UC pissed at SBP’s non-selection

This could have been all avoided had there been a clearer selection process or had the SBP just gone with the whole step-ladder format, with the champion advancing to the next stage as a whole.

The controversy the University of Cebu (UC) is in hinges on what they were told about the tournament format. UC surprised the field by topping the Under Armour 3x3 national finals and naturally the team, which won and advanced as a whole from the Cebu qualifiers, expected that the whole team will represent the country in the Fiba Asia 3on3 Cup in Malaysia later this month.

If I were UC, I’d be disappointed, too, because it expected that one of the perks of winning the national title was to go to the Asian level tournament, as is the normal case in a team event. But the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, which organized the tournament, decided to go for a selection, which seemed strange.

Or perhaps, SBP or the organizers should have clarified its statement before the Cebu leg.

“The mechanics is that the Cebu champion in the Under 18 category will be sent to Manila to compete against the top three teams of NCR, where the top four players will go to Malaysia for the Fiba 3on3,” organizer Joe Lipa said in a press statement.

The selection of the top four players signifies a pool but how do you identify the top four players in a team event? And by winning the national title, doesn’t that automatically make the members of the champion team the top players? Lipa only said the top four players, not the top four players by position.

This could have been all avoided had there been a clearer selection process or had the SBP just gone with the whole step-ladder format, with the champion advancing to the next stage as a whole. Another thing that added to the controversy is that it was announced during the Cebu leg finals that the cham- pion in the national finals will represent the country.

Also, I have a feeling there wouldn’t be any controversy had UC lost because the Manila teams can just choose among themselves who will represent the country.

It is also interesting that despite winning the title, (that is, using the “selection pool method), UC only had one player invited to make the national pool and for me, that shows two things: the organizers think little of UC’s win or they had already identified a team to represent the country, as some suspect.

UC, in retaliation for the snub, won’t let his team join any SBP-sanctioned tournament, an expected move. But I hope, since I expect the UA 3on3 will be an annual event in Cebu, the tournament format would be tweaked so there would be no more misunderstanding.