| South Cotabato Warriors | |
|---|---|
| League | MVBA (2005–2008) NBC (2007–2008) Liga Pilipinas (2008–2011) MPBL (2018–present) |
| Founded | 2005 |
| History | GenSan MP PacMan Warriors (2005–2008) MP-Gensan Warriors (2008–2011) GenSan Warriors (2018–2023) South Cotabato Warriors (2024–present) |
| Arena | Lagao Gymnasium |
| Location | General Santos, South Cotabato |
| Team colors | |
| Head coach | Jesus Ramon Pido |
The South Cotabato Warriors, formerly known as the GenSan Warriors, are a Filipino professional basketball team based in South Cotabato. The team currently competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's South Division. They are one of two teams besed in the Soccsksargen region, the other team being the Sarangani Marlins. The team plays their home games at Lagao Gymnasium in General Santos.
The team began play in the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) from 2005 to 2008 as the GenSan MP PacMan Warriors. They have joined mutliple other leagues since: the National Basketball Conference (NBC) from 2007 to 2008, Liga Pilipinas from 2008 to 2011 as MP-GenSan Warriors, and now the MPBL in the 2018–19 season. "MP" references Manny Pacquiao, who currently resides in the city.
In preparation for the 2024 season, the team changed its location identifier from General Santos to South Cotabato, representing the entire province, not just the city.
History
First incarnation (2005–2011)
The team was founded in 2005, originally as part of the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA), as well as part of the National Basketball Conference (NBC) in 2007. General Santos then became part of Liga Pilipinas in 2008 following the merger of both leagues alongside Third Force Inc. Liga Pilipinas ceased opeartions in 2011, leaving the team dormant until 2018.
Second incarnation (2018–present)
The team joined the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League as part of the league's national expansion in the 2018–19 season, becoming the league's first representative from the Soccsksargen region.[1] Led by homegrown player Cris Masaglang, the team finished 4th in the South Division with 14–11 record. In the playoffs, the Warriors would be swept by the fifth-seeded Bacoor City Strikers in the First Round. General Santos then added Robby Celiz and John Raymundo into the roster for the 2019–20 MPBL season. Despite those additions and improving to 18–12, GenSan only finished seventh. Once again, the team was swept by second-seeded Bacoor City.[2]
Both Celiz and Raymundo would depart from the team before the 2022 season, while also adding Nikko Panganiban. Panganiban would be declared an all-star as the Warriors once again improved, going 15–6 and finishing 4th in the South. The team would unfortunately suffer its third straight first-round exit after losing in three games to the Mark Yee-led Bacolod Bingo Plus.[3] Panganiban would leave for San Juan, while the team added 2020 MVP John Wilson from the Pilipinas Super League's Davao Occidental Tigers. Alongside Wilson is Kyt Jimenez, coming off his rookie season with region rivals Sarangani.[4] The 2023 season would be the team's most successful as it stands, finishing 21–7, improving their record yet again and breaking into the top three in its division for the first time. Wilson and Jimenez were both declared all-stars while Masaglang would win the Homegrown Player of the Year award. That season also saw the team's first-ever playoff series win, beating the Muntinlupa Cagers in three games in the First Round before losing to the Batangas City Embassy Chill in three during the Division Semifinals.[5][6]
Heading into the 2024 season, the team will be without Jimenez, who was drafted and signed by the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Season 48 draft. Another change coming is with its location identifier, which could see the team being renamed to the South Cotabato Warriors.
Current roster
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated as of: January 16, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Head coaches
| 2018–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Start | End | Regular Season | Playoffs | Best Finish | Achievements | ||||||
| GC | W | L | Win% | GC | W | L | Win% | ||||||
| 1 | Jesus Ramon Pido | 2018 | present | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | ||
Notable players
Liga Pilipinas
- Jasper Callo
- John Eric Coronado
- Peter Deligero
- Noberto Farochillen
- Alfred John Gonzaga
- Bob Cozy Ilanga
- Jeffy Locsin
- Louie Benn Medalla
- Moorice Mejorada
- Donamar Mendoza
- Jay-R Olegario
- Bobby Pacquiao
- Manny Pacquiao
- Roderick Ramos
- Jethron Recustodio
- Abdul Fariq Dave Sagad
- Donald Tadena
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
| South Cotabato Warriors notable players | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Tenure | Awards | All-Star |
| Cris Masaglang | 2018–present | 1x Homegrown Player of the Year (2023) | 2 (2019, 2022) | |
| Robby Celiz | 2019–2020 | — | 1 (2020) | |
| John Raymundo | 2019–2020 | 1x All-MPBL Second Team (2020) | — | |
| Nikko Panganiban | 2022 | — | 1 (2022) | |
| Kyt Jimenez | 2023 | — | 1 (2023) | |
| John Wilson | 2023–present | — | 1 (2023) | |
Season-by-season records
Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League
- Records as of 2023 MPBL playoffs – Division Semifinals:
| Season | Team name | Elimination round | Playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Finish | W | L | PCT | Stage | Results | ||
| 2018–19 Datu Cup | GenSan Warriors | South | 4th/13 | 14 | 11 | .560 | First Round | lost vs. Bacoor City, 0–2 |
| 2019–20 Lakan Cup | 7th/15 | 18 | 12 | .600 | First Round | lost vs. Bacoor City, 0–2 | ||
| 2022 Mumbaki Cup | 4th/11 | 15 | 6 | .714 | First Round | lost vs. Bacolod, 1–2 | ||
| 2023 | 3rd/14 | 21 | 7 | .750 | First Round Division Semifinals | won vs. Muntinlupa, 2–1 lost vs. Batangas City, 1–2 | ||
| Total elimination round | 68 | 36 | .654 | 4 playoff appearances | ||||
| Total playoffs | 4 | 9 | .308 | 0 Finals appearances | ||||
| Total franchise | 72 | 45 | .615 | 0 championships | ||||
Invitational records
| Season | Team name | Elimination round | Playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Finish | W | L | PCT | Stage | Results | ||
| 2021 | GenSan Warriors | Group D | 6th/6 | 0 | 5 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2023 | Group B | 3rd/4 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Did not qualify | ||
| Total elimination round | 1 | 7 | .125 | 0 playoff appearances | ||||
| Total playoffs | 0 | 0 | – | 0 Finals appearances | ||||
| Total franchise | 1 | 7 | .125 | 0 championships | ||||
References
- ↑ Luarca, Roy (June 12, 2018). "MPBL: Expansion teams, new faces and stars headline Datu Cup curtain-raiser". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ↑ "Bacoor Strikers rip GenSan with Pacquiao watching to move on cusp of MPBL semis". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ↑ Co, Adrian Stewart (November 7, 2022). "Bacolod edges GenSan, enters MPBL south semis". Panay News. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ↑ "Jervy Cruz joins Kyt Jimenez at GenSan Warriors in MPBL". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ↑ "GenSan trounces Muntinlupa, tackles Batangas in semifinals". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ↑ "MPBL: Batangas ousts GenSan, sets up rematch with Bacoor in South finals". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
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