Derby Ace tests Brown vs RoS

MANILA, Philippines – B-MEG Derby Ace is giving Rob Brown a chance to show his mettle at least for one game as it parades the former Buffalo Bull versus Rain or Shine Elasto in the first regular twinbill of the PBA Commissioners Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome tonight.

“This is his (Brown’s) final chance. He might show something different in an actual game,” said Derby Ace top official and league board chairman Rene Pardo.

“Shamari Spears’ papers have been processed. He made the height limit. But we opted to rest him since he’s just in his third day in the country and it’s the height of a jet lag,” Pardo also said.

Spears was measured in the PBA office yesterday morning at 6-foot-3 11/16.

Brown, a veteran of the Argentina, Israel and Iran leagues, will be pitted against Rain or Shine’s Hassan Adams, a legitimate NBA veteran with stints with the New Jersey Nets, the Toronto Raptors and the LA Clippers.

The 7:30 p.m. game marks coach Yeng Guiao’s initial appearance on the Rain or Shine bench.

“I’m very happy with our import. He looks like he knows how to win games,” said Guiao.

“I also feel good about our team. They have adapted well to the system. We are moving the ball well and our defensive intensity is high,” Guiao added.

Ronjay Buenafe and Beau Belga also make their debuts with the Rain or Shine team which is out to improve on its poor seventh-place finish in the recent Philippine Cup. Derby Ace wound up three rungs better at fourth.

Guiao is the third coach to handle the four-year-old Asian Coatings Inc. franchise after Leo Austria and Caloy Garcia. The team’s best finish in a tourney so far was fourth in the 2008-09 Fiesta Conference with Jai Lewis as import.

Alaska Milk and Powerade clash in the opening game at 5 p.m.

Coaches Tim Cone of Alaska and Bo Perasol of Powerade are both hopeful their teams can make a good run in the mid-season tourney.

“We’ve had a solid pre-conference and we’re hoping that will translate into a good start in the conference. We seem refreshed and ready to go,” said Cone.

“We have committed to treat each game as a playoff game. Our opponents will definitely feel us,” said Perasol.

The Aces are eager to plunge back into action, determined to redeem themselves from a poor sixth-place finish in the last Philippine Cup.

“We’re playing fresh-minded which is not the way we played last conference,” said Cone.

What import Larry Demetrius Williams has been showing in practice makes the Aces a lot more excited in the Commissioners Cup.

“Our import looks like a good fit,” said Cone referring to Larry Demetrius “LD” Williams from Wake Forest U.

The Tigers will bank on Russell Carter from Notre Dame. Russell hails from an athletic family with his father Russell Sr. being a former football player at Pittsburgh, cousin Sean Redman also a former football player at Penn State and uncle George Jamison an ex-football player at Cincinnati.

source: Philippine Star, By Nelson Beltran

SMB, TNT seek easy route to semis
source: Barry Pascua, Bandera

ENJOYING a twice-to-beat advantage, Talk ‘N Text and San Miguel Beer will try to take the quick route to the best-of-seven semifinals when they meet separate foes in the quarterfinal round of the 2010 PBA Philippine Cup today at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Tropang Texters clash with Rain Or Shine at 4 p.m. while the Beermen tackle Air21 in the 6:30 p.m. mainer.

Talk ‘N Text and San Miguel Beer wound up with identical 11-3 records at the end of the elimination round and thus earned the bonus of having to win just once in order to reach the semis. On the other hand, Air21 finished seventh with a 6-8 card while Rain Or Shine had a 5-9 record and both will have to hurdle two sudden-death matches to advance to the next phase.

The Beermen have mastered the Express in the elims winning, 100-86, last Oct. 8 and repeating, 96-89, last Nov. 26.

San Miguel Beer is led by Anthony Washington, Arwind Santos, Dondon Hontiveros and Danny Seigle who all average in double figures in scoring. Additional firepower will be provided by Sunday Salvacion who was acquired from Barako Bull in exchange for Lordy Tugade and rookie Vaughn Canta.

Air21 is paced by prolific scorer Ronjay Buenafe but coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao is also banking on prized rookies Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao. Al-Hussaini had scored 31 points in their second meeting with the Beermen.

Talk ‘N Text and Rain Or Shine split their matches in the elims. The Elasto Painters drew first blood, 95-93, on a game-winning basket by Solomon Mercado last Oct. 20. The Tropang Texters exacted vengeance, 86-81, in their out-of-town meeting in Digos, Davao del Norte last Dec. 4.

Gametime: 5:00 P.M.
Rain Or Shin +5.5 vs Talk N Text -5.5 Totals(190.5)

Gametime: 7:30 P.M.
Meralco -2.5 vs Derby Ace +2.5 Totals(182.5)

Gametime: 5:00 P.M.
Rain Or Shine +5.5 vs Alaska -5.5 Totals(182.5)

Gametime: 7:30 P.M.
Meralco +3.5 vs Talk N Text -3.5 Totals(194.5)

Gametime: 5:00 P.M.
Air21 +2.5 vs Rain Or Shine -2.5 Totals(194.5)

Gametime: 7:30 P.M.
Alaska -1.5 vs Derby Ace +1.5 Totals(178.5)

Gametime: 5:00 P.M.
Rain Or Shine vs Powerade +3.5 (184.5)

Gametime: 7:30 P.M.
Talk N Text vs Derby Ace +4.5 (184.5)

By WAYLON GALVEZ
mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines — Undersized by the absence of three injured big men, B-Meg Derby Ace will have to be quicker and steadier when it battles the powerhouse Talk ’N Text this Wednesday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Llamados will be without veteran center Kerby Raymundo, forward Marc Pingris (hip injury) and center Rafi Reavis when they battle the Tropang Texters at 7:30 p.m.

The 6-foot-6 Raymundo is still rehabbing in the US after undergoing a hip operation and so are Pingris (hip injury) and Rafi Reavis (fractured right middle finger). Pingris and Reavis, however, are in the country.

Ace shooting-guard James Yap will be around but the reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) is not expected to be in top form since he had polyp operation only last month.

These are just some of the problems inherited by new coach Jorge Gallent who took the place of Ryan Gregorio.

Gregorio is now with Meralco which debuted on a high note last Sunday with a 73-72 thriller over Barangay Ginebra.

“We will definitely be undersized against our opponents so we have to be quicker than them,” said Gallent, who won six straight titles as head coach of Harbour Centre in the PBL. “We will have to play 48 minutes of good basketball and try to contain their running game. Most important too is to control the boards.”

Clashing at 5 p.m. are Rain or Shine and Powerade with the Elasto Painters ready to parade their latest acquisition in Josh Vanlangdingham, RJ Jazul, veteran forward John Ferriols and Doug Kramer.

With the absence of the three frontline players, Gallent will rely on Rookie of the Year winner in 6-foot-6 Rico Maierhofer, 6-foot-5 KG Canaleta, 6-foot-6 Don Allado, 6-foot-5 Jondan Salvador, 6-foot-6 Romel Adducul and new recruit 6-foot-4 Jerwin Gaco.

Though Maierhofer and Canaleta have the height, they don’t possess the physique of pure centers. They’re too thin for the job.

Aside from Yap, expected to deliver the goods for the team are Roger Yap, PJ Simon, Chris Timberlake and Jonas Villanueva, who was acquired in a trade from San Miguel.

“Regarding my debut, I’m very excited and I can’t wait for the new challenge ahead,” added Gallent.

Talk ’N Text will also be handicapped by the absence of 6-foot-5 forward Ranidel de Ocampo due to foot injury, as well as the departure of Mac Cardona, who is now with newcomer Meralco.

“Lots of question marks: How will we cope without Ranidel? How much will we miss Mac’s scoring? We’ll see in the game,” said TNT coach Chot Reyes, who hopes that Larry Fonacier, acquired in a trade with Alaska, can make a difference right away.

The Elasto Painters and the Tigers are two ball clubs that made several changes in their respective rosters, particularly Powerade which dealt 6-foot-9 center Asi Taulava to Meralco in a three-team trade while getting in return Rob Reyes and a future rookie pick.

Gametime: 4:00 PM
Rain Or Shine +4.5 vs Derby Ace -4.5 (168.5)

Gametime: 6:30 PM
Alaska +0.0 vs Ginebra +0.0 (178.5)

Gametime: 5:00 PM
Ginebra vs Alaska +1.5 Totals(180.5)

Gametime: 7:30 PM
Derby Ace vs Rain Or Shine +4.5 Totals(178.5)

Gametime: 5:00 PM
Rain Or Shine +6.5 vs Derby Ace -6.5 Totals(165.5)

Gametime: 7:30 PM
Alaska +3.5 vs Ginebra -3.5 Totals(175.5)