JAKARTA – The Philippines faces a lightweight in Cambodia today in its first basketball assignment in the 26th Southeast Asian Games.

Overwhelming favorites here, the Filipinos take the floor at 11 a.m. in the four-team Group A, just two hours before their female counterparts go up against Malaysia.

With the Philippines and Cambodia in Group A are Thailand and Vietnam.

The Filipinos won the title in 2007 in Bangkok, and did not get the chance to defend it in Laos in 2009 as the event was delisted by the organizers for lack of a facility that would meet international standards.

Thailand, which is expected to be the only team that could pose a semblance of a threat to the Philippines, takes on Vietnam in the opener at 9 a.m. at the Britama Sport mall in Gelapa Gading.

Expectations are high that the Philippine team, built around collegiate standouts culled in the 11th hour from UAAP and NCAA leagues, would retain the title rather handily.

This year’s team will be handled by multi-titled coach Norman Black and will be backstopped by seven-foot Greg Slaughter, NU’s Bobby Ray Parks, San Beda College’s Jake Pascual and Garvo Lanete, San Sebastian’s Ronald Pascual and Ian Paul Sangalang and Ateneo’s Keifer Ravena, Christopher Ellis, Ryan Garcia, Clifford Hodge, and Raymond Salva.

The Philippines swept the gold medal with an average winning margin of 42 points in 2007.

Singapore takes on Malaysia at 5 p.m. while Indonesia clashes with Myanmar in the nightcap at 7 p.m. in a pair of Group B matches.

The top two teams of both groups will advance to the crossover semifinals, although there will be more games in the losers bracket to determine the final placings.