The Pinoyliga Collegiate Cup Season 4 is set to commence at the Enderun Colleges Gym in Taguig City, serving as a crucial preseason test for teams gearing up for the collegiate basketball season. The tournament features 14 teams, including defending UAAP champion University of the Philippines (UP) and reigning NCAA champion Mapua University. UP, a former runner-up in the Collegiate Cup Season 2, has entered two teams into the competition.

The participating teams are divided into two groups. The Prime Group consists of UP-1, University of Santo Tomas, College of St. Benilde (CSB), National University (NU), University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, Guang Ming College, and New Era University. The Edge Group includes Mapua, UP-2, Jose Rizal University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Diliman Colleges, St. Dominic of Asia, and Adamson University.

The opening games will feature St. Benilde against UP-1, followed by a match between Guang Ming and NU.

CSB coach Charles Tiu aims to use the tournament to evaluate his players and determine the final roster for NCAA Season 101. With a pool of 24 players, Tiu plans to integrate both main team members and Team B players to assess their capabilities. He expressed excitement about competing against teams from the UAAP and other leagues.

National University has included Collins Akowe, a former UAAP boys' basketball MVP, on their roster for the PinoyLiga Collegiate Cup Season 4. Akowe, a 6-foot-8 Nigerian foreign student-athlete, was recognized as Season 86 MVP and was a leading contender for the award in Season 87 before a new UAAP rule reserved the MVP title for Filipino players.

In his final year with NU-Nazareth School, Akowe averaged 20.8 points, 19.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. His addition addresses a significant need for National University's seniors squad, which had to rely on an all-Filipino lineup in the previous tournament due to Omar Diassana's season-ending injury.

While Diassana and Omar John are also listed on NU's PinoyLiga roster, Akowe is considered a more proven player. However, Akowe's long-term commitment to NU remains uncertain as he weighs his options. For now, he aims to maintain his game shape and assess his fit within Coach Jeff Napa's system.

NU hopes to determine whether Akowe is a valuable addition to the team and worth the resources required to retain him.