ZAMBOANGA CITY ˗ The second season of the VisMin Super Cup gets underway with all eight teams seeing action on opening day Saturday at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum.
Backed by GlobalPort, the league opens its new season as new commissioner Cris Bautista also announced the appointment of the league’s basketball operations head in the Zamboanga leg ˗ Niño Rejhi Jacildo Natividad,general manager of Anak Mindanao Warriors, who won a championship in the VisMin Cup in Pagadian last year.
KalosPh Sportswear, one of the late additions this season, will get its baptism of fire when it takes on Macfi-Basilan in the first game at 1 p.m.
Representing Eastern Samar, KalosPh will be bannered by import Eugene Toba, who previously saw action for San Beda, while veteran forward Kelvin Gregorio and Gayford Rodriguez will bring in their veteran savvy in leading this squad against a Macfi-Basilan team which will parade a young squad composed mostly of homegrown talents from Mindanao Autonomous College Foundation.
Macfi-Basilan will be reinforced by Bernie Bregondo and Shaq Alanes, who previously saw action in the MPBL, playing for Bataan and Pasay, respectively.
Mcdavid ZamPen, which took over the spot of previous member squad Misamis Oriental, battles OCCCI Sheer Master at 3 p.m.
Henry Iloka, the 6-foot-10 Nigerian, who previously played in the PBA D-League for La Salle Araneta University, will backstop ZamPen’s campaign and will be supported by Jojo Cunanan, who saw action for Barangay Ginebra’s 3 x 3 squad in the PBA, and former MPBL player Kenneth Sumalacay.
ZamPen will take on the veteran-laden OCCCI Sheer Master team from Ormoc, who will be spearheaded by NCAA’s first Rookie/MVP and six-time PBA champion Gabby Espinas.
Squaring off at 5 p.m. are the Tubigon Mariners and the CPG Dolphins while host JPS Zamboanga Valientes take on the SND Baracudas at 7 p.m.
Tubigon will have a latest addition in JR Cawaling, a member of the 2014 PBA grand slam champion team San Mig Coffee Mixers, and he will team up with guards Joshua Saret and Mark Dolligon.
In the main game, JPS Zamboanga Valientes take the floor at 7 p.m. and square off with the SND Baracudas.
The Valientes are bringing in old reliables in former PBA player and multi-titled PBL champion Reed Juntilla, ex-Kia Sorento player Jonathan Parreno and homegrown Tausug cager Das Esa to team up with former NCAA MVP Prince Eze in holding the forth for the guest squad.
