UE Red Warriors never die...

MANILA, Philippines - Four basketball standouts completed their stint with the UE Red Warriors last school year and did so with flying colors.

Elmer Espiritu, Gino Etrone, James Vincent Martinez and Paul Christian Zamar, all members of the varsity team in the UAAP, received their diplomas during the school’s commencement exercises recently.

Joining them was Warrior-fencer Nathaniel Fritz Gutierrez.

Firmly believing in the importance of education, the former Warriors made good their commitment to complete their studies while playing for the Red Warriors and received their respective college degrees conferred by UE academic officers led by president and chief academic officer Ester Garcia.

Espiritu, Etrone, and Martinez graduated with a degree in BSBA Business Management and Zamar obtained a degree in BSBA Financial Management. Gutierrez earned a degree in BS Information Technology.

UAAP Season 72 was Espiritu’s last playing season. Etrone and Martinez have one UAAP playing season left while Zamar has two.

Martinez and Zamar were the key players in the UAAP campaign of the Red Warriors of coach Lawrence Chongson and Mark Herrera.

Despite still being eligible to play in the next UAAP season, Etrone opted not to come back as he plans to establish his own business.

High-leaping Espiritu received the “Tokyo Tokyo Holy Cow Highlight Player of the Year” and the “Smart Defensive Player of the Year” awards at the 72nd UAAP season.

He was also a member of that season’s Mythical Five. With his recent successful stints in the ASEAN Basketball League and the UAAP, Espiritu aspires to play in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Gutierrez performed very well with the UE Red Warriors men’s fencing team, garnering individual and team gold medals that earned him the 72nd UAAP fencing competition’s Most Valuable Player award.

Gutierrez and his team’s splendid performance in the team foil final against FEU gave UE a crucial win that earned it the overall title.

The victory marked UE’s seventh UAAP overall fencing title and the UE streak is regarded as the best UAAP record in the fencing competition.

University marketing executive director-Warriors team manager Jesus Tanchanco Sr. said the Warriors’ academic achievements are “rare among college students.”

“Their teammates, co-athletes can look up to them as role models. To earn a college degree is a great off-court exploit and a good fall-back for an alternative career path for competitive sports,” said Tanchanco.

Bombers stop RP 18-U five

By Koji Echeminada (The Philippine Star) Updated May 09, 2010 12:00 AM

Jose Rizal University went through a wringer before hurdling the RP Youth team, 78-72, while Ateneo walloped Emilio Aguinaldo College, 102-95, in the Filoil Flying V Tanduay First Five Pre-Season Invitational Cup at the Flying V Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Nchotu John Njei and Raycon Kabigting combined for 32 points for the Heavy Bombers who needed to work hard to survive the RP young men’s tough challenge.

Ateneo, meanwhile, built huge double-digit spreads early on and just went through the motion in the final quarter in an easy win over EAC in this tournament presented by Mighty Bond Extreme with support from Total Phils. Corp., San Marino Corned Tuna, Accel, Filoil Gas Company, Flying V and Hanes brands, the official outfitter.

The Heavy Bombers nailed their fourth win in five games in Group B while the Eagles notched their sixth win against a lone defeat in Group A.

Nico Salva led the Blue Eagles with 17 points, while Eman Monfort and Kirk Long had 16 each.

“We’re not playing well defensively right now but I think we have enough time to fix things before the UAAP,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black. “We’ll work on that as we train in the US for three weeks.”

Later on, San Sebastian College defeated National University, 72-65, after an embarrassing loss to the RP youth U-18.

Carl Abueva, who had four crucial points in the fourth quarter, led the Stags with 13, with Jonathan Semira adding 14.

From Green to Blue: Ateneo snares UV's Slaughter

Source: GMANEWS
Ateneo has found Rabeh al-Hussaini’s replacement. The two-time UAAP defending champion Blue Eagles snared one of the biggest catch this pre-season when 6-foot-11 slotman Greg Slaughter decided to enroll in Ateneo this summer.

No less than long-time Blue Eagle supporter Manny V. Pangilinan made the announcement during Friday’s SCOOP sa Kamayan in Padre Faura.

"Slaughter is enrolling this summer and will serve the residency rule for Ateneo," said Pangilinan. "More than the talent of this player, I believe he’s doing well academically that is why Ateneo is a good choice."

Under the UAAP rules, transferees should complete a one-year residency while a two-year residency is being imposed to foreign student-players.

Slaughter will sit out his junior year with the Eagles and is expected to play for Ateneo in the Season 74. He is expected to be the cornerstone of a Blue and White crew that will have Eric Salamat and Ronjay Buenafe as Ateneo’s backcourt duo.

Back to square one in Smart Gilas hunt

Source: Philippine Star

Smart Gilas’ search for a naturalized import continues as team manager Frankie Lim said yesterday the latest candidate Jared Homan of Iowa State has declined a contract offer with 7-foot Michael Fey of UCLA the new target in the effort to find a dominant center for the national basketball squad.

Since the departure of C. J. Giles and Jamal Sampson, Gilas coach Rajko Toroman hasn’t found a replacement to play the center position as a naturalized import. He recently took the team to play in Australia and Serbia without an import. Gilas is scheduled to play another series of games in Las Vegas and Vancouver late this month in preparation for the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha on May 22-30.

Lim said Homan was close to signing until an offer came from Bulgaria for a similar role. Lim was previously in talks with Dwayne Jones, Brian Butch and Earl Barron all of whom backed out of the negotiations to play in the NBA.

“Homan asked if he could play in the PBA as a local and I told him it wasn’t possible because of the PBA rules,” he said. “I spoke with his agent Andrew Vie who was very frank in our negotiations. We were close to bringing Homan over until Bulgaria came in. Bulgaria offered Homan a slot in their national team as a naturalized import with the added incentive of being able to play in the Euroleague as a local, meaning he could earn more without being listed as a foreigner.”

Lim said he explained to Vie that playing in the PBA as a local wouldn’t pay as much as playing as an import because of the salary cap. Besides, the PBA will not allow a naturalized citizen to play as a local. In Bulgaria, a naturalized import is able to earn as much or even more as a foreigner because of his eligibility to play in the Euroleague.

Lim said his list of candidates is down to about four but the problem is he hasn’t scouted any of the remaining options. Fey, 26, is at the top of the list and Lim said he will try to fly him in for a tryout with Toroman. Fey played four years at UCLA and as a junior in 2004-05, averaged 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 23 minutes in 29 games, including 27 starts. That season, he shot .546 from the field and .697 from the line. His collegiate career high was 23 points.

As a UCLA senior in 2005-06, Fey missed 21 games because of injuries, including a groin strain, a sprained left shoulder and a severe right ankle sprain. He managed to play in 18 contests, starting two and averaged only 1.7 points. UCLA lost to Florida in the NCAA finals that year. Two of Fey’s varsity teammates are now in the NBA – the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jordan Farmar and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Luc Mbah a Moute.

Lim said it will be difficult for Gilas to be competitive at the Asian level with Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Aldrech Ramos, Rabeh Al Hussaini or Jason Ballesteros playing the slot.

“Greg has improved dramatically but he’s not at the level where he can compete against the big centers of Asia,” said Lim, referring to the likes of Lebanon’s Jackson Vroman, China’s Yao Ming and Iran’s Hamed Haddadi. “Our goal is to qualify for the semifinals in the Asian Games this November but we’ll need a center to help us.”

Lim ruled out recruiting Toroman’s 6-8 son-in-law Mladen Sakulavac, the Dallas Mavericks’ second round pick in the 2002 NBA draft. Sakulavac, 29, has played for the Yugoslavian national junior team and is a fixture in the Serbian league.

Last year, Sakulavac visited Manila and impressed Toroman’s local coaching staff with his deadly accuracy from the floor. SBP executive director Noli Eala described him as a Peja Stojakovic play-alike. But Sakulavac’s history of having played for Yugoslavia will not allow him to play for another national team under FIBA rules.

Toroman confirmed yesterday that because Sakulavac had played for Yugoslavia, he will not be eligible to play for another country in FIBA competitions.

SBP gets CAS nod, focuses on Asiad

Source: Philippine Star
Affirmed by the Swiss-based Commissioner for Sports Arbitration as the legitimate national cage body in the Philippines, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is now focusing on its goal to regain the country’s old status as kingpin in Asia.

SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan said their initial target is at least a semifinal finish in the Guangzhou Asian Games in November then to make the grade in the Asian Olympic qualifying tourney in Turkey next year.

With a united Philippine basketball, Pangilinan said he may even make a bid at becoming the president of the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) now headed by Indonesia business mogul Eric Thoehir.

“There’s a SEABA congress in Bali (Indonesia) next week. We see how it goes. We are pre-eminent in Southeast Asian basketball, so why not take a prominent role. Hopefully, pagbigyan tayo,” said Pangilinan during the Scoop sa Kamayan session yesterday.

Pangilinan said they’re now focusing on their goals after SBP gained affirmation as CAS last week (La Commission Beige d’ Arbitrage pour le Sport) trashed a case raised by the Basketball Association of the Philippines.

The International Basketball Federation had earlier given its nod on the SBP.

Pangilinan said their main focus is on the Smart Gilas team.

“We’re looking at a semifinal finish or higher in Guangzhou, then we’ll take it from there,” said Pangilinan.

The team will resume its Asian buildup next week as it leaves for Las Vegas on April 23 for a nine-day training camp before flying to Canada
for a series of exhibition games.

While there, Toroman will take a look at Chris Lutz and three other Fil-Am hopefuls while team manager Frankie Lim pursues a deal with their naturalization prospects.

“Hopefully, everything will be put to bed soon,” said Pangilinan.

Meanwhile, the injury-hit Smart Gilas team, meanwhile, has been recovering steadily with Rabeh Al-Hussaini, a two-time UAAP MVP who led Ateneo to back-to-back titles, has re-joined the team in practice after undergoing an operation to remove bone spurs in his left foot.

Rey Guevarra, on the other hand, is close to full recovery from MCL and ACL injuries he sustained while playing for Letran in the NCAA last season.

Point guard JV Casio, however, will be out for four weeks due to a swollen right leg. – With Koji Lorenzo Echeminada and Kristina Noelle Villanueva

mart Gilas still hot on clinching Kelly Williams

The power forward slot remains to be the weakest spot for Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas going into the Guangzhou Asian Games and the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship.

To address the nagging problem, Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman has only one name in mind to fill it up: Kelly Williams.

“I guess you know the name I’ve been mentioning right from the start,” Toroman yesterday said.

“I didn’t change my opinion. We are weak inside and we have to improve. I’m still thinking about one player from the PBA who is good on position four, and it’s Kelly Williams.”

After a pair of successful trips in Australia and Serbia, Smart Gilas’ big men have shown tremendous improvement, especially on defense where 6-foot-11 Greg Slaughter and 6-foot-8 Jason Ballesteros thrive.

But the power forward slot remains to be its weakest spot with Mac Baracael proving to be too small, Japeth Aguilar quite inexperienced and Rabeh Al-Hussaini still injured.

The Serbian mentor said they could have opted to play those guys at the fourth spot, but none of them is as athletically-gifted and as matured as Williams, the 27-year-old, 6-foot-7 former PBA Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player for Sta. Lucia Realtors.

“We don’t have a solution. I feel we’re a little bit small on position four. Japeth is not yet experienced while Mac is too small. That’s the reason why I’m thinking about it.”

With the PBA still ongoing, Toroman and the Nationals have to wait before discussion on Williams’ possible transfer could be started. In its previous statement, the Realtors said they are open to the idea of lending Williams if it is “for the national cause.”

“But I don’t want to talk about it right now. The PBA is still ongoing. I don’t want to disrupt anything or anybody,” he said. “Maybe we’ll start talking before the Asian Games this November. Maybe he’s already okay by that time.”

Aside from Williams, Gilas is also expecting the inclusion of Filipino-American Chris Lutz and, possibly, Iowa State standout Jared Homan as its naturalization prospect.

Injury-riddled Smart Gilas takes another huge hit

Source: Businessmirror
Another key player will miss Smart Gilas’s participation in the International Basketball Federation (Fiba)-Asia Champions Cup in Doha, Qatar, next month.

Former La Salle star point guard JV Casio will be out for four weeks because of a swollen right leg. He watched the team practice from the sidelines at the Meralco Gym in Pasig with a brace on his right leg.

The team’s doctor advised the six-foot guard to rest for at least four weeks, as the injury could lead to a serious one—a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury or an arterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. If it’s MCL, this means that Casio will have to take a break for four to six weeks but if it’s ACL, then the versatile guard could end up resting for at least three months.

Casio’s injury dents Smart Gilas’s chances in the Fiba-Asia Champions Cup in Doha from May 12 to 20.

Injuries also sidelined Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Rey Guevarra in the team’s stint in the Dubai Invitational basketball tournament, and recently, the six-game series in Belgrade.

Both players are now recuperating from their respective injuries but still under evaluation if they could join the team in Doha.

Al-Hussaini, a two-time Most Valuable Player in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines who led Ateneo to back-to-back titles, has joined the team in practice after undergoing an operation to remove bone spurs in his left foot.

Guevarra is close to full recovery from MCL and ACL injuries he suffered while playing for Letran in the National Collegiate Athletic Association last season.

The team is set to leave for Las Vegas on April 23 for a nine-day training camp before going to Vancouver, Canada, for exhibition games against Canada West All-Star and University of British Columbia Thunderbirds early next month.

New recruits for Smart Gilas?

Source: Philippine Star
Searching for the elusive Mr. Right to shore up the middle as a naturalized import, Smart Gilas national basketball team coach Rajko Toroman said yesterday aside from picking Jared Homan of Iowa State, he is studying the option of adding a few more Fil-foreigners for the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha on May 22-30.

Homan, 27, is playing for Maroussi in the Greek league at the moment. A contract offer was sent three days ago and his reply is being awaited.

As a senior at Iowa State in 2004-05, the 6-10 Homan averaged 13.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in 31 games. He finished his varsity career as Iowa State’s all-time blocks leader. In his final Iowa State game on the second round of the NCAA tournament, Homan compiled 19 points and 20 rebounds in a loss to eventual champion North Carolina.

“Jared is a warrior,” said Iowa State coach Wayne Morgan. “He fights every second he’s on the court and I think he has a big future playing this game.”

Toroman said other possible recruits in the pipeline are 6-6 Fil-Italian Nico Monacini, 6-8 Fil-German Christian Standhardinger who averaged 8.1 points for the University of Nebraska varsity this past season and 6-1 Fil-Italian Chris Banchero of Seattle Pacific University.

Fil-Am guard Chris Lutz of Marshall University is completing his obligations in school and will be ready to join Smart-Gilas for the Doha tournament.

Toroman said Lutz and another Fil-Am Marcio Lassiter must be issued their Philippine passports before the Doha competitions or else only one of them will qualify to play along with the naturalization candidate because of the two-import limitation.

“We’re 70 percent ready for the Asian Games in November,” said Toroman. “The balance of 30 percent will be covered by the import, other new recruits and small details in defense. I think we’re on target. In Australia last month, we played the best young players. In Serbia a week ago, we played tough pro teams with lots of experience and talent. We learned more from the competition in Serbia. Time is going fast. Before this month ends, we’ll leave for Las Vegas to play five games then move to Canada for three games. Then, it’s the Stankovic Cup in Beirut, the Jones Cup in Taipei and the Asian Games in Guangzhou.”

In Australia, Gilas won five, drew one and lost none. In Serbia, the team lost five and beat only Super Fund, 91-84. The losses were to Metalac Valjevo, 86-76, Mega Vizura, 75-70, Hemofarm Vrsac, 98-67, Partizan Belgrade, 87-71 and OKK Beogard, 80-79.

Lassiter, a gunner from California State at Fullerton, was the team’s most consistent scorer, firing 17 against Metalac, 17 against Beogard and 21 against Partizan. But he sat out the game against Mega with a strained hamstring.

Jared Homan NBA Draft Scouting Report-Smart Gilas Prospect

Source: http://www.draftexpress.com

Strengths
Jared Homan isn't quite a household name, but he has a very intriguing package of size, skill, and mentality that has certainly piqued the interest of NBA scouts.

Playing in a conference known for its rugged, physical play, Homan threw his body around with the best of them. At 6'10, 250, he never backs down from a physical challenge, and seems to relish a heated, energetic post matchup. One could say that he plays the game with a mean streak, and in the case of a scrappy player like Homan, that isn't a bad thing.

Once Homan has position in the post and gets the ball in his hands, good things tend to happen. Homan has a beautiful jump hook, that he is comfortable using fading away from the basket, or spinning into the middle of the lane. He has nice touch on the shot, and given his bulk, it's very hard to keep him from getting good looks on a consistent basis at the college level.

Homan also has touch on his midrange jumper, and is very comfortable facing up for a 10-15 footer.

As touched on above, Homan defines the term scrapper, and is a menace on the glass. Given that he doesn't mind using his body and creating contact, he always gets great position on the defensive glass.

As a defender, Homan will always battle to keep his man off the blocks and understands the nuances of good post defense. Surprisingly, Homan is also an accomplished shot blocker. He doesn't have the bounce of your typical shot-altering big man, but he does a good job of anticipating and helping out on the weak side.

Finally, it must be mentioned that Homan has shown steady improvement all four years at Iowa State. He started out as a mere roleplayer his freshman season, but was the Cyclones' main post option by his senior year.

Weaknesses
Jared Homan is a fairly well-rounded player, so there are no glaring weaknesses here. However, he isn't ever going to be an all-world type of athlete, so his upside may be somewhat limited.

Homan has a very nice frame, but he still could use some work in the weight room. He isn't an impressive leaper, and doesn't get up and down the court as well as an NBA big man should.

While Homan played over 36 minutes per game his senior year, his style of play left him visibly exhausted at times. His conditioning could use some improving, though this certainly shouldn't be a major issue.

While his size is very nice for an NBA power forward, Homan played mostly center at the college level. While there will always be certain matchups that Homan can exploit, he may be stuck somewhere in between being a lumbering PF and an undersized C.

One final area to mention about Homan is his low shooting percentage for a post player. Some of this might have to do with the conditioning issues mentioned above and the fact that he was ISU's only source of post offense, but it is somewhat disturbing that his field goal percentage dropped four years in a row.

Competition
In a conference full of rugged big men, players like Oklahoma's Kevin Bookout and Texas' Brad Buckman might be more well known, but Homan might have been the best of the bunch this past season.

Homan was a roleplayer as a freshman, averaging just 3.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in just 16.6 minutes per game. His role increased over the next two seasons, with his scoring increasing to 11.1 points per game by his junior year.

He averaged nearly 13.6 points and 8.7 rebounds as a senior, to go along with 2.1 blocks per game.

Homan ended his career on a high note, with two impressive games in the NCAA tournament. He followed up a 14 point, 13 rebound, 7 block performance against Minnesota with 19 points and 20 boards against Sean May and North Carolina.

Homan was then invited to the 2005 Portsmouth Invitational where he was very impressive, helping his team to a 2nd place finish, and making DraftExpress' all-tournament team. He averaged 16.3 points and 10.7 rebounds in 3 games at the tourney.

Outlook
While Homan doesn't excite as much as many of the other big man prospects in this draft, he does have a surprisingly well-rounded game. His jump hook is a move that will translate over very nicely in the NBA, and he has the mentality to succeed as a journeyman for a few seasons, if necessary.

His athleticism probably limits his upside at the moment, leaving him as a potential early 2nd round pick. The fact that Iowa State has been producing NBA-quality big men for years (Kelvin Cato, Marcus Fizer, Paul Shirley, Jackson Vroman) probably doesn't hurt him.

All things considered, even as a second rounder, Homan has a chance for a long NBA career.

Smart Gilas may tap Iowa standout Jared Homan

Source: Philippine Star
Smart Gilas Pilipinas hopes to finally tap American Jared Homan as its candidate for naturalization in time for the team’s stint in the 21st FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Doha, Qatar next month.

Smart Gilas’ Serbian coach Rajko Toroman said they’re close to getting the 6-10, 250-pound Homan, a former Iowa State standout currently playing for Maroussi in the Greek League.

“We hope we’ll make an agreement with Jared Homan to be our guy for naturalization,” said Toroman during their first practice since returning from their Serbian campaign at the Meralco gym Monday night.

“I was talking yesterday (Sunday) with him and I think he’s positive about our offer in the next 24 hours. We’ll see if we will make an agreement with him,” he said.

Homan played 125 games for Iowa State from 2001 to 2005, averaging 3.6 points on his first year before progressing to 7.1, 11.5, 13.6 points the following seasons.

He later suited up for Maroussi in Greece where he piled norms of seven points in 19 minutes and later played for ASCO Wroclaw where he had an impressive 17.7-point average in just about 25 minutes an outing.

“He’s (Homan) an excellent player. He’s playing in the Euro League in Greece. He’s playing on the highest level and he was very competitive. I think he’s kind of guy who can help us a lot,” said Toroman.

Smart Gilas earlier eyed the likes of talented imports Dwayne Jones, Brian Butch and Earl Barron, who have all joined NBA teams.

Jones, one of Toroman’s top choices, went to the Phoenix Suns while Butch and Barron, a former PBA import, wound up with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, respectively.

Even Greg Stiemsma, who was last in the team’s short list, ended up being picked up by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If Smart Gilas and Homan come to terms, the latter is expected to join the Nationals in the Champions’ Cup this May in Doha where they hope to improve on the country’s fifth place finish in Jakarta last year.

The team also hopes to have Homan naturalized in time for this November’s Guangzhou Asian Games.

Smart Gilas is eyeing the top spot in the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship for a slot in the 2012 London Olympics.

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Jared Homan's 2009-2010 Euroleague Game Statistics (click here)

Professional Career: Was on the Washington Wizards’ 2007 summer league roster and tallied averages of 2.8 ppg and 2.8 rpg in five appearances … spent the 2006-07 season playing in Turkey for Mersin and averaged 13.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.0 apg in 22 games … played in 14 FIBA Europe Cup games for Maroussi Athens during the 2005-06 season and posted averages of 8.2 ppg and 3.6 rpg … competed in the 2005 Reebok NBA Summer League for the Sacramento Kings and the 2005 Southern California Summer Pro League for the Miami Heat.

College Career: Finished career as Iowa State’s all-time leader in blocks (235), which is the fifth-best total in Big 12 history … became the 23rd player in school history to score 1,000 points, finishing with 1,124 … ranks sixth all-time in rebounds (777) … as a senior in 2004-05, named Third-Team All-Big 12 and to the Big 12 All-Underrated Team after he averaged 13.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg and 2.10 bpg and was the only Cyclone to start all 31 games … in his junior season (2003-04), averaged 11.1 ppg , 6.3 rpg and 2.30 pbg and named to the Big 12's All-Improved Team and Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 member … named to First-Team Academic All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore (2002-03) after he averaged 7.5 ppg and 6.4 rpg … appeared in all 31 games as a freshman in 2001-02 and averaged 3.6 ppg and 3.4 rpg.

Eagles, Archers take Flying V Cup opener

Source: Philippine Star

Blue Eagle Emmanuel Monfort converts on an easy layup off Red Lion Jake Pascual. JUN MENDOZA

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MANILA, Philippines - Archrivals Ateneo and La Salle topped their respective rivals at the start yesterday of the 2010 Filoil Flying V Tanduay First Five Pre-Season Invitational Cup at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

The Blue Eagles shook off a jittery start and clawed the San Beda Red Lions, 84-73, while the Archers beat the Letran Knights in a fierce battle, 77-76.

Ateneo overcame an 11-point deficit while riding high on the exploits of Eric Salamat, Eman Monfort, Nico Salva and Jason Escueta.

“We didn’t play well in the first half. It looked like we don’t know how to play basketball. We had 19 turnovers and our defense was bad. Fortunately, we turned it around in the second half. But obviously, we need to be in top shape for our next games,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black.

The Archers, meanwhile, kept their poise under gnawing pressure before leaning on a clutch basket by Joshua Webb to eventually nip the Knights.

The Knights had a chance to steal the game after an error by Samuel Marata but Kevin Alas missed a long heave at the buzzer.

Webb led the Archers with 27 points, including 10 in the third quarter. Ferdinand added 11 and Simon Atkins had nine.

The Blue Eagles sustained their hot shooting in the fourth and enjoyed a 10-point spread at 67-57 on two free throws by Frank Golla.

The Red Lions fought back behind Jake Pascual, who scored on a jumper and a free throw that put them within two, 70-72, but a decisive 8-0 run by Monfort, Salva and Escueta put away San Beda for good.

The tourney is presented by Pioneer Mighty Bond Extreme and sponsored by Filoil Flying V, Total Phils. Inc., San Marino, Accel and Hanes, the official outfitter with support from Adidas, BDO, Bayo, Jimm’s Coffee, Kaspersky, Zest Air, Karspersky Isecure Networks, Gourmet Coffee and RX 93.1.

The scores:

First Game

Ateneo 84 – Monfort 16, Salva 16, Dichavez 13, Salamat 12, Escueta 10, Austria 4, Long 4 Buenafe 3, Tiongson 0, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0, Erram 0

San Beda 73 – Dela Rosa 14, Lanete 12, Marcelo 12, A. Semerad 5, J. Pascual 5, Hermida 4, Villahermosa 2, Mendoza 2, Caram 2, D. Semerad 2, Kyle Pascual 2.

Quarterscores :15-19, 32-43, 60-57, 84-73

Second Game

De La Salle – 77 Webb 27, Ferdinand 11, Atkins 9, Marata 7, Villanueva 5, Banal 5, Andrada 5, Dela Paz 5, Ferdinand 2, Reyes 1, Elorde 1, Vosotros 1, Paredes, Tolentino, Tampus 0.

Letran – 78 Dysam 17, Belencion 14, Cortez 13, K. Alas 13, Belorio 6, J. Alas 5, Rodil 4, Taplah 2, Espiritu 1, Almazan 0.

Quarterscores 22-22, 43-41, 58-55, 77-76

Ateneo, La Salle rally to win Filoil openers

Source: Manila Bulletin
Reigning UAAP champion Ateneo shook off the rust in time while De la Salle held off a furious Letran rally Saturday night and the Eagles and the Archers came through with pulsating victories at the start of the 2010 Filoil Flying V Tanduay 1st 5 Preseason Invitational Cup at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.City.

The Eagles rallied in the second half to outplay San Beda College , 84-73, while the Archers came back from a six-point deficit in the final four minutes to nip the Knights, 77-76.

La Salle Guard Simon Atkins put the Archers up with an open trey for a 75-72 lead with 1:58 to go and then completed his night of brilliance by forcing Letran’s Kevin Alas to throw an off-balanced shot at the buzzer to escape with the win.

The Eagles, who just resumed their training after a two-week break, trailed by 11 points at the half but went to Eric Salamat, Nico Salva, Eman Monfort, and Chris de Chavez to score the opening-day victory.

“We’re not very well conditioned right now,” coach Norman Black admitted.

“The first half was ugly and it looked like we didn’t know how to play basketball but luckily. we played well in the second half.”

The scores:

First Game
ATENEO 84 - Salva 16, Monfort 16, De Chavez 13, Salamat 12, Escueta 10, Austria 4, Long 4, Buenafe 3, Tiongson 2, Gonzaga 2, Golla 2, Chua 0, Erram 0.
SAN BEDA 73 - Dela Rosa 14, Lanete 12, Marcelo 12, Daniel 11, Semerad A. 5, Pascual J. 5, Hermida 4, Villahermosa 2, Mendoza 2, Caram 2, Semerad J. 2, Pascual K. 2.
Quarters: 15-19; 32-43; 60-57; 84-73.

Second Game
LA SALLE 77 - Webb 27, Ferdinand 11, Atkins 9, Marata 7, Villanueva 5, Banal 5, Andrada 5, dela Paz 5, Reyes 1, Elorde 1, Vosotros 1, Tampus 0, Paredes 0, Tolentino 0.
LETRAN 76 - Dysam 17, Belencion 14, Cortes 13, K. Alas 13, Belorio 6, J. Alas 5, Rodil 4, Taplah 2, Espiritu 2, Almazan 0, Pantin 0.
Quarters: 22-22, 43-41, 58-55, 77-76.

Games Wednesday (The Arena)
9 a.m. - UST vs UE (Jrs)
11 a.m. - Perpetual vs NU (Jrs)
1 p.m. - FEU-FERN vs RP Youth U-13 (Jrs)
3 p.m. - Adamson vs Mapua (Srs)
5 p.m. - Perpetual vs Arellano (Srs)

Beermen take pep out of Barako Coffee, share lead

Source: Philippine Star



MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer started strong and finished even stronger as it walloped Barako Energy Coffee, 106-82, to gain a piece of the lead in the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Astrodome last night.

The Beermen seized control early behind the exploits of Dondon Hontiveros and Alex Cabagnot and finished pulling away on the sterling efforts of Dorian Peña, Jay Washington and Olsen Racela.

Import Gabe Freeman drew tremendous support from his local teammates as the Beermen tied the Coca-Cola Tigers for the lead with 3-1 win-loss cards.

Hontiveros went 4-of-4 from the field in the opening quarter and finished with a team-high 20 points on top of four rebounds and one assist.

Freeman put in 17 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and two shot blocks with Washington, Cabagnot and Peña adding at least 11 points each for the Beermen who made it 3-0 over the Energy Food and Drinks franchise this season.

The Coffee Masters reeled to their fourth straight loss after winning their first game in the reinforced tourney against the Sta. Lucia Realtors.

Meanwhile, Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra clash today in the second leg of the Phoenix Fuel PBA on Tour in Victorias, Negros Occidental.

The Beermen jumped the gun on the Coffee Masters only to relax in the second and third quarters, allowing Barako to get back into the game.

“That’s our main concern, we have bad habits,” rued San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

“We gave away 17 free throws in the second quarter, meaning we didn’t play defense. We’re not playing defense so we’re not able to pull away early,” Tanquingcen added.

After allowing the Coffee Masters to come within five, 64-69, after the third quarter, the Beermen buckled down to work again to pull off the rout.

Peña, Washington, Racela, Cabagnot and Arwind Santos did the job as San Miguel pummeled Barako, 38-18, in the fourth quarter.

Philippine Cup champion B-MEG Derby Ace made it two in a row in the reinforced tourney with a 92-75 win over Air21 in the nightcap.

Former Sen. Nikki Coseteng tossed the ceremonial ball in the contest highlighting the first day of the league’s weeklong anniversary celebration.

The scores:

San Miguel 106 – Hontiveros 20, Freeman 17, Washington 16, Cabagnot 13, Peña 11, Yeo 8, Santos 7, Racela 6, Ildefonso 4, Miranda 2, Pennisi 2, Villanueva 0, Holper 0.

Barako Coffee 82 – Monroe 25, Najorda 11, Vergara 9, Reyes 9, Wainwright 9, Duncil 8, Aljamal 6, Faundo 2, Alonzo 2, Dimaunahan 1, Menor 0.

Quarterscores: 31-17, 55-46, 69-64, 106-82

Second Game

Derby Ace 92 – Wade 29, Yap J. 15, Yap R. 14, Canaleta 12, Artadi 7, Pingris 6, Simon 4, Maierhofer 2, Revis 2, Allado 1, Salvador 0.

Air21 75 – Buenafe 14, Young 13, Ritualo 12, Billones 9, Cortez 8, Sharma 6, Gonzales 5, Matias 3, Kramer 2, Alvarez 2, Williams 1, Belga 0, Yee 0.

Quarterscores: 19-10, 50-37, 73-59, 92-75

Ateneo vs SBC in Filoil opener

Source: Manila Bulletin
UAAP and NCAA champions Ateneo and San Sebastian start their final preparations for their respective leagues when they battle separate rivals Saturday at the start of the 2010 Filoil Flying V Invitational Cup at The Arena in San Juan.

The Blue Eagles, who won a back-to-back UAAP titles last season, take on the San Beda Red Lions in the curtain-raiser at 2 p.m. while the Stags face Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers in the last game of a triple-header at 6 p.m.

Rebuilding teams La Salle Green Archers and Letran Knights, on the other hand, collide in the second match at 4 p.m.

The first game and second matches will be seen live on channel Studio 23.

The opening ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. with tournament organizers paying tribute to legendary high school coach Ato Badolato, who steered San Beda to 16 NCAA juniors title before retiring last year.

Without Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Jai Reyes, Blue Eagles coach Norman Black is expected to extensively use his new players to give them experience before the 73rd UAAP season opens in July.

Ateneo will be led by lefty guard Eric Salamat, former Rookie of the Year Ryan Buenafe and Nico Salva while the newcomers are Art dela Cruz, JP Erram and Jason Escueta.

The Red Lions will still be powered by American Sudan Daniel, Garvo Lanete, Borgie Hermida and Jake Pascual, but they added some fresh faces in Fil-Aussie brothers Anthony and David Semerad and another new standout in Kyle Pascual.

Save for NCAA Finals MVP Jimbo Aquino, who has already finished his playing years, the San Sebastian will use the core of its champion team – Calvin Abueva, Pamboy Raymundo, Gilbert Bulawan and Ronald Pascual.

The Heavy Bombers, on the other hand, will see the debut of their new coach in former PBA MVP Vergel Meneses, but will also miss the services of reigning NCAA MVP John Wilson and James Sena, who already finished their playing years.

La Salle, with new coach Dindo Pumaren at the helm, is set to parade a number of blue-chip dribblers from the high school ranks against the Louie Alas-mentored Knights, who will enter the tourney without top scorers RJ Jazul and Rey Guevarra after they finished their playing years.

Smart Gilas gains from Serbian stint

Source: Businessmirror
Smart Gilas Pilipinas ended its Serbian stint with another defeat and two injured players. The Filipinos bowed to Serbian Division I team Mega Vizura, 70-75, to finish their six-game, 10-day trip in Belgrade with a 1-5 win-loss mark. They had a 2-3 record last year.

Filipino-American recruit Marcio Lassiter did not play because of a pulled groin, while JV Casio injured his knee.

Still, the players said the trip was very fruitful.

After losing to Serbia’s top club Partizal Belgrade in their previous game, 71-87, the Nationals gave the hosts a tough time. But Mega Vizura’s hot shooting from the three-point area spelled the difference.

The home squad hit 12 of its 20 three-point attempts, while Gilas struggled with its perimeter game.

Greg Slaughter led the visiting team with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Gilas beat Mega Vizura last year, 94-87, but couldn’t a repeat.

The team’s only win in the trip was over Division 2 club Super Fund, 91-84. Gilas also bowed to Metalac Valjevo (86-76), OKK Beogard (80-79) and Hemofarm (98-67), all Division 1 teams.

The players and the coaching staff, headed by Serbian Rajko Toroman, were scheduled to arrive on Wednesday morning and will take a short break before flying to Las Vegas later this month for a nine-day training camp.

Gilas is also scheduled to play a two tune-up games in Vancouver, Canada, early next month before proceeding to Doha, Qatar, for the International Basketball Federation Asia Champions Cup from May 22 to 30—although the team has yet to confirm its participation in the tournament.

The team is also looking for a foreign player after prospect Dwayne Jones was signed by the playoff bound Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

According to Gilas team manager Frankie Lim, the team may hire its original choice, Courtney Sims, who was recently released by his team in the Puerto Rican basketball league.

Lim said Gilas is now “exploring every possibility and exercising all its options” to have a naturalized player in time for the qualifying events for the 2012 London Olympics.

The six-foot-11 Sims was a former Most Valuable Player in the Developmental League of the NBA and played college ball at University of Michigan. He played for the Indiana Pacers in 2007 and had stints with the Suns and New York Knicks last year before landing a job at CSKA Moscow in EuroLeague last season.

La Salle a Filoil darkhorse

Source: Manila Bulletin
A re-tooled La Salle squad is hoping to translate the experience it gained from last year’s UAAP season into their advantage this year.

But whether it is enough to make them title contenders in the coming UAAP season will be partly known when the Archers see action in the 2010 Filoil Flying V Invitational Cup which starts this Saturday at The Arena in San Juan.

Two years after winning the UAAP championship, the Archers – with the graduation of top players TY Tang, Rico Maierhofer, and JV Casio – could only post five wins.

They also missed the Final Four for the first time since 1994.

Aside from six new faces, the team will have a new coach in Dindo Pumaren, who took over the rein from older brother Franz.

The Archers recruited highly-touted cagers 6-foot-7 Arnold Van Opstal and guards Nico Elorde and Luigi dela Paz from La Salle Zobel plus added NCAA juniors Mythical Five member Jarelan Tampus from Letran.

Other additions are former San Sebastian guard Almond Vosotros, who last saw action in the NCAA juniors division in 2008 when the Staglets completed a four-peat, and La Salle Greenhills standout Aiki Herrera.

Aside from that, sophomores Papot Paredes and Martin Reyes, a former big man for La Salle Greenhills were inserted from the team's second team for this tournament.

They will join holdovers Joshua Webb, Maui Villanueva, Yutien Andrada, Simon Atkins, Gab Banal, Ferdinand, and Joel Tolentino as La Salle tries to improve on its quarterfinal finish in last year's Fil-Oil tilt.

Smart Gilas loses American prospect for naturalization

Source: http://www.tribuneonline.org

Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas’ chance of signing American slotman as its prospect for naturalization vanished in thin air after Dwayne Jones declined the offer in favor of a rare opportunity to see action in the NBA.

Smart Gilas team manager Frankie Lim yesterday confirmed that the defense-minded 6-foot-11 NBA Developmental League All-Star will make a grand return to the NBA after the Phoenix Suns acquired him for injured center Robin Lopez.

Lopez, in a report from The Arizona Republic, sustained a bulging disc, leaving the Suns with a gaping hole underneath entering the crucial stretch of the regular season.

“The Suns called him up, we just have to look for another one,” said Lim, who spearheaded the thorny negotiation with the former Saint John University star who was said to be the personal choice of Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman.

Gilas’ skipper Chris Tiu also admitted to have been devastated by the report which might put the squad’s Olympic preparation in serious jeopardy.

Gilas’ earlier choice, CJ Giles, was sent home due to erratic behavior while its second import, Jamal Sampson, was given the marching order after complaining numerous injuries. The Nationals are pressed to hire an import who could lead them to the import-flavored Fiba-Asia Champions Cup in May and the Asian Games in November.

“It looks like we just lost our prospective import, Dwayne Jones, to the Phoenix Suns which is about to sign him,” Tiu said.

Losing Jones, actually, is just half of Gilas’ misadventure.

In its ongoing Serbian road trip, the Nationals absorbed a 67-98 loss at the hands of Vrsac Hemofarm, the second-best ballclub in the Serbian League, Saturday night in Belgrade.

Vrsac Hemofarm is a Division I team in the Serbian League that has three Serbian national players, one Slovenian national team member and a handful of under-20 standouts.

“Just when we thought the competition can’t get tougher, we learned that we will be playing Partizan Team A on Monday,” Tiu said, referring to the most dreaded squad in Serbia.

“Yes, that’s the team that’s currently in the Final Four of the Euro League together with Olympiakos, Barcelona and CKSA Moscow by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv, 3-1.”

Gilas opened its Serbian campaign with a 76-86 loss to Mattalac Vallejo before pulling a 91-84 stunner over Division I-bound Superfund and losing a controversial 79-80 decision to OKK Beograd.

Smart Gilas bows to Hemofarm Vrsac, 98-67

Smart Gilas Pilipinas suffered a humbling loss at the hands of Serbia's second strongest basketball team Vrsac Hemofarm.

This Division 1 team is composed of 3 Serbian national players and 1 Slovenian national player, along with several members of the under-20 national team of Serbia. Hemofarm was led by the towering 7'4" center Marjanovic.(via asst coach Jude Roque)

"Lost by 31 pts to Hemofarm, Vrsac today. They are the second best team in Serbia next to Partizan, w/ 3 national players including a 7'5 beast! Great experience though! They had the size, quickness, skill and experience. Looks like they will make it to the Euroleague next year. Game was held at the beautiful Millenium Center in Vrsac city east of Belgrade, very close to Romania." - Chris Tiu

"Just when we thought d competition can't get tougher, we just learned we will be playing Partizan team A on Monday,yes the team that's currently in the Final4 of the Euroleague together with Olympiakos, Barcelona & Cska Moscow, by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-1. Oh & lastly,looks like we just lost our prospective import,Dwayne Jones to the Phoenix Suns who's about to sign him... Happy Easter!!" - Chris Tiu

Tigers gun for 4th win vs Kings

Source: Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Coca-Cola takes on Barangay Ginebra in an Easter Sunday showdown at the Araneta Coliseum, determined to sustain their sizzling start in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference.

The Tigers, who have never had a 4-0 start in a tourney in four years, go for that mark as they clash with the Kings at 6:30 p.m.

Rain or Shine and Barako Energy Coffee mix it up at 4 p.m. with the former gunning for a second win in three starts and the latter seeking a second victory in four outings.

The Tigers hardly took a rest during the brief Lenten season break as they’re really aching to keep their winning run, hoping to make it four in a row versus the Kings.

Coach Bo Perasol and the James Penny-led Coke squad are off to an auspicious start in the reinforced tourney, winning their first three games by a whopping average margin of 12.3 points.

And they’re not about to slow down.

“We need to put aside the fact that we’ve won our first three games. We have to muster enough mental toughness to overcome a very tough opponent like Ginebra,” said Perasol.

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico expressed deep concern playing the red-hot Coke team.

“We have to be consistent on both ends of the floor. They’ve got a good system going,” said Uichico.

The Kings, fourth placers in the recent Philippine Cup, had a swashbuckling debut versus the Talk n Text Tropang Texters but struggled and suffered a sorry loss in their next game against the Sta. Lucia Realtors.

Interesting is how Awvee Storey would adjust after being shackled down by the Realtors.

Storey, the only one with NBA credentials among the imports listed in the tourney, could well be up for another acid test facing Penny and Asi Taulava.

In the first game, the Elasto Painters are likely to bank heavily on import Jai Lewis anew as they look for a follow-up to their 84-77 conquest of the Realtors on Palm Sunday.

“Barako is a dangerous team having a scoring import and hard working locals. We have to maximize our height. If we control the boards and limit Sam Monroe’s touches, then we have a good chance,” said Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia.

Barako coach Junel Baculi, meanwhile, is hopeful his team will start winning soon.

“I’ve told the players that no one recognizes a team that always loses. Win and be respected. Win as a team,” said Baculi.

Smart Gilas bows to Serbian five in close game

Source: Philippine Star




MANILA, Philippines - Smart Gilas Pilipinas suffered a heart-breaking 79-80 loss to a taller OKK Beograd team Friday night in the third of a series of exhibition games in Serbia.

Reigning UAAP MVP Dylan Ababou buried a booming triple with three seconds to go to knot the count at 79 and the team looked headed for a draw when a Serbian referee called a controversial foul against the Filipinos.

OKK Beograd, a Division 1 team in the super strong Serbian League, nailed the game-winning foul shot and escaped with a triumph against an all-Filipino team still waiting for an American naturalized player, who could be Dwane Jones.

It was the Filipinos’ second loss after absorbing a 76-86 defeat to Mettalac Vallevo Wednesday. Smart Gilas trounced Division 1-bound Super Fund, 91-84, Thursday.

The RP developmental team, powered by APEX Sports Training of RP fitness coach Jimbo Saret, was taking on Serbian League powerhouse Hemofarm Vrsac last night.

“It’s going to be a very, very tough game versus Hemofarm Vrsac. They are the No. 2 team in the Serbian League next to Partizan and is participating in the Adriatic League and Euro Cup,” said Smart Gilas team captain Chris Tiu, who suffered a pulled hamstring in the game versus OKK Beograd.

“They’re tough because they have three Serbian national team players, one Slovenian national member and an American import,” he added.

Smart Gilas manager Frankie Lim said the team is learning a lot from the Serbian joust.

“We’re doing great, we’re in the right direction,” he said.

Smart Gilas is playing tune-up matches against the best club teams in Serbia to familiarize itself with the European style of basketball RP Serbian coach Rajko Toroman is espousing.