Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards Explained

Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards
Current:2024 Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards season
League:MPBL (2019–present)
FilBasket (2022)
PSL (2023–present)
History:Nueva Ecija MiGuard
2019
Nueva Ecija ForestLake
2019

2019–present (MPBL)
Nueva Ecija Capitals
2022 (FilBasket)
2023–present (PSL)
Arena:Nueva Ecija Coliseum
Location:Nueva Ecija
Coach:Don Dulay
Sponsor:Palayan City Township
Puregold
Championships:MPBL

1 (2022)
FilBasket: 1 (Summer 2022)

Conf Champs:MPBL: 1 (2022)

The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards are a Filipino professional basketball team based in the province of Nueva Ecija. The team competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) as a member of the league's North Division. They are one of five teams based in the Central Luzon region and play their home games at Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan.

The team began play as an expansion team for the 2019–20 MPBL season, though they would only begin using the Rice Vanguards moniker later on.[1] The team also plays in the Pilipinas Super League under the name Nueva Ecija Capitals. The team also competed in FilBasket as well as in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3.

The Nueva Ecija franchise is the holder of the only regular season sweep in the MPBL, recording 21 wins with no losses during the 2022 MPBL season, where they would go on and win their first MPBL championship.

History

2019–2020: First MPBL season

In May 2019, Nueva Ecija formally joined the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League as an expansion team for the league's 2019–20 season.[2] Alvin Grey was the team's first head coach before being replaced by Charles Tiu mid-season.[3] Nueva Ecija finished 11th in the North with a 10–20 record.

2022–present: Championship contention

In the lead-up to the 2022 season, Nueva Ecija took part in the 2021 Invitational. After sweeping Group C, the Rice Vanguards reached the finals against Basilan Jumbo Plastic, but lost due to Philip Manalang's championship-winning buzzer beater in overtime, thus settling for the runner-up spot. The team woud later take part in FilBasket's 2022 Summer Championship. Competing as the Nueva Ecija Capitals, they finished the elimination round with a 10–1 record and made the finals against the San Juan Knights as the series went into three games. The Capitals won the final game in overtime to clinch their first ever league championship, making way for a rivalry with the San Juan franchise.

With additions such as Hesed Gabo, Will McAloney, and Michael Mabulac, together with their new head coach in Jerson Cabiltes, Nueva Ecija then dominated the 2022 MPBL season with the league's first-ever regular season sweep, winning all 21 games. Mabulac was declared an all-star together with Bobby Balucanag, while Gabo and McAloney were both part of the All-MPBL First Team that season. The Rice Vanguards then swept the first two rounds of the playoffs against Marikina and intraregional rivals Pampanga. A challenge then rose for the team in the North Division finals against the defending division champion San Juan Knights, as they would lose game 1 of the series. The Rice Vanguards fought back and won game 2 in overtime before ultimately defeating the Knights in game 3. In the 2022 finals, Nueva Ecija met the Marcelino-led Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines. The Rice Vanguards won the first two games at home but lost game 3 as the visiting team. The team then went on to win game 4 to bring Nueva Ecija and Central Luzon its first-ever MPBL championship. The Finals MVP was awarded to Byron Villarias.[4]

Despite Gabo moving to the Philippine Basketball Association, signing with the NLEX Road Warriors during the off-season, Nueva Ecija kept most of its key players for the 2023 season. The team continued to win in the regular season, starting with an 11–0 record, but would suffer its first regular season loss since 2020 against the Viernes-led Sarangani Marlins. Nueva Ecija still proved to be contenders in 2023, finishing 2nd with a 23–5 record. After eliminating Pasay in the first round, the Rice Vanguards once again met with the San Juan Knights. This time around, San Juan ended up sweeping the rematch, ending Nueva Ecija's repeat hopes.

During the 2023–24 MPBL off-season, the team took part in the Pilipinas Super League as part of its 2023–24 President's Cup, where they once again competed under the Capitals moniker. During which, Jerson Cabiltes parted ways with the franchise as he would later become the head coach of expansion side Pangasinan Heatwaves. Don Dulay, who won an MPBL title with the Davao Occidental Tigers, took on the head coaching job for the rest of the President's Cup and for the 2024 MPBL season.

Rivalries

San Juan Knights

See main article: Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards–San Juan Knights rivalry.

Both Nueva Ecija and the San Juan Knights have become constant contenders across the multiple leagues they have taken part in. It began in FilBasket when both teams met in the finals of the 2022 Summer Championship and later fought for North Division contention in the MPBL, with both teams meeting in the playoffs in 2022 and 2023. Across all leagues, both teams have met each other twelve times.

Home venues

The Nueva Ecija franchise has always played their home games at Nueva Ecija Coliseum in Palayan. The only season in which the team did not play at home was during their inaugural season.

Current roster

Head coaches

NameTermRef.
align=center 1 Eric Gascon 2019
align=center 2 Alvin Grey 2019
align=center 3 2019–2021
align=center 4 Carlo Tan 2021
align=center 5 Jerson Cabiltes 20222023
align=center 6 2024–present

Notable players

Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards notable players
PlayerPositionTenureAwardsAll-Star
2019–2020 align=left 1 (2020)
Hesed Gabo 2022 align=left 1x All-MPBL First Team (2022)
Michael Mabulac 2022–2023 align=left 1 (2022)
Bobby Balucanag 2022–present align=left 1 (2022)
Will McAloney 2022–present align=left 2x All-MPBL First Team (2022, 2023) align=left 2 (2023, 2024)
2022–present align=left 1x Finals MVP (2022)
2023 align=left 1 (2023)
2024–present align=left 1 (2024)

Season-by-season records

League champions
Division champions
Qualified for playoffs
Best regular season record

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League

SeasonRegular seasonPlayoffs
DivisionFinishGPWLPCTGBStageResults
Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards
2019–20
Lakan Season
North 11th 30 10 20 16 Did not qualify
North 1st 21 21 0 First Round

Division finals
National finals
won vs. Marikina, 2–0
won vs. Pampanga, 2–0
won vs. San Juan, 2–1
North 2nd 28 23 5 3 First Round
Division semifinals
won vs. Pasay, 2–0
lost vs. San Juan, 0–2
North To be determined Qualified for playoffs
All-time regular season record 54 25 3 playoff appearances
All-time playoff record 11 4 1 finals appearance
All-time overall record 65 29 1 championship

Pilipinas Super League

TournamentElimination roundPlayoffs
FinishGPWLPCTGBStageResults
Nueva Ecija Capitals
2023–24
3rd 18 16 2 1 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
won vs. Manila, 1–0
won vs. Davao Occidental, 1–1
won vs. San Juan, 2–0
lost vs. Quezon, 1–3
All-time elimination round record 16 2 1 playoff appearances
All-time playoff record 5 4 1 finals appearances
All-time overall record 21 6 0 championships

Notes and References

  1. News: Aquino . Malou. NUEVA ECIJA MI GUARD HANDA NA SA MPBL . May 24, 2019 . Pilipino Mirror . May 24, 2019.
  2. News: Henson . Quinito . MPBL ready to launch third battleground . November 25, 2021 . PhilStar.com . May 16, 2019.
  3. News: Terrado . Reuben . Charles Tiu taking over as new Nueva Ecija coach in MPBL, says source . November 25, 2021 . Sports Interactive Network . September 26, 2019.
  4. News: Nasiad . Frederick M. . Nueva Ecija claims MPBL crown . January 31, 2023 . The Manila Times . December 15, 2022.