The South Cotabato Warriors are a Filipino professional basketball team based in the province of 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 based in the Soccsksargen region, the other team being the Sarangani Marlins. The team plays their home games at Lagao Gymnasium in General Santos.
| South Cotabato Warriors | |
|---|---|
 2024 South Cotabato Warriors season | |
| League | MVBA (2005–2008) NBC (2007–2008) Liga Pilipinas (2008–2011) MPBL (2018–present) |
| Founded | 2005 (first incarnation) 2018 (second incarnation) |
| History | GenSan MP PacMan Warriors 2005–2008 MP–GenSan Warriors 2008–2011 GenSan Warriors 2018–2023 South Cotabato Warriors 2024–present |
| Arena | Lagao Gymnasium Polomolok Gymnasium |
| Location | General Santos, South Cotabato |
| Team colors | |
| Head coach | Elvis Tolentino |
The team's first incarnation began play in the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) as the GenSan MP PacMan Warriors from 2005 to 2008 while also playing in the National Basketball Conference (NBC) from 2007 to 2008. The team played in Liga Pilipinas from 2008 to 2011 as the MP–GenSan Warriors following the merger of the two former leagues.
In 2018, the team was revived as part of the MPBL's national expansion during the 2018–19 season. The team name was simplified as the GenSan Warriors, keeping the location identifier and moniker. In 2024, the team changed its location identifier from General Santos to South Cotabato, representing the entire province, not just the city.
History
editFirst incarnation (2005–2011)
editThe team was founded in 2005 as the GenSan MP PacMan Warriors, originally as part of the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) and later the National Basketball Conference (NBC) in 2007. General Santos then became part of Liga Pilipinas in 2008 following the merger of both leagues and renamed to the MP–GenSan Warriors. Liga Pilipinas ceased opeartions in 2011, ending the team's first incarnation.
Second incarnation (2018–present)
edit
The team was revived in 2018 as part of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball 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. The Warriors also changed its location identifier to South Cotabato to represent the entire region.
Current roster
edit| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated as of: June 13, 2024 |
Head coaches
edit| # | Name | Term | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesus Ramon Pido | 2018–2019 | |
| 2 | Rich Alvarez | 2019–20 | |
| 3 | Ronnie Dojillo | 2021 | |
| 4 | Marlon Martin | 2022 | |
| 5 | Jesus Ramon Pido | 2023 | |
| 6 | Rich Alvarez | 2023 | |
| 7 | Elvis Tolentino | 2024 |
Notable players
editIndividual award winners
edit|
MPBL Homegrown Player of the Year
|
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MPBL All-Star Day
edit
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PBA players
edit
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Other notable players
editSeason-by-season records
edit| League champions | |
| Division champions | |
| Qualified for playoffs | |
| Best regular season record |
| Season | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Finish | GP | W | L | PCT | GB | Stage | Results | |
| GenSan Warriors | |||||||||
| 2018–19 Datu Cup |
South | 4th | 25 | 14 | 11 | .560 | 6 | Division quarterfinals | lost vs. Bacoor City, 0–2 |
| 2019–20 Lakan Season |
South | 7th | 30 | 18 | 12 | .600 | 8 | Division quarterfinals | lost vs. Bacoor City, 0–2 |
| 2022 | South | 4th | 21 | 15 | 6 | .714 | 3 | Division quarterfinals | lost vs. Bacolod, 1–2 |
| 2023 | South | 3rd | 28 | 21 | 7 | .750 | 2 | Division quarterfinals Division semifinals |
won vs. Muntinlupa, 2–1 lost vs. Batangas City, 1–2 |
| South Cotabato Warriors | |||||||||
| 2024 | South | 6th | 28 | 17 | 11 | .607 | 4 | Division quarterfinals Division semifinals |
won vs. Biñan, 2–1 lost vs. Batangas City, 1–2 |
| All-time regular season record | 132 | 85 | 47 | .644 | 5 playoff appearances | ||||
| All-time playoff record | 19 | 7 | 12 | .368 | 0 finals appearances | ||||
| All-time overall record | 151 | 92 | 59 | .609 | 0 championships | ||||
References
edit- ^ 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.