No ax to grind against former team San Mig, insists guard Urbiztondo By Gerry Ramos

“As a professional, you have to approach basketball the same way every time. You approach it like you do any game," says Josh Urbiztondo after the match against former team San Mig. Nuki Sabio/ PBA Images

BARAKO Bull’s Josh Urbiztondo played like a man possessed against his former team San Mig Coffee on Sunday night in the PBA Philippine Cup, but he insisted it was in no way a statement game.

The Fil-Am point guard finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, and whipped the bullet pass that set up a driving Enrico Villanueva for the potential game-winner in the waning seconds. But Rafi Reavis' controversial tap on the ball allowed the Mixers to escape with a 92-91 victory.

Urbiztondo was quick to shrug off the loss, and likewise dismissed the common notion that he played his heart out to prove something against the Mixers – the same bunch of guys with whom he won a championship with early this year, only to be traded away to the Energy Cola during the offseason.

“You know, people will tend to make a big issue of playing against your former team,” said Urbiztondo, who faced San Mig Coffee for the first time this season since the stunning trade.  

“As a professional, you have to approach basketball the same way every time. You approach it like you do any game. It was a tough loss, but you have to move forward.”

San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone was later seen approaching his former point guard after the game, and whispered words of encouragement in his ear.

"He said, `You’re just playing a hell of basketball. You’re running this team very well. I’m proud of you. Keep up the good work. Maybe we could see each other again in the future,” said Urbiztondo, quoting the words Cone uttered to him.

Despite playing for another team now, Josh said he has kept the line open with his former teammates, with whom he had become close especially after their epic championship victory over Talk `N Text in last year’s Commissioner’s Cup.

“The relationship will always be there, but once you step on to the court, it’s all business,” he said. “The PBA is a small community, so you build relationships when you play for a team, when you win a championship with them. The relationship is always lifelong.”

Roger Yap, another former San Mig Coffee stalwart now playing for Barako Bull, also felt the same way.

The tough guard from Cebu scored five points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished off three assists against the franchise with whom he won a pair of championships in the past.

“Nagkataon lang siguro,” he said laughing about the thought of taking on his former team for the first time since returning to the PBA this season following a short stint in the Asean Basketball League.

Yap said he even went to the San Mig Coffee dugout prior to the game and exchanged pleasantries with his ex-teammates.

“Before the game, doon pa ako tumambay, nakipag-kuwentuhan,” he revealed. “Kahit wala na rin naman ako sa team, ganun pa rin `yung samahan. Lahat naman yan kaibigan ko.”

Follow the writer on Twitter: @gerardmos

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/no-ax-to-grind-against-former-team-san-mig-insists-guard-urbiztondo

Should PBA change goaltending rules? Coaches have mixed feelings

Rey Joble, InterAKTV · Monday, October 29, 2012 · 7:48 pm

InterAKTV/Justin Gener

After controversy about goaltending rules brought about by confusion over San Mig Coffee center Rafi Reavis’ game-saving swipe against Barako Bull on Sunday, coaches had different reactions when asked about whether the PBA should revise its rules.
Alaska coach Luigi Trillo said game officials should be lauded for making the correct call.
“First of all, I’d like to commend the referees for the non-call because that play made by Reavis was legal,” said Trillo.
“There were instances when Adam Parada, our import last season, tapped the ball while the ball is still bouncing or rolling on the cylinder of the rim during the last free throw attempt.”
But Trillo admitted that he wants a return to the old PBA rules, when a player couldn’t touch the ball while it’s still above the cylinder of the rim.
“But moving forward, I would want to remove it than keep it because it takes away the beauty of the game. Imagine, that could have been a game-winning play,” he said.
Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao echoed Trillo’s thoughts.
“This rule was implemented so that PBA players get the feel of the international rule,” Guiao told InterAKTV.
“Pero ang rationale ko nga diyan, yung ball on downward path nga tinatawagan nila ng goaltending, why would you not call goaltending on a play where the ball has a chance of going in? It defeats the purpose of a shot and it deprives a player or a team of scoring. For me, the PBA should start thinking of abolishing this rule.”
No time to revise
But Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio, who coached Reavis at Purefoods, has no problem with carrying on with the goaltending rules.
“I don’t think we have time to revisit or revise any of our rules now. It’s a rule which wasn’t done overnight,” said Gregorio.
“Dinatnan na ni Commissioner yan, unlike a rule which he implemented just recently where a player diving for the loose ball can stand up and not being called a travelling. That one is an experiment.”
The goaltending rule was put in place during the term of former commissioner Sonny Barrios.
“This rule about a player tapping the ball while it’s still on the cylinder is something we’ve seen several times already. It’s just about a player or a team finding their edge to make that play. It just so happened that Rafi Reavis had the presence of mind to tap the ball out while it was still on the rim and it just so happened that it came during the critical stage of the match — a win or lose situation,” added Gregorio.
“In my opinion, mas magkakagulo yun if the refs counted the basket because there’s already an existing rule that once the ball hits the rim, it’s already a live ball.”
Air 21 coach Franz Pumaren, meanwhile, noted that teams who are familiar with the rule have always taken advantage of it. A former national player in the 1980s, Pumaren said the Philippine team’s naturalized players used to do that in FIBA competition.
“It’s just a matter of strategy. We’ve been doing that ever since we were playing in the NCC. Sina Jeff Moore and Dennis Still would do that, tapping the ball out while it’s still bouncing or rolling the cylinder,” said Pumaren.
“We adopted that as well when I was coaching La Salle. Sina Rico Maierhofer ginagawa rin nila yan before. Maybe Barako is not fully aware on the details of that rule.”

source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/should-pba-change-goaltending-rules-coaches-have-mixed-feelings

Did Reavis touch ring? Villanueva explains bone of contention over 'goaltending' non-call By Karlo Sacamos

Barako Bull forward Enrico Villanueva, pictured protesting the non-call on Rafi Reavis' game-saving play, is right in pointing out that the San Mig center should have been called for goaltending if his hand had come into contact with either the rim or the net. Jerome Ascano

DID Rafi Reavis touch the rim when he made the game-saving play that preserved San Mig Coffee's 92-91 victory over Barako Bull on Sunday night?
Barako Bull big man Enrico Villanueva posed the question on Monday as he explained his vigorous opposition to the non-call on Reavis' 'goaltending' violation that marred the final moments of the PBA Philippine Cup match.
The 6-5 Energy Cola forward was at the center of the dispute, having taken the potential game-winning shot for Barako Bull in the closing seconds which Reavis tapped away while the ball was clearly above the cylinder.
Villanueva said he was very much aware of the Fiba rule which allows players to touch the ball after the first bounce - a rule which the PBA has adopted and has since enforced since the 2006-2007 season.
But Villanueva said his bone of contention was that if Reavis' hand had any contact with either the rim or the net while making the game-saving play, the San Mig center should have been called for goaltending.
“I’m aware of the rule. I just felt that it wasn’t done properly,” Villanueva told Spin.ph on Monday.
“I might be mistaken but what I thought was that a player can’t hit or touch any part of the basket when doing it. It has to be clearly an above-the-rim swipe. If they reviewed it and it was clear (that Reavis did not touch the basket) then I have no qualms about it at all.”
Top league officials confirmed to Spin.ph that Villanueva was right: If Reavis' hand had any contact with the basket during the play, the referees should've called a goaltending violation on the San Mig center.
Villanueva also had a good vantage point on the play and therefore his question is valid.
However, his contention may be moot and academic since Barako Bull management has decided against putting the game under protest or seeking a second review of the play through replays.
See related story: Barako Bull decides against filing protest
Meanwhile, other players have their own opinions on the controversial play.
Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood stood by the referess’ non-call. “I thought it was a clean play. Rafi has been doing that for years now. Even guys like (former Alaska import) Diamon Simpson were doing the same thing.”
The high-leaping 6-foot-5 Norwood added that the rule has also come in handy for him in the past.
“I have no problem with the rule. I’ve had many putbacks and offensive rebounds that would have been offensive goaltending if the rules were different and never heard anyone complain before.”
While Barangay Ginebra’s Dylan Ababou is in favor of the rule, he thinks what Reavis did was illegal.
“Aware ako (sa rule), pero hindi legal yung ginawa ni Reavis kasi ang kuwento sa akin nasa rim pa daw yung bola so hindi siya dapat galawin.”
“Okay lang yun rule basta wala ng contact yung bola sa rim, pwede na tapikin,” the former University of Santo Tomas stalwart added.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @KarloSacamos

sOURCE: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/did-reavis-touch-ring-villanueva-explains-bone-of-contention-over-goaltending-non-call

Barako Bull decides against filing protest By Gerry Ramos

Commissioner Chito Salud was confronted by Barako Bull players Josh Urbiztondo, left, and Rico Villanueva (partly hidden) at the end of the game. Jerome Ascano

NO protest was filed by Barako Bull over the 'goaltending' controversy that cost the team a win against San Mig Coffee in their PBA Philippine Cup encounter on Sunday night.
Coach Junel Baculi said management decided not to file a formal protest, but the coaches met with Commissioner Chito Salud on Monday afternoon to seek clarification on the league's goaltending rule.
In a text message, Baculi said, “we had a meeting with commissioner Salud. Clarify the rules, but did not file a protest.”
The play in question was the tap made by Rafi Reavies on Enrico Villanueva’s potential game-winning basket in the waning seconds of the tightly-fought game at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Reavies touched the ball while it was still clearly above the cylinder, a move which Barako Bull officials said was an obvious goaltending. The Energy Cola lost the game, 91-92.
However, Salud pointed out that the league has since the 2006-2007 season adopted the Fiba rule on goaltending, which allows players to touch the ball after the first bounce on the rim.

Follow the writer on Twitter: @gerardmos

source: http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/barako-bull-decides-against-filing-protest#.UI41vN1_YtA.twitter