FORMER Division 1 champion Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and Pampanga Delta lead a dozen provincial teams vying in the Smart National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Finals from March 15 to 19 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Magis Eagles hope to claim the crown they last won in 2015 when they took down then-reigning and “seven-peat” National Collegiate Athletic Association juniors titlists San Beda High School.
Pampanga Delta, meanwhile, brings the top young talent from a province well-known as a hotbed for basketball prospects.
Rounding out the winners of Local Qualifying Tournaments (LQTs) are Team Tarlac representing Central Luzon, University of Luzon (Baguio), Philippine Christian University Dasmariñas (Cavite), Holy Trinity College General Santos (Kidapawan), Saint Benilde International School Calamba (Laguna), Level Up Max Ballers Davao (Northern Mindanao), Batang Tiaong (Quezon), Don Bosco Dumaguete (Visayas) and Doc Boleros (Caloocan/Quezon City).
The winner of the Batangas LQT will be determined in March.
The NBTC’s 13th season is no longer confined to school-based squads and now includes club teams such as Pampanga Delta, Team Tarlac, Level Up Max Ballers Davao, Batang Tiaong and Doc Boleros.
Nazareth School of National University won the title twice in a row in 2018 and 2019.
Twenty-four teams are competing in the classification round of the tournament supported by SM, Coach E Basketball Academy, Molten and the Swish App.
The winners will be classified into Division 1, while the losers will be moved to Division 2 with both divisions falling into three-team groups of four which will battle each other in round-robin eliminations.
The top team from each group will advance to the knockout semifinals and then the final.
The championship games will be complemented by the title match of the historic Smart NBTC Girls Have Next powered by Fil-Nation Select and the Under Armour All-Star Game, Slam Dunk Contest, Three-Point Shootout and Skills Challenge.