Southeast Asian basketball fans will get their basketball dose back by Easter
Sunday as the Sportsclick AsiaBasket International Championship opens shop at the Malaysia
Basketball Association (MABA) Stadium in Kuala Lumpur from April 9-18, 2023.
Ten clubs, including two collegiate teams from the NCAA (Philippines), will take part in the
summer international tournament organized by Filbasket led by President Jai Reyes, Head of
League Operations Dino Lee, and Head of Media Patrick Edrozo (aka Hoopjunkie).
Among the teams to watch out is Filipino squad Shawarma Shack Pilipinas, which is bringing
in 3×3 stars Ken Bono and Mike Harry Nzeusseu.
Also backstopping Shawarma Shack are Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL)
veterans James Martinez, Nikki Monteclaro, and RJ Deles, who is listed as part of their team
management.
Th3rd Floor-KalosPH Cooly, on the other hand, has signed up six-foot-nine beanpole Ladis
Lepalam for the AsiaBasket event even an actor and former reality show star Gerald Anderson
leads the way for the Joseph Guion-coached team.
Sanzar Pharmaceuticals, meanwhile, has brought in three former National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) players to lead its AsiaBasket team in Shaq Alanes, Jeremiah Taladua, and
6-foot-10 Cameroonian center Hamadou Laminou, who will be coach Jhembel Gican’s world
import.
Sanzar has also recruited Filipino-American guard Jameel McGill for the tournament, and he
is listed as the team’s ASEAN heritage import.
Each team has been allowed to sign one ASEAN heritage import and two World Imports.
Another team bringing in a solid roster is the MFT Fruitmasters, who have former San Beda
star Francis Abarcar, grizzled veterans Migs Castellano, Edzel Mag-Isa, and Marlon Monte, and
6’9” center San Ma Kong from Hong Kong with them.
For the Sportsclick AsiaBasket International Championship, each team is allowed to sign two
world imports, and MFT made the most of the rule by signing former Philippine Basketball
Association (PBA) imports 7’2” Liam McMorrow and 6’5” Arizona Reid.
Rounding up the list of Filipino pro teams competing is the BGC Builders led by former ASEAN
Basketball League stars JR Cawaling, Patrick Cabahug, and Gino Jumao-As.
The Builders also brought in two world imports in Canadian Kareem Huntley and Sierra
Leonean Tosh Sesay.
The Sportsclick AsiaBasket International Championship is virtually looking like the Philippines
versus Malaysia as three clubs from the Malaysian capital have been called up to defend their
home court.
Headlining the Malaysian teams for the AsiaBasket event is no less than the Malaysian
national team led by Ting Chun Hong.
Yong Kian Ann has been listed as the Harimau’s head coach as Jeff Viernes, who coached the
the Malaysian squad during the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Pre-Qualifiers last November, is now back as
a player in the MPBL for the Sarangani Marlins.
Harimau Malaysia will be using the AsiaBasket event as part of its preparations for the
Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia next month.
On the other hand, MBC Kirin, while having a Malaysian core, will be parading Thai player
Wutipong Dasom and American import William Vedder Freeman.
The last Malaysian team in the field is KL Aseel, which is bringing in NCAA champion Louie
Sangalang from the Letran Knights, and American player Jalen Robinson to backstop the
squad.
Filipino mentor Kristoffer Reyes will coach KL Aseel for the AsiaBasket tournament.
NCAA title contenders San Beda University and College of St. Benilde complete the 10-team
field.
With James Kwekuteye already turning pro, the Yuri Escueta-coached Red Lions will bank on
seniors Peter Alfaro, Damie Cuntapay, JV Gallego, and Clifford Jopia.
Meanwhile, the Charles Tiu-mentored CSB Blazers will rely on their core led by Robi Nayve,
Migs Oczon, Miggy Corteza, and Macoy Marcos even as prized prospect Allen Liwag makes
his CSB debut after transferring from Emilio Aguinaldo College.
The Sportsclick AsiaBasket International Championship begins with a doubleheader on Easter
Sunday with Sanzar battling Shawarma Shack in the first game at 5 p.m. and MBC taking on
The Th3rd Floor in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
CSB will then debut in the tournament on Tuesday, opening a quadruple-header at 2 p.m.
against Sanzar even as the other five teams also open their campaigns on the said day: BGC
versus San Beda at 4 p.m., Harimau Malaysia against MFT at 6 p.m., and KL debuting against
MBC Kirin at 8 p.m.
The top two teams per group after the round-robin phase will clash in the crossover semis on
April 16 with the winners going to the April 18 final.
A consolation game for third place will be first played on April 18 between the two losing
semifinalists before the championship game.
