Harbour, San Mig clash opens PBL
The Batang Pier, reigning Unity Cup champion and gunning for a fifth straight title, clash with the Coffee Kings in the main game at 4 p.m., shortly after the curtain raiser featuring Burger King and comebacking Noosa Shoes (formerly Blu Detergent).
Harbour and San Mig faced each other in the semifinals of the last V-Go Extreme Energy Drink Cup, with the Batang Pier surviving the Coffee Kings in their best-of-three series that went the full route.
The team went on to beat Hapee Toothpaste in the finals to win its fourth straight championship.
The Coffee Kings, Batang Pier and the Hapee Tootpaste Complete Protectors have been among the teams fancied to win the league’s season-ending tournament.
Coaches of both San Mig Coffee and Harbour Centre both downplayed their billings when they appeared in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Shakey’s U.N. Avenue branch along with their counterparts from the rest of the competing teams represented by Ariel Vanguardia (Toyota Otis), Allan Gregorio and Jerry Codinera (Burger King), team manager Pat Aquino (Noosa Shoes), Lawrence Chongson (Bacchus) and Gian Carlo Tan (Pharex) "We’ll take it one game at a time. We made it to the semis last conference so we’re looking first to surpass that achievement and then we’ll take it from there," said San Mig Coffee assistant coach Glenn Capacio, representing head coach Koy Banal.
"They’re always talking about Harbour being the favorite, but the league is not just about us," said Batang Pier mentor Jorge Gallent. "Marami rin namang teams capable of winning the title, like Hapee Toothpaste, San Mig, Toyota and yes, even Bacchus."
Also appearing in the forum sponsored by Shakey’s and PAGCOR are Harbour Centre stalwarts TY Tang and Jason Castro. Only Hapee Toothpaste, now handled by Louie Alas, failed to send a representative to the public sports program.
PBL superstars such as JV Casio, Rico Maierhoffer, Dilan Ababou, Chester Taylor, RJ Jasul, Sam Ekwe, Pong Escobal, Ogie Menor and Kelvin dela Pena had all been pulled out from their respective mother teams to play for their schools in the coming collegiate season.
But their absence will be negated by the return of members of the RP men’s team to their particular ballclubs, and the emergence of several new faces and comebacking players.
That meant the likes of national players Jason Castro, Jonathan Fernandez, Jeff Chan, Beau Belga, Chad Alonzo, Allan Salangsang, Patrick Cabahug and Boyet Bautista as well as newcomers Mark Balneg, Mark Moreno, JP Alcaraz, Joel Solis, Leomer Losentes, Cebu standout Rino Berame and expros Francis Barcellano, Chris Baluyot and Ronnie Bughao will be strutting their stuff in the league this conference.
"We’ve lost a couple of players in (JV) Casio and RJ Jasul, but Patrick Cabahug and Eugene Tan will be back with the team," said Vanguardia. "Toyota has been consistent being in the semis, kaya gusto naman namin ngayon makapasok sa finals."
Burger King Whoppers’ Allan Gregorio admitted losing the rights to Jervy Cruz to Hapee Toothpaste was a big blow to the franchise’s title bid, but is nonetheless proud to have pulled off a coup by signing former PBA greats Jerry Codinera and Vergel Meneses as assistant coaches.
"Of course, Jervy Cruz is Jervy Cruz. Pero everything is water under the bridge and we’re ready to move on. Ang maganda lang sa team ngayon, we’re able to sign up Jerry (Codinera) and Vergel (Meneses) as assistant coaches, and alam naman natin ‘yung kind ng wisdom that they can give to the team," said Gregorio.
After getting their ears wet last conference, Tan said the Pharex team "improved a little, but the other teams also improved."
Source:mb.com.ph
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