Six int’l teams banner NBTC finals

The 12th Chooks to Go NBTC National Finals gets going March 16-18, with 16 provincial teams, eight teams from National Capital Region-based schools, six international teams, and two wildcard entries in the cast at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The NBTC is a grassroots program presented by SM for Filipino high school basketball players. Teams involved in the finals come from a seeding tournament played in over 100 cities nationwide, with thousands of players that vie for a place in the Nationals.

Handpicked squads from the US (FilAm Sports USA), Vancouver (Top Flight Hoops) and Toronto (Durham Crossover) in Canada, New Zealand (Camp David), Australia, (AusPinoy) and first timer Italy (Team Italy Europe), will bring their own contingent of Filipinos born overseas.

In recent years, the country has been treated to the growing talent – Canada’s Matthew Daves who now plays for Ateneo, Kamaka Hepa from the University of Texas Longhorns, Jalen Green, member of the US Under-17 national team in the Fiba U-17 World Cup and is now with Prolific Prep in California, and Kihei Clark, point guard for the University of Virginia Cavaliers.

Among the highlights of the week-long National Finals is the High School All-Star Game on March 23, and the Coaches Convention from March 22-24.

Sponsors for the Chooks to Go NBTC National Finals presented by SM include Exped, Freego, Purefoods, Go for Gold, Gatorade, Huawei, Molten, Epson, Arbiel Bus Line, Victory Liner, and Delta Neo Solutions.

Other teams included are UAAP champions Nazareth School of National University, NCAA champion Malayan University, MMBL champions San Beda University, NBTC Cebu champions Southwestern University, Ateneo, La Salle Greenhills, University of San Jose Recoletos, Letran, as well as NBTC regional champions St. Augustine Pampanga, Southern Philippines Colleges of Cagayan de Oro, St. Mary’s College of Tagum in Davao del Norte, UPHSD, Jonelta, St. Louis of Don Bosco in Dumaguete, STI-West Negros University out of Bacolod, Sto. Domingo National High School based in Legazpi, Narvacan National High School in Candon, University of Baguio, Isabela College of Cauayan, Lyceum of the Philippines University in Cavite, Sta. Clarita International School in Iloilo, Dolores National HS in Eastern Samar, Zamboanga del Sur National High School, and Holy Trinity College from General Santos City. The two wild cards teams are Hope Christian High School and FEU-FERN.