Cebu Classic

Not to be confused with Valenzuela Classic.

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.

Cebu Classic
2025 Cebu Classic season
League	MPBL
Founded	2018; 7 years ago (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[1]
Location	Cebu, Philippines
Team colors
Head coach	Mike Reyes

The team began play in the 2018–19 season as the Cebu City Sharks, then renamed as the Cebu Sharks the following season.^[2] Midway through the season, the team was renamed as the Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol, named after Casino Ethyl Alcohol from owners International Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.^[3]

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,^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[6] Greg Slaughter was also set to join, but eventually turned away from the team.

Team Roster

Current roster

Cebu Classic roster

• v
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Players

Coaches

Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From G 5 Brylle Meca (HG) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 1993–05–21 Arellano G 6 Shaquille Imperial (HG) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Southwestern-U F/C 9 Dolan Adlawan (HG) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Carlos G/F 12 Jiesel Tarrosa 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Visayas F 13 Mark Meneses (HG) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 1998–01–13 Luzon G 16 Darrel Manliguez 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) 1995–04–03 MATS F/C 18 Mike delos Santos 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) F/C 19 Ken Holmqvist 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) San Carlos G 23 Limuel Tampus 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) F 24 Dennis Santos 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 1990–04–28 St. Clare C 27 Ladis Lepalam 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 1999–11–27 St. Benilde G 29 Gryann Mendoza 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Far Eastern F/C 42 Lean Martel 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 1998–06–27 UPHSD G 52 Rashawn McCarthy (FF) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1989–09–10 SUNY–Old Westbury G/F 55 Jan Jamon 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 1993–04–05 Emilio Aguinaldo G — Jeco Bancale (HG) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Mapúa G — Paulo Hubalde 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1981–01–24 UE F — John Jabonete (HG) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Mapúa F — John Paul Martinez 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) G — VJ Santos 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) Lyceum G — Kascius Small-Martin 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 1990–04–28 Brock

Head coach Mike Reyes Team manager Voltaire Ora Legend (HG) Homegrown (FF) Filipino-foreigner (SGL) Special Guest Licensee (RS) Reserve player Injured Roster – Genius Sports (MPBL) Updated as of: March 4, 2025

Head coaches

Cebu Classic head coaches
#	Name	Start	End	Achievements	Ref.
1	Gilbert Castillo	2018	2018	—	[3]
2	Norberto Manalili	2018	2019	—	[7]
3	Expedito Falcasantos	2019	2020	—	[8]
4	Mike Reyes	2025	current	—	[9]

Notable players

MPBL All-Star Day

All-Star selections

• Patrick Cabahug – 2019
• Will McAloney – 2020

PBA players

Ex-PBA players

• Paulo Hubalde
• Rashawn McCarthy

Season-by-season records

Note: Statistics are correct as of the end of the 2019–20 MPBL season.

MPBL champions

Division champions

Playoff berth

Season	League	Division	Regular season						Playoffs
			Finish	Played	Wins	Losses	Win %	GB	Round	Results
Cebu City Sharks
2018–19	MPBL	South	8th	25	11	14	.440	9	Division quarterfinals	lost vs. Davao Occidental, 0–2
Cebu Casino Ethyl Alcohol
2019–20	MPBL	South	9th	30	15	15	.500	11	Did not qualify
Did not participate from 2022 to 2024
Cebu Classic
2025	MPBL	South	Ongoing season						Currently in playoff contention
Regular season record				55	26	29	.473		1 playoff appearance
Playoff record				2	0	2	.000		0 finals appearances
Cumulative record				57	26	31	.456		0 championships