PBA Philippine Cup 2015-16: Dates, Schedule, Bracket Format and Teams

Basketball in the Philippines has increasingly been defined by the successes of foreign imports. Former NBA forward Andray Blatche has become a cult hero in the country since joining the national team last year, and Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson is preparing to join him in the not-too-distant future.

However, there is still plenty of homegrown talent that will be on display when the 2015-16 Philippine Cup kicks off this weekend. The event does not allow teams to hire foreign-born imports to play. Instead, the dozen teams entering the PBA's most prestigious tournament will have to rely on All-Filipino rosters.

The round-robin portion of the tournament begins Oct. 18, when Rain or Shine goes head-to-head with Star Hotshots. Star Hotshots are coming off Governors' Cup and Commissioner's Cup championships in 2014, led by a veteran-laden roster and head coach Jason Webb. Rain or Shine have just one championship since joining the PBA in 2006, the 2012 Governors' Cup, but have won greater than 60 percent of their games each of the last two seasons.

“Everybody’s excited," Rain or Shine assistant coach Caloy Garcia said, per Mark Giongco of Inquirer.net. "We’re just going to play the same way how we played last year and we’re hoping that we can win one this year.”

The defending champion of the event is San Miguel Beermen, who are also coming off a Governors' Cup win earlier this year. San Miguel captain Arwind Santos is the most notable player on the most depth-laden team in the PBA. Leo Austria's side can go deep onto its bench without much fear of skill atrophy, something few other PBA teams can say.

“San Miguel is really the team to beat because it’s the team with three starting fives,” said Blackwater governor Silliman Sy, per Randolph B. Leongson of Inquirer.net. 

Competing with San Miguel in the eyes of most is Talk 'N Text, who have been a dominant force in the Philippine Cup in recent years. Talk 'N Text have taken four of the last seven tournaments, including a stretch of three straight from 2011 to 2013.

Captain Ranidel de Ocampo is familiar to anyone who has watched Gilas Pilipinas play in recent years, Larry Fonacier is a well-respected veteran and the team counts Gilas coach Tab Baldwin among its consultants. They've also acquired rookies Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario to bolster their roster.

The Alaska Aces are also expected to be a force to be reckoned with after competing near the top of tournaments throughout last season. While the Aces haven't been able to take home an event since 2013's Commissioner's Cup, they're a competitive outfit that features three players (Sonny Thoss, Calvin Abueva and Dondon Hontiveros) from Gilas Pilipinas.

Overall, one of those teams should wind up taking the tournament when all is said and done. We won't find out until the 2016 calendar year, but it's safe to say excitement in the Philippines for the upcoming season is palpable. 

 

Schedule available on Inquirer.net.