Cebu Classic
{{Short description|Basketball team in Cebu, Philippines}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Distinguish|Valenzuela Classic}}
{{infobox basketball club
| name = Cebu Classic
| current = 2025 Cebu Classic season
| logo =
| league = MPBL
| founded = {{start date and age|2018}}
| history = Cebu City Sharks
2018–2019
Cebu Sharks
2019
Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol
2019–2020
Cebu Classic
2025–present
| arena= Hoops Dome
Southwestern University
University of San Jose–Recoletos{{ cite news |title=Cebu raring to take on General Santos in MPBL home game this Saturday |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1836473 |work=Sun.Star |date=December 16, 2019 |accessdate=December 17, 2019 }}
| location = Cebu, Philippines
| colors = {{color box|#{{MPBL color|Cebu Classic|1}}}} {{color box|#{{MPBL color|Cebu Classic|3}}}} {{color box|white}}
| sponsor =
| coach = Mike Reyes
| championship =
| pattern l= |body l= |patterns l= |shorts l= |title l=
| pattern d= |body d= |patterns d= |shorts d= |title d=
}}
The Cebu Classic is a Filipino professional basketball team based in the Cebu metropolitan area. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's South Division. The team has played its home games across multiple venues across Metro Cebu.
The team began play in the 2018–19 season as the Cebu City Sharks, then renamed as the Cebu Sharks the following season.{{ cite news |last=Panerio |first=Jonas Rey N. |title=Sharks not just representing Cebu City, but the entire Cebu Province now |url=https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/236054/sharks-not-just-representing-cebu-city-but-the-entire-cebu-province-now#ixzz5sIBKTTkf |newspaper=Cebu Daily News |date=May 27, 2019 |accessdate=June 30, 2019 }} Midway through the season, the team was renamed as the Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol, named after Casino Ethyl Alcohol from owners International Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.{{Cite news|url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/news/cebu-city-sharks-excited-over-chance-to-play-more-home-games-in-mbpl-debut|title=Cebu City Sharks excited over chance to play more home games in MPBL debut|last=Panerio|first=Jonas|date=May 22, 2018|work=Spin.ph|access-date=May 23, 2018}}
The team then went on hiatus for five years before making a return for the 2025 MPBL season, under their current moniker. The Cebu franchise is one of two teams based in Visayas, the other being the Bacolod City of Smiles, and the lone team based in the Central Visayas region.
History
= 2018–2020: First stint =
The Cebu City Sharks were one of sixteen expansion teams in the 2018–19 MPBL season, as well as the first team based in Visayas. That season saw Cebu make the playoffs despite having a losing record, they eventually lost to the Davao Occidental Tigers. In the 2019–20 season, the team finished ninth, one game behind the eighth-place team in the South Division, the Bicol Volcanoes. The Cebu franchise also had an all-star selection in each of its first two seasons: Patrick Cabahug in 2019 and Will McAloney in 2020.
= 2025–present: Second stint =
The Cebu franchise was mentioned as among the teams that were set to return for the league's 2023 season,{{Cite web |title=MPBL welcomes Quezon Province, Negros Muscovados |url=https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/30/mpbl-welcomes-quezon-province-negros-musovados/ |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=Manila Bulletin |language=en}} however its return did not materialize for unknown reasons. Two years later in 2025, another attempt at Cebu's return to the MPBL was first reported by journalist Snow Badua, stating from his source that the franchise was bought by new management and that it is "finalizing details” for its revival.{{Cite web |last=Badua |first=Snow |author-link=Snow Badua |date=2025-02-12 |title=Greg Slaughter eyed as cornerstone of new Cebu team in MPBL |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/mpbl/greg-slaughter-eyed-as-cornerstone-of-new-cebu-team-in-mpbl-a800-20250212?utm_source=Facebook-Spin&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20250212-fbnp-basketball-greg-slaughter-eyed-as-cornerstone-of-new-cebu-team-in-mpbl-a800-20250212-fbfirst&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Qb3LjBI9LDkBZeaKSqW70ikhL8AN5uceJNXqenfnnuOZQtedw-moL79c_aem_Est3AGdHPOPweEsxpZjZMg |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}} The revival will be managed by Voltaire Ora, who was previously the team manager of the Valenzuela Classic. Among the players joining the revived team are Paulo Hubalde and Rashawn McCarthy.{{Cite web |last=Villaruel |first=Emmanuel B. |date=2025-02-17 |title=Cebu mobalik sa MPBL, Slaughter maoy mangu |trans-title=Cebu returns to MPBL, Slaughter to lead |url=https://www.philstar.com/banat/palaro/2025/02/17/2422447/cebu-mobalik-sa-mpbl-slaughter-maoy-mangu |access-date=2025-02-19 |website=Philstar.com |language=ceb}} Greg Slaughter was also set to join, but eventually turned away from the team.
Team Roster
= Current roster =
{{Cebu Classic roster}}
=Head coaches=
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| colspan="6" style="{{MPBL color cell|Cebu Classic}}" | Cebu Classic head coaches | ||
|---|---|---|
| style="{{MPBL color cell2|Cebu Classic}}" | #
! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Cebu Classic}}" | Name ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Cebu Classic}}" | Start ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Cebu Classic}}" | End ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Cebu Classic}}" class="unsortable" | Achievements ! style="{{MPBL color cell2|Cebu Classic}}" class="unsortable" | Ref. | ||
| align=center | 1 | {{sortname|Gilbert|Castillo}}
| 2018 | 2018
| align=center | — |
| align=center | 2 | {{sortname|Norberto|Manalili}}
| 2018 | 2019
| align=center | — |
| align=center | 3 | {{sortname|Expedito|Falcasantos}}
| 2019 | 2020
| align=center | — | {{ cite news |title=New coach for Cebu |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1822497 |publisher=Sun.Star |date=September 10, 2019 |accessdate=October 4, 2019 }} |
| align=center | 4 | {{sortname|Mike|Reyes}}
| 2025 | current
| align=center | — |
Notable players
= MPBL All-Star Day =
= PBA players =
Season-by-season records
Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2019–20 MPBL season.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
| align="center" bgcolor="gold" | MPBL champions | align="center" bgcolor="#D0E7FF" | Division champions | align="center" bgcolor="#96CDCD" | Playoff berth |
| class="wikitable" style="width:100%; text-align:center; font-size:95%" | ||||||
| rowspan=2 | Season
! rowspan=2 | League ! rowspan=2 | Division ! colspan=6 | Regular season ! colspan=2 | Playoffs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish
! Played ! Wins ! Losses ! Win % ! GB ! Round ! Results | ||||||
| align="center" colspan="11" style="{{MPBL color cell|Cebu City Sharks|border=2}}" | Cebu City Sharks | ||||||
|
| 2018–19 | MPBL | South
| bgcolor="#96CDCD" | 8th | 25 | 11 | 14 | {{Winning percentage|11|14}} | 9
| Division quarterfinals | lost vs. Davao Occidental, 0–2 |
| align="center" colspan="11" style="{{MPBL color cell|Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol|border=2}}" | Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol | ||||||
|
| 2019–20 | MPBL | South
| 9th | 30 | 15 | 15 | {{Winning percentage|15|15}} | 11
| colspan=2 | Did not qualify |
| colspan=11 | Did not participate from 2022 to 2024 | ||||||
| align="center" colspan="11" style="{{MPBL color cell|Cebu Classic|border=2}}" | Cebu Classic | ||||||
|
| 2025 | MPBL | South
| colspan=6 | Ongoing season | colspan=2 | Currently in playoff contention | |||||
| colspan=4 | Regular season record
! {{Sum|26|29}} | 26 | 29 | {{Winning percentage|26|29}}
! rowspan=3 | ! colspan=2 | 1 playoff appearance | |||
| colspan=4 | Playoff record
! {{Sum|0|2}} | 0 | 2 | {{Winning percentage|0|2}}
! colspan=2 | 0 finals appearances | |||
| colspan=4 | Cumulative record
! {{Sum|26|31}} | 26 | 31 | {{Winning percentage|26|31}}
! colspan=2 | 0 championships |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol}}
{{navboxes|list=
{{MPBL}}
{{Visayas Sports}}
}}
Category:2018 establishments in the Philippines
Category:Basketball teams established in 2018
{{Philippines-basketball-team-stub}}