Women’s college basketball schedule, 2023-24

Magnolia Brings In Rayvonte Rice As New Import Heading To QFs

MAGNOLIA can't risk keeping a hurting Shabazz Muhammad for the PBA Governors' Cup playoffs.

The Hotshots decided to bring in a new import in Rayvonte Rice to take the place of Muhammad, who's suffering a swollen right knee that made him miss the team's last game against NorthPort.

Rice, 32, and a product of University of Illinois, arrived in the country on Saturday night in time for Magnolia's final game in the group stage on Monday against Converge.

Coach Chito Victolero already admitted the Hotshots were tinkering with the possibility of replacing Muhammad, considering he sustained the injury at the worst possible time just when the quarterfinals are set to kick off by next week.

"That's an option (replacement) because kung hindi rin naman healthy," said the veteran coach.

Victolero also added that Muhammad is fully aware of his current situation about being replaced.

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Rice will be the third import of Magnolia this conference after Muhammad and original choice Glenn Robinson III.

Incidentally, he will be the second import of the Purefoods franchise carrying the surname Rice after Darius Rice in the 2008 Fiesta Conference.

Rice boasts of vast experience playing in overseas leagues, as he's taken his act to countries such as Italy, France, Iran, Russia, Israel, Greece, Canada, Taiwan, and Japan.

He also suited up in the G League and last played for the Liaoning Flying Leopards in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

The Hotshots are currently tied with the FiberXers for the No. 3 spot in Group A, both carrying 5-4 records.

The winner of their match will take the three-seed, while the loser goes down to fourth.

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CBA Introduces Inaugural Club Cup

A mid-season club cup will be introduced for the upcoming 2024-25 CBA League, as announced during the league's press conference on Thursday.

According to Jiang Jian, General Manager of CBA Company, the inaugural CBA Club Cup will follow a tournament format. The group stage is scheduled to take place during the first league break in November, featuring four competition zones with five teams each. After a round-robin format, the top two teams of each group advance to the final stage.

Liu Tianyi (C) of Jilin Northeast Tigers competes during the 11th round match between Jilin Northeast Tigers and Zhejiang Lions at 2023-2024 season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Dec. 1, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

The finals are set for the second league break in February 2025, where the eight qualifying teams will compete in a single-elimination tournament.

"The CBA Club Cup represents a self-renewal for the CBA. By establishing this cup competition, we pay tribute to the league's 30th season and to Chinese basketball," Jiang said.

Additional adjustments have been made regarding game rounds and foreign player participation. The regular season will now consist of 46 rounds, a decrease from last season's 52. The playoff structure will remain unchanged, utilizing a 3-5-5-7 format from the play-in rounds to the finals.

Teams will be permitted to field four foreign players, with a maximum of seven appearances across games. A maximum of two foreign players may participate in each of the first three quarters, while only one is allowed in the fourth quarter.

The new CBA season will tip off on October 12, featuring a matchup between the promising young squad Zhejiang Golden Bulls and the defending champion Liaoning Flying Leopards. 

Xinjiang Signs Peterson, Lawson For Upcoming CBA Season

URUMQI, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Xinjiang Flying Tigers announced Friday the signing of Dedric Lawson and Quentin Peterson, ahead of the new Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) League season.

Peterson has played in China for the past two seasons. Last season, he played in 40 games for the Jilin Northeastern Tigers, averaging 27.2 points and 4.7 assists per game.

Lawson, 27, plays as a power forward. Before joining Xinjiang, he played in South Korea's basketball league.

Not having reliable shots behind the arc, Xinjiang was swept by the Liaoning Flying Leopards in last season's finals, while the joining of sharpshooters Lawson and Peterson might allow the Flying Tigers to fire on full power. ■

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