayonayon who earned the Finals MVP award with his consistent all-around performance throughout the series. Perhaps his best output came at a time when the Knights needed it the most. Ayonayon poured in 33 points in game 5 of the thrilling championship series to help the Knights capture the national crown.
Similar to Bitoon, Dionisio, and Clarito, the high-leaping Mike Ayonayon also played With the Philippine Christian University (PCU) Dolphins in the NAASCU. He also set his foot in the PBA D-league before he suit up for the MPBL.
Clarito, Ayonayon, Dioniso, and Bitoon are a testament that we have a lot of basketball talents outside of the UAAP and NCAA duopoly. Thanks to the MPBL, they now have a bigger stage to showcase their talents on a national scale. Don't be surprised to see them elevate their game to the professional rank one day.
Unknown to many, there are several collegiate leagues outside the UAAP and the NCAA. In the Visayas, the Cebu Schools Athletics Foundation, Inc. (CeSAFI) is the hotbed of basketball talents. It was established in 2001 and is highly regarded as the best collegiate basketball league outside of Metro Manila. Aside from CeSAFI, the National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAASCU) has also been existing since 2001 and it served as the training ground for several PBA players. Perhaps the youngest collegiate basketball league is the Universities and Colleges Basketball League (UCBL) which started in 2016.
The players from these minor leagues have less tv exposure versus their UAAP and NCAA peers but their skills can't be taken lightly. As a proof, the UAAP and the NCAA has constantly poached talented basketball players from these minor leagues by giving them the opportunity to play in the biggest stage on national TV. While many have accepted the offers and transferred, a number of them chose to stay.
With the emergence of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a nationwide league with vast TV exposure due to its broadcast deal with ABS-CBN S+A, many basketball athletes who have been plying their skills under the radar have the opportunity to show what they got. In fact, several of them stood out in the recently concluded season of the MPBL. They even outshone some of their peers who graduated from UAAP and NCAA schools.
Get to know some of these notable players.
ARIS DIONISIO and CHRIS BITOON (MANILA STARS)
The dynamic duo of Aris Dionisio and Chris Bitoon powered the Manila Stars up to the Finals of the competitive North Division. Although their team failed to capture the Datu Cup, each of them had a very productive season as they both qualified into the MPBL all-first team and the all stars game.
In addition to being part of the all MPBL first team, Aris Dionisio also earned the MPBL's Defensive Player of the Year by averaging 1.53 steals and 2.38 blocks per game. He was also a dependable weapon on the offensive end as he registered an average of 13.69 points per game.
As a 6'5 lanky forward, Aris Dionisio was the utility swiss knife for St. Clare Saints in the NAASCU. He won two (2) championship before he waived his last playing year in 2018 to play in the MPBL. In hindsight, he made the right decision as he proved he can compete with players from the big leagues. As a matter of fact, his star shone brighter than the rest which increased his draft stock in the PBA.
Aris Dioniso hails from Bustos, Bulacan. He was initially recruited to play for PSBA under Philip Cezar who also coached the Manila Stars. He later transferred to the basketball team of St. Clare Saints to play for Jinino Manansala. In his stay with the Saints, not only did he bring home the championship twice, he also bagged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Complementing Dionisio in the Manila Stars is his college teammate Chris Bitoon. Bitoon became a vital cog in the Star's offense given his output of 14.97 points per game on top of 3.75 rebounds and 4 assists each game. He was also one of the leaders in average steals per game at 1.66. Given his overall effectiveness at both ends of the floor, he gained the nod of coaches who selected him as part of the All MPBL first team together with his teammate Aris Dionisio.
Bitoon is a product of the Manuel L. Quezon University Basketball program in the NAASCU. He didn't win a championship in the said league but he still distinguished his self from the rest. He elevated his game when he took his talent into the PDA D-league where he teamed up with Aris Dionisio.
JHONARD CLARITO and MIKE AYONAYON (SAN JUAN KNIGHTS)
Clarito is perhaps the biggest revelation in the Championship series between his team, San Juan Knights, and the Davao Occidental Tigers. In their do-or-die game, Clarito scored his team's last six (6) points to carry the Knights into its third national Championship. He also earned the best player of the game citation in game 3 when he grabbed 18 big rebounds plus 12 crucial points.
It's quite ironic that a kid from Davao Region denied a hometown celebration for the Davao Occidental Tigers. Clarito was born in Davao Del Sur but he honed his basketball skills by playing for the De Ocampo College Stallions in the NAASCU which is the same league where Dionisio and Bitoon made their mark. He last played for the De Ocampo College Stallions in 2017 and joined the MPBL for the 2018-2019 season.
Clarito didn't win the championship by his lone self. He also received enough help from Mike Ayonayon who earned the Finals MVP award with his consistent all-around performance throughout the series. Perhaps his best output came at a time when the Knights needed it the most. Ayonayon poured in 33 points in game 5 of the thrilling championship series to help the Knights capture the national crown.
Similar to Bitoon, Dionisio, and Clarito, the high-leaping Mike Ayonayon also played With the Philippine Christian University (PCU) Dolphins in the NAASCU. He also set his foot in the PBA D-league before he suit up for the MPBL.
Clarito, Ayonayon, Dioniso, and Bitoon are a testament that we have a lot of basketball talents outside of the UAAP and NCAA duopoly. Thanks to the MPBL, they now have a bigger stage to showcase their talents on a national scale. Don't be surprised to see them elevate their game to the professional rank one day.
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