BOCAUE — Frankie Lim once again made the headlines last week when he accepted the role as Perpetual Help’s new head coach.
His baptism of fire, however, will happen in the PBA D-League, luckily against a fellow NCAA team.
The Altas open their campaign in the Aspirants Cup on Monday night when they take on the Che’Lu-San Sebastian Revellers at the Pasig Sports Center.
However, Lim admitted ahead of the 4 p.m. match-up that the D-League stint may be the only time he could gel together with the Perpetual Help players.
Describing it somewhat “cramming,” he said, “We’ll just have to make the best out of it.”
Meanwhile, despite bringing in the core of its San Sebastian lineup, Che’Lu, which opted to take the moniker Revellers instead of the Golden Stags, will not have Egay Macaraya at its fold, as he will help CEU in its own D-League campaign.
Instead, Stevenson Tiu will handle the team that also has former Scorpions Aaron Jeruta and Samboy De Leon and former UST Growling Tiger Jeepy Faundo.
In the first game at 2 p.m., Go for Gold-CSB, which will also not have its NCAA coach for its D-League campaign, will clash with reigning NAASCU champ Gamboa-St. Clare.
Charles Tiu will handle the Blazers-loaded squad, which will be known as the Scratchers when it battles the Coffee Lovers.
“We’re hoping to compete against them because we’re a very young team and they are a team that’s been together for a while. It’s going to be a tough challenge for us,” said the younger brother of Rain Or Shine player Chris Tiu.