WAPA America will tip off its coverage of the 2010 Puerto Rico Basketball League (BSN) playoffs on May 25.
The U.S. cable network arm of the leading broadcaster in Puerto Rico, WAPA Television, will air up to 21 games, encompassing quarterfinal, semifinal and championship series, beginning with quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday. The semifinals series start Saturday, June 5, with the finals set to begin on June 20.
The Capitanes de Arecibo, defending champion Vaqueros de Bayomon and Piratas de Quebradillas are favored to win the title. NBA players Carlos Arroyo (Miami Heat) and Jose Juan Barea (Dallas Mavericks) got their start w/the BSN.
Among the top players that will be on display are Arecibo's Larry Ayuso, Danny Santiago and Angelo Reyes, all of whom are expected to be part of the national team, which FIBA ranks 10th in the world.
For its part, Bayamon, coached by Julio Toro, who has won the most championships in BSN history, has several candidates to return to the national team, Christian Dalamu, Carmelo Lee and Javier Mojica. Meanwhile, Quebradillas features the center of the national team, 7-footer Peter John Ramos
"Puerto Rico has made significant contributions to the sport of basketball, and we're thrilled to offer our U.S. viewers access to the best Puerto Rican players," said Jose Ramos, president of WAPA Television in a statement. "Basketball is one of the most popular sports among Puerto Ricans, and this provides a great opportunity for our advertisers to reach the extensive basketball fan base in the U.S."
Puerto Rico, which currently ranks 10th in the world according to the International Basketball Federation, is favored to win Centrobasket, the FIBA-sponsored basketball tournament in June featuring national teams from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
