MANILA, 8 February — Take your pick: Fil-Ams or full-blooded Filipino players?
With barely eight months to go before the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea, the country is facing a dilemma on who should make up the nucleus of the Philippine national team that will attempt to reclaim the elusive basketball gold.
Should it be the taller and more athletic Fil-Ams or the homegrown talent?
As always, true-blue Filipino players are the sentimental favorites owing to the land’s age-old tradition in forming the national team. And half-bred Filipino cagers the underdogs, right?
Wrong.
If we are to use the growing sentiment in the country as yardstick then these Fil-foreign players whose surnames seem very alien could very well be the overwhelming favorites to don the national jerseys in Pusan.
It’s obvious.
In the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), foreign-bred players, particularly Fil-Ams, are oozing with height, heft, speed and talent never seen in years making them far better when ranged against the locals.
These qualities the half-bred Filipinos learned from foreign shores could, no doubt, give the country the best chance of beating the opposition, most notably the perennial Asian Games champion China, in the prestigious quadrennial games in September.
But better not tell that to the full-blooded Filipinos who are members of the national training pool.
"If they are going to tap half-Filipino players for the national team, we hope they’ll get those who are ready to die for flag and country. For sure, all the pure locals will do this," said Poch Juinio, who has developed into a versatile forward under coach Chot Reyes.
Juinio, who has never been with any Philippine team, takes immense pride in his inclusion among the aspirants and echoed everyone else’s sentiment, saying: "Just imagine if I make it to Pusan. That would be great."
Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) star Romel Adducul, who like Juinio is also hoping to play for the national quintet for the first time, said heart will be a deciding factor for most of the foreign-born locals.
It is precisely for the honor of playing for flag and country that other injured Filipino players are more than willing to grin and endure the pain.
"Their (Fil-Ams) only advantage is being more athletic compared to Filipino players. So it would be a challenge for us to outplay and eventually beat them," said Adducul, who has been a member of the national team to different competitions five times since 1996.
Both Juinio and Adducul are eager to slug it out for the big man slots with the likes of Fil-foreigners Asi Taulava, Erik Menk and Andy Seigle.
Interestingly, with most of the Filipino players out with a cocktail of injuries, focus will be on the Fil-foreign players who, many believe, will outnumber the pure local talent in the Philippine team bound for Pusan.
A number will undergo rehabilitation, including reigning two-time PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Danny Ildefonso, former MVP and many-time Philippine team mainstay Kenneth Duremdes and Centennial Team member Olsen Racela.
But Duremdes’ and Racela’s problem is light and more manageable compared to Ildefonso’s.
Duremdes has already undergone an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test a couple of days ago and initial results showed he is being bothered by a shrunken muscle on his left knee and a strained ligament on his right knee.
"I’m still currently undergoing rehabilitation. I don’t want to have surgery because the recovery period would take some time. I really want to catch up with the national team," said Duremdes.
Racela, Duremdes’ teammate in the 1998 Centennial Team that settled for the bronze in Bangkok, is nursing a pinched ligament in his right foot.
But if he is picked, Racela said, he should be a hundred percent fit by the time the regional competition starts.
"There’s no need for surgery actually, just rehabilitation," said Racela, who has a special reason for wanting to be named to the national team.
"When it comes to desire, I guess nobody can question mine. I really want it badly because I know this could be the last time I will represent the country in a tournament as big as the Asian Games. I’m not an Alvin Patrimonio or an Allan Caidic, who were valuable players even when they were 35 or so," said the 31-year-old Racela, Uichico’s top playmaker at San Miguel.
Ildefonso also passed off surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.
That injury has hounded Ildefonso throughout his playing years and one he couldn’t shake off. It now threatens his bid for inclusion in his first Asiad team.
His inclusion into the national training pool has long been expected, owing to his impressive credentials in the professional league and his growing reputation as one of the best players today.
The 6-5 San Miguel forward said he would be out of commission for at least four months if he chooses to go under the knife. Some say surgery on his stricken feet would entail six months of complete rest. The only hope is therapy and, still, that is no sure-fire guarantee.
"At least, now that I’m undergoing rehabilitation, I’ve got a chance to make it to the national team. If I decide to have a surgery then it will be all over for me, I can’t play for the national team," said Ildefonso, whose recent visit for therapy in the United States has so far yielded little positive results.
They may be injured, and they may be faced with tough opposition from halfway around the world. But for the top locals seeking slots into the final 12 in the national team, all is not lost on their bids to make it to Pusan. In fact, they are determined to give it their best shot whatever it takes.
Truly, it will be a question of heart and desire for the 30 aspirants seeking slots in the national team to be coached by Uichico. But making it to the national team is one thing and going up against the talented Fil-foreign cagers to gain berths in the squad is another.
Uichico said he couldn’t ask more from the players sweating it out in drills, sacrificing personal goals, and adjusting to the international rules they will face in Pusan.
"The guys are working hard and they’re getting along," said Uichico. "The intensity at practice is fantastic. Their attitude is great — they’re proud to be part of the national team."
The other members of the national training team are Johnny Abarrientos, Jeffrey Cariaso, Christian Calaguio, Ren-Ren Ritualo, Dondon Hontiveros, Patrick Fran, Don Camaso, Boyet Fernandez, Marlou Aquino, Dennis Espino, and EJ Feihl and Fil-foreigners Chris Clay, Jeffrey Flowers, Rudy Hatfield, Rafi Reavis, Chris Jackson, Danny Seigle, Jimmy Alapag, Noy Castillo, Ali Peek, Davonn Harp, Mick Pennisi and Eric Menk.
Earlier, Uichico named the additional 13 players, composed of a mix of veteran PBA players, rookies and MBA mainstays to the training pool, bringing the total of aspirants for slots to the Pusan Games to 30.
He has already divided the 30 players into two teams that will play in the Governors Cup, the PBA’s first offering for the 2002 season which begins on Feb. 10.
Uichico will then trim down those two teams to one come the Commissioner’s Cup before coming up with the final list after the second conference, just in time for the team’s departure to Pusan.
He will trim the pool players to 15 or 18 — not 24 as originally planned — after the First Conference. Then, the remaining players will form the team for the Second Conference where Uichico hopes each PBA team is allowed to recruit an import without a height limit.
"The original plan was to name 24, but like I said, I want to give as many players as possible a shot at making the national team," said Uichico, who was Norman Black’s assistant coach in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games where the national team wound up fourth.
Clay and Flowers, two talented half-Filipinos who failed to acquire their justice department citizenship confirmations in time for the league’s annual rookie draft, led the 13 players who will be added to the original 17 chosen by Ron Jacobs, who was initially appointed as national coach before suffering a stroke which led to his replacement.
Coca-Cola’s Johnny Abarrientos, Talk ‘N’ Text’s Patrick Fran, Purefoods’ Boyet Fernandez and Racela were the four point guards named to the training pool. Absent from that list was La Salle hotshot Mike Cortez, who couldn’t make a strong enough commitment to the national team to impress the coaching staff. Cortez reportedly has to take care of his academics to maintain his eligibility for La Salle.
Still, Adducul’s unresolved status, and that of Flowers, Clay and Alapag, is bothering him.
"There’s a spot open for Romel but for how long, I don’t know," admitted Uichico. "Will the MBA let him play in the pool? I won’t bring in a replacement in case he can’t play because it’s unfair to the PBA teams to release a player this late. As for Flowers, Clay and Alapag, they’re waiting for their DOJ clearance. Their deadline is the end of the First Conference."
Uichico has assumed the head coaching job from Jacobs, who owns an impressive winning record against Asian power China, and will follow basically the same program that the latter had drawn up before being hospitalized.
Uichico and his assistants began considering the most probable places and tournaments where the tough teams in Pusan, like China, South Korea, Lebanon, among others, could be scouted to better draw up a battle plan for the national team.
"We want to know as much about the opposition as possible. We do not want to be groping in the dark when the tournament comes. And we are not talking about just one team here," said Uichico.
A more detailed scouting of the Asian Games opposition has been laid down by PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino as one of the "musts" in the preparations of the team. "If possible, we can track down the profiles of our enemies’ coaches," Bernardino said when he laid down the framework of the comprehensive program he helped draw up. The tournament high up in the coaching staff’s mind is the World Basketball Championship in Indianapolis in August, where Asia would be represented by China and Lebanon. "We must have some of our scouts there since we know that those who would compete there would most likely be our opponents in Pusan," Uichico said.
Uichico said that least of their priorities is the Jones Cup in Taipei sometime in September despite the fact that Japan and South Korea are seeing action in the tourney.
"Traditionally, only Japan and the Philippines send their national teams there," explained Uichico. "South Korea uses that tournament for its juniors team while the game tapes could be used to scout Japan."
He said the other Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries, like Syria, Kuwait, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan should also be scouted.
Assistant coach Binky Favis is scheduled to scout a tournament in March which will be participated in by the Arab countries.
Uichico expects scouts Paul Howard and Favis to have their hands full in the coming months. He added the job would not be left entirely on the hands of the scouts, with a very distinct possibility that his assistants, Allan Caidic and Eric Altamirano, and even himself going.
"We want to know what we can do against these teams on a general basis," said Uichico who said he will tap all available resources utilized by Jacobs, including the latter’s contacts when in comes to scouting.
Uichico was thankful after finally resolving what could have been a brewing "war" with disgruntled wards Aquino and Espino recently.
"All is well," said Uichico, who was glad Espino and Aquino came in "and had one of their best performances in the tryouts so far."
PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino brokered a peace talk that paved the way for the three to settle their differences and immediately buckle down to serious business.
"We have put the problem behind us, and everybody is now looking forward to have good practice and good training," said Uichico. "Surely, once in a while, we will encounter some problems, but hopefully, we will be able to solve it through dialogue."
Aquino, a two-time Asian Games veteran, and bosom buddy Espino had nearly bolted the candidates’ pool last week due to a rift between the 6-foot-9 Aquino and Uichico. The two Sta. Lucia superstars had asked the PBA Commissioner’s Office that they be dropped from the national pool. The spat, triggered by an emotional talk on nationalism delivered by Uichico after Aquino complained about allowances for members of the candidates pool who must attend regular practice.
Uichico was explaining fines that will be slapped on players who will be late for practice, and Aquino reportedly asked where the players would get the money to pay the fines. The training pool is not subsidized and everybody is trying out without a fee. Uichico then gave a brief speech about nationalism and the need to make a commitment for the country.
Aquino was apparently hurt and the slotman subsequently snubbed the next three practices. It also prompted Espino to boycott the team’s last two practice sessions as, obviously, his way of sympathizing with his Sta. Lucia teammate.
That hopefully got the national pool through its first major crisis since being formed at the start of the year, although more challenges are expected along the way in its bid to win back for the country the basketball gold and end its long 40-year title drought in the Asian Games.
