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Monday, September 10, 2012

Current San Mig Coffee Mixers (B-Meg Llamados/Purefoods TJ Giants) Team Roster for the PBA 38th Season

Players
Joshua Urbiztondo – #2
Jonas Villanueva – #3
Rafi Reavis – #4
JC Intal – #7
Peter June Simon – #8
Andy Mark Barroca – #14
Marc Pingris – #15
Aldrech Ramos – #17 (Rookie)
James Yap – #18
Jerwin Gaco – #19
Chris Pacana – #22
Ken Bono – #25
Joe Devance – #38
Mike Burtscher – #63
Yancy de Ocampo – #95
Jewel Ponferada (Rookie)



















San Mig Coffee Mixers Coaching Staff
Head Coach:
Tim Cone
Assistant Coaches:
Richard del Rosario
Jeffrey Cariaso
Johnny Abarrientos
Enrico Banal
Dayong Mendoza
Team Manager:
Alvin Patrimonio

JAPETH AGUILAR TO WORKOUT WITH SAN ANTONIO SPURS BY Miguel Rocha



The closest we probably ever got to the NBA was that rumored Johnny Abarrientos 10 day contract offered by the then Charlotte Hornets. Getting sporadic playing time in both the PBA and the National team, former number 1 pick Japeth Aguilar has his sights set on the NBA. Aguilar is set to have a workout with the San Antonio Spurs, who are known to have one of the best international scouting teams in the league.
photo c/o Paolo Papa

source: Slam Online

Chemistry lesson from 'comeback kid' Caguioa



Mark Caguioa accepts his Comeback Player of the Year award during Monday night's rites. Jerome Ascano
AFTER suffering a scary eye injury last season, Mark Caguioa admitted he never saw himself recovering fast enough to be able to finish the season with a bang.
That should explain the Ginebra superstar's joy as he found himself surrounded by two Best Player of the Conference awards (Commissioner’s Cup and Governors Cup), his first PBA MVP trophy and now the PBA Press Corps' Comeback Player of the Year award - all in one season.
“That (pointing to his Comeback Player of the Year trophy) is the exclamation point for all my awards this past season,” Caguioa told Spin.ph, shortly after receiving the award during the 19th PBAPC Awards Night on Monday night at the Kamayan EDSA.
Caguioa said all these awards somehow eased the bitter memory of an eye injury suffered in what he described as a freak accident after hitting the wrist bone of B-Meg guard James Yap during one play in their Commissioner’s Cup semifinal match-up.
“Just thinking about what I went through with my right eye, to me, it was impossible really to be able to come back and play well again. Tingin ko nga, dapat mga one year pa before I could really play well,” he added.
“I had blurred vision for more than a week. And when I watch TV, I had to wear a sunglass kasi nasisilaw ako. That’s one of the worst pains I’ve ever experienced. I had terrible migraine also because I never thought connected pala ang mata sa ulo,” said the Gin Kings star.
Fresh from a five-week vacation in Los Angeles, Caguioa is excited to put the injury scare behind him and whip himself back into shape ahead of what should be a thrilling season for the Gin Kings and their army of fans.
Expectations have been raised after the entry of Fil-Am rookies Chris Ellis and Keith Jensen along with prized offseason acquisition LA Tenorio, but Caguioa was quick to put in a word of caution.
“In the 12 years I’ve been in the PBA, here’s what I realized: that it doesn’t really matter how talented your team is. Our team needs to work together and achieve chemistry for us to be able to compete well,” said the 2001 PBA Rookie of the Year.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/chemistry-lesson-from-comeback-kid-caguioa

Ginebra match against Qatar called off as hard foul almost leads to brawl



Tempers flared when Ginebra center Kerby Raymundo was tagged with a hard foul by Qatar’s 6-8 center-forward Muhammad Yousef. Jerome Ascano
WHAT was supposed to be a friendly between Ginebra San Miguel and the Qatar national team on Tuesday night turned into a near brawl among the players, forcing officials to call off the match.
Qatar’s 6-8 center-forward Muhammad Yousef tagged Barangay Ginebra center Kerby Raymundo with a hard foul as he was going for a layup in the third quarter, earning the ire of the Gin Kings slotman.
Tempers flared soon after, with Raymundo claiming the Qatari big man approached him and said something to him just as he was about to go to the free throw line.
Cooler heads separated the two men as well as players from the opposing camps who by then had started to gather infront of the Ginebra bench, preventing the incident from escalating into a full-blown brawl.
“Delikado na yung ginagawa niya eh. Di ko alam kung anong puwedeng mangyari sa akin sa laro. Kasi nananakit na rin siya,” said Raymundo, who also claimed Yousef had been thrash-talking him the whole game.
Even San Miguel Corp. sports director Noli Eala later admitted in a tweet that the Qatari center merely retaliated after a hard foul in an earlier play by Raymundo.
He said: "Game got a bit physical. Hard foul by Kerby on Qatari center. He retaliated n that's were it got out of hand. No punches but better to stop."
The friendly, held at the Ronac gym in San Juan, was stopped at the 4:47 mark of the third period. Qatar was ahead, 55-52, when officials from both camps decided to call off the match.
Eala, who watched the match from ringside and ordered that it be stopped, also got into an argument with some Qatari officials.
“I was just telling them to stop the game, pero mainit pa rin,” said a fuming Eala. “It was just unfortunate that this thing happened. Basketball is a physical game. It would have been nice to see them play.”
Qatar’s team manager Ahmed Abdul-hadi, meantime, said the Qataris had no intention of hurting the Gin Kings since all they wanted was to prepare for the coming FIBA Asia Cup set in Tokyo, Japan.
“We know that the Filipinos, if they want to win basketball, they’ll try to hit you," Abdul-hadi told Spin.ph.
"We never had any kind of a problem before playing here. We love this country and we love the people. Our coach was just using a lot of our players to see what we can do to better improve our team as we go to Japan.”

Air21 coach looking for his own 'El Granada'



Air21 coach Franz Pumaren says the team is need of a reliable backcourt scorer in the mold of Global Port's Gary David. Jerome Ascano
DON’T be surprised if a 'Wanted' sign is posted on the Air21 locker room door in the few days as the Express try to address their pressing need for a playmaker and a shooting guard.
Admitting that his top backcourt stars Renren Ritualo and Wynne Arboleda are no longer spring chickens, Air21 coach Franz Pumaren said the Express are on the lookout for a pair of guards to complement his much-improved frontline in time for the PBA’s 38th season.
“Looking at other teams like Petron, Ginebra, B-Meg and even Global Port, they all have a solid guard lineups. Right now, our team needs a solid point guard and a scorer whom we can rely on come crunch time, in the mold of say Gary David (of Global Port),” Pumaren told Spin.ph.
Pumaren disclosed there are ongoing trade negotiations with other PBA teams, although he declined to divulge them at the moment.
A new backcourt pair could go well with Air21's much-improved frontline, which has been bolstered by the arrival of former top pick overall Noy Baclao and Rob Reyes from Petron, and slamdunk king KG Canaleta from Barangay Ginebra.
“We were able to solve our problem with the bigs. But now, we need guys who could complement them,” he added.
Air21 finished last on offense the past season with an 85.6 points per game average. It also ranked second-to-last in defense by allowing their opponents 96.8 points per game as it finished with a woeful 5-27 record.
Arboleda, a three-time PBA Defensive Player of the Year awardee, averaged just 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Express during his brief six-game stint following his arrival from Barako Bull during the Governors Cup.
On the other hand, Ritualo, the former La Salle deadshot, normed 9.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists last season when he was reunited with his college coach.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/air21-coach-looking-for-his-own-el-granada

TITANIC RIVALRY IN PBA



The Manny Pangilinan-Ramon Ang rivalry has been like a board game betweeen two grandmasters of business played out on the 94-by-50-foot wooden floor of the Big Dome. Jerome Ascano
THEY are known simply by one name, like Magic and Michael and Jawo before them. To the people within their ever-expanding basketball organizations and in league circles, they go by an even shorter, one-syllable name that commands both awe and respect: Boss.
MVP and RSA have faced off over everything from airlines to airports, power distribution companies to power plants, mines to hospitals, and train systems to highways, so it was of little surprise that this tycoon-nic rivalry would soon spill over onto the sports battlefield.
Before them, there was Crispa versus Toyota and, to a lesser extent, Purefoods versus San Miguel (back in the days when Purefoods was still owned by the Ayalas, and Don Jaime was a fixture at ringside), Ginebra versus Shell, Crispa versus Great Taste and Bobby Jaworski versus Mon Fernandez.
But make no mistake about it. In this day and age when multiple ownership is allowed in the pro league and synergies among sister teams are supposedly forbidden yet nonetheless tolerated, there is no rivalry in the PBA bigger than the one between Manny V. Pangilinan and Ramon S. Ang.
This rivalry, however, is unique to itself, fought not by teams or players or coaches but by two grandmasters of business who make all the moves in a veritable chess game played out on the 94-by-50-foot wooden floor of the Big Dome.
“Believe it or not, he’s on top of everything,” San Miguel Corp. director for sports Noli Eala said of Ang. “Nothing in the [basketball] organization doesn’t have his blessings.”
It is more or less the same with Pangilinan and the two teams under the PLDT group, giving us an idea on the management style of the two most influential people in Philippine basketball who also happen to be among the biggest movers in business today.
“He’s very much involved,” said Chot Reyes, coach of the Smart Gilas national team and Pangilinan’s point man when it comes to basketball matters.
Pangilinan owns the Talk ‘N Text and Meralco teams, is the biggest supporter of the successful Ateneo and San Beda basketball programs, heads the country’s basketball body and backs several other sports, unwavering in his belief that sports should be an integral part of nation-building.
Given his crazy schedule, MVP watches as many games as he can and, according to Reyes, is just as active behind the scene, devoting as much time and effort as he involves himself in the decision-making when it comes to plans and player movements of Talk ‘N Text and Meralco.
“He wants to be informed about everything, from plans to personnel movements. He sits in during meetings and planning sessions and will give you all the resources that you need,” Reyes added. “But the beauty of it is, after that he steps back and lets you do your thing.”



“He wants to be informed about everything, from plans to personnel movements. He sits in during meetings and planning sessions and will give you all the resources that you need,” Chot Reyes says of boss Manny Pangilinan. Photo by Jerome Ascano

“He wants to be informed about everything, from plans to personnel movements. He sits in during meetings and planning sessions and will give you all the resources that you need,” Chot Reyes says of boss Manny Pangilinan. Photo by Jerome Ascano
Ang is less visible than MVP during games, but that doesn’t mean he is less involved. According to Eala, RSA catches as many games as he can of his three teams – or five, if you believe the chatter in league circles – on television and watches on video the games that he can’t.
“He takes time to really… iisa-isahin n’ya ‘yan,” Eala told Spin.ph.
Asked why RSA rarely shows up for games, Eala said: “Kasi ang lagi niyang sinasabi e baka daw mag-coach siya pag nandun siya sa game.”
It is also not uncommon for Ang to personally meet with coaches and players. In fact RSA meets with them on a weekly basis and from time to time dips his hands into the Xs and Os of the game, dropping what Eala subtly calls “suggestions” to the coaches.
“His involvement is not only on a professional level, or merely because he owns the team, but also on a personal level,” said the former PBA commissioner of his boss. “He knows each of the players and we have interaction with the players on a regular basis.”
If SMC and PLDT teams have the best teams and the finest players in the league, it may not be entirely because of the resources they have. These teams also have the biggest deal-makers in business to put the final stamp on all of their trade transactions.
“Of course, he has people to help him,” Eala said. “But at the end of the day he makes the decisions.”
In fact, if you believe inside information from the Alaska camp, then RSA’s fingerprints were all over the shock deal earlier in the year that saw Tim Cone leave the Aces – supposedly to take a break from basketball – only to show up days later as the new head coach at SMC-owned B-Meg.
Ang’s growing involvement has also caused a tectonic shift in power within the San Miguel camp, the influence and control of the SMC teams veering away from the so-called Cojuangco boys and into the hands of a couple of men led by Eala who enjoy the new boss’ trust and confidence.
As Ang took a more direct hand in the running of the team, men who had been with Danding and Ron Jacobs since the Northern Consolidated days have either faded into the background or left altogether, none more prominently than multi-titled coach Jong Uichico.
It was no surprise that Uichico has since moved to the MVP camp.


"Ang lagi niyang sinasabi e baka daw mag-coach siya pag nandun siya sa game," says Noli Eala when asked why Ramon Ang rarely goes to the games. Photo by Jerome Ascano

"Ang lagi niyang sinasabi e baka daw mag-coach siya pag nandun siya sa game," says Noli Eala when asked why Ramon Ang rarely goes to the games. Photo by Jerome Ascano
But for all the talk about the pro league turning into both a business and a tool for big business, Eala swears Ang’s involvement in the running of Petron, San Mig Coffee (formerly B-Meg) and Ginebra is driven only by a deep passion and love for the game.
“He loves basketball. At the same time his family loves basketball. In fact, his family watches the games,” said Eala. “In a sense I guess [RSA and MVP’s] passion for the game is very similar. The difference lang siguro is more visible si MVP kasi he goes to the games.”
And just like in business, failure is not an option for these two giants.
Of course, there are the occasional tournaments when an Alaska or a Rain or Shine pulled the rug from under the heavyweights. But that has become no more than an aberration when, more than any other point in league history, the balance of power has tilted dramatically in the moneyed teams’ favor, no matter what league propagandists say.
Over the last five years, there has been no conference finals played without a San Miguel-owned or PLDT team in it. The score is Ang 5 and MVP 4 when it comes to titles won over those 12 conferences, with their head-to-head finals record all square at 2-all.
“To him the PBA is a competition,” Eala said of Ang. “And just like any business, you have to meet your objectives.”
And does one derive special pleasure from beating the other?
“From what I see, it’s not a personal thing for [MVP]. But I know it’s special for him (when we beat San Miguel-owned teams), but only because they’re the best. They have five-and-a-half teams in the league,” a chuckling Reyes said without elaborating.
Eala said: “The objective is to win, whether it is against the MVP teams or not. Pero siyempre meron ding kumbaga bragging rights because they see each other sometimes and they sit together in the Meralco board. So kahit papano nagkikita sila.
“Who knows what they talk about then.”


PBA gives Asia hosting bid its full backing

Sorce: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/pba-pitches-support-to-sbps-fiba-asia-hosting-bid



PBA Commissioner Chito Salud and members of the board hope to show Fiba officials that the pro league is working closely with the national federation. Jerome Ascano
THE Philippine Basketball Association will lend its full support to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas next week when the cage body lobbies for the country’s hosting of the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship.
League commissioner Chito Salud confirmed he’ll form part of the delegation that travels to Tokyo on September 18 to make a case before executives of Fiba-Asia about the Philippines’ capability to stage an event as big as the qualifier for the 2014 Fiba-World Championships.
Salud will be with a small group of Filipino basketball officials travelling to the Japanese capital for the country’s presentation. The SBP will be led by president Manny Pangilinan, vice-chairman Ricky Vargas, executive director Sonny Barrios, and former Fiba-Asia secretary general Moying Martelino.
The PBA board of governors will also pitch in its support as Salud is going to be accompanied by chairman Robert Non, vice-chairman Ramon Segismundo, and treasurer Ely Capacio.
Aside from the Philippines, also bidding to host the 2013 Fiba-Asia meet are Iran and late entry Japan.
“I intend to impress upon our leaders in Fiba-Asia that the PBA is one with the SBP in its quest to regain basketball supremacy here in Asia,” said Salud. “Unequivocal is our support of SBP’s quest to host the Fiba-Asia qualifying tournament here in 2013 and we want to make sure (Fiba-Asia) secretary-general Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon gets that message."
The country hosted the inaugural staging of the biennial meet in 1960 when it was still known as the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship. A five-time winner – second in the history of the event – the Philippines last hosted the cagefest in 1973.
Salud believes Filipino basketball fans are excited about the prospect of having the Fiba-Asia championship here after Smart Gilas-Pilipinas 2.0 won the Jones Cup in Taipei.
He said the country’s chances of qualifying for the Fiba-World Championship in Spain two years from now would be even better if the meet is held here given the expected hot reception of the local fans and considering that the top three teams earn outright berths to the tournament many consider as the ‘Olympics of basketball.’
“We in the PBA stand side-by-side with Fiba and the SBP in making sure that Asian basketball is developed to its peak,” added Salud.

Intact Coffee Mixers banking on chemistry to stay ahead of rivals



Tim Cone feels an intact San Mig squad led by Marc Pingris, left, James Yap and Peter June Simon has what it takes to compete against the vastly improved lineups of other teams. Jerome Ascano
EXCEPT for a change of name and a sprinkling of a few rookies, everything seemed to have stood still for San Mig Coffee (formerly B-Meg) in this offseason.
That may not exactly be a bad thing. Why fix something that ain’t broke, right?
By keeping intact a lineup that won one championship and reached the finals twice in his first season at the helm, Cone is banking on team chemistry to be San Mig’s biggest asset when the PBA Philippine Cup begins on September 30.
San Mig was in the middle of a transition in last season’s Philippine Cup with Cone joining the team just weeks into the campaign. The Coffee Mixers were consequently dumped out of the playoffs by longshot Powerade.
That won’t be the case this season.
While most of the other teams will have to spend a considerable amount of time trying to blend their new players with the old ones, Cone figures the Coffee Mixers’ intact team will be ready to hit the ground running.
“I believe what would really work for us is our chemistry. It’s something we can continue to work on to our advantage coming into the All-Filipino,” Cone told Spin.ph.
Cone said his team, built around former league MVP James Yap, banger Marc Pingris and high-scoring Peter June Simon, is strong and deep enough to match up against some of the best in the pro league.
All he did in the offseason was load up on big men through the draft, signing former Smart Gilas mainstay Aldrich Ramos, National University banger Jewel Ponferada and 6-8 Gian Chiu who, together with a healthy Joe Devance, should help the Mixers cope against teams that got bigger in the offseason.
“We’ve got at least two established point guards and we’re also loaded in the two-guard spot because of James and PJ. We’ve also got a pair of big players in Rafi Reavis and Yancy (De Ocampo), so we somehow have guys who could help us defend against June Mar (Fajardo’s, Petron’s top overall rookie pick),” said Cone.
Cone is impressed with what he is seeing from his rookies so far.
“Aldrech is such a special player. He adds a new dimension to the team. He’s a good perimeter shooter and can defend well also,” said Cone.
“With Jewel, he’s a guy who loves to do the dirty work. He’ll be a big help and a complement to Pingris. I feel with these two young guys, they could mix up well with our veterans,” he added.
Cone and his Coffee Mixers have a proud tradition to uphold in the tournament, which the former Purefoods franchise has won five times while finishing runner-up eight times since joining the league in 1988.
“This organization has always taken pride in playing the All-Filipino because of its rich winning tradition,” he said.
With the team he has got, Cone expects the Coffee Mixers to be right in the mix.

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/intact-coffee-mixers-banking-on-chemistry-to-stay-ahead-of-rivals

1989 PBA All-Filipino Finals Game 3 San Miguel-Purefoods 122-109



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