MANILA, 4 October — Just as expected, national coach Jong Uichico officially named Mick Pennisi — the clean-shaven Fil-Italian behemoth and three-point shooting artist of Red Bull in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) — as the replacement of the injured Danny Seigle on the official roster of the Philippine team competing in the ongoing Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
Uichico made the announcement that completed the Philippine basketball team’s Fighting 12 after the first workout of the all-pro RP team in preparation for their debut match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Seigle, the 6-6 San Miguel deadshot and the national team’s best scorer, ruptured his left Achilles tendon during the team’s tune-up game against Qatar last week that opened the door for one of the three reserves.
Just hours after Seigle was helped out of the Araneta Coliseum, a battery of tests performed at the St. Luke’s Hospital by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Raul Canlas confirmed the nation’s worst fear: Seigle had a complete tear on the Achilles’ tendon on his left foot.
He was operated the day after he suffered the injury before being informed of the bitterest pill: that he would have to take a rest for at least six months. Indeed, it was a big blow to the Nationals’ bid to end a long 40-year title drought in the sport that matters most for them and something that put a damper on Seigle’s flourishing career.
“Pennisi is the logical choice,” said Uichico who is confident Pennisi would provide muscle in defense, heft and offensive firepower and hopefully bring back some measure of flexibility to the team. “He’s tall, he can shoot from outside and he can play either center or forward.”
Uichico, who lamented the shock loss of Seigle and the opportunity to start both Seigle and slasher Kenneth Duremdes for a more potent offense, said the decision was made while looking at the bigger picture.
“For one, Andy Seigle is still questionable at this time,” said the San Miguel coach-on-leave. “He’s practicing but we can’t tell if he can give us the minutes that he should give us. If that happens, we’ll definitely need a tall player because after Andy, we’re left with only Asi (Taulava).”
Andy, the elder of the Seigle brothers, suffered back spasms on the same evening that Danny went down with a torn Achilles’ tendon and also underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging at St. Luke’s Hospital.
The MRI test revealed no muscle damage but Seigle continues to favor his back.
At 6-foot-9, Pennisi’s height clearly gave him the edge over two other alternates — 5-9 Purefoods pointguard Boyet Fernandez and 6-3 Shell forward Chris Jackson — who also arrived with the RP team in Pusan.
Pennisi, along with Fernandez and Jackson, was placed on the reserve list at the end of months of strength-sapping tryout and competition to pick the top 12 players who will carry the national colors.
With Seigle taking charge as the starting shooting guard, the choice naturally boiled down between Pennisi and Jackson, with Uichico settling for the taller, more flexible Pennisi. The coaching staff said major adjustments are needed to offset the loss of Seigle. Uichico shifted Duremdes to the starting second guard position in lieu of Danny Seigle.
Uichico said they lost great flexibility on the ouster of his ace scorer but nonetheless vowed to give their best shot in the games.
“Definitely, he (Danny Seigle) will be missed,” said Uichico.
Meanwhile, Pennisi welcomed the decision of the coaching staff to take him as replacement for Seigle.
“I’m honored and I hope to do correctly the role I’m supposed to play. I’m very happy for my family. They will be proud of me for sure. To be able to play means a lot to me,” said Pennisi, who is married to a Filipina of Pampango descent and has two children, including a 10-month-old girl “who should be walking already by the time I return.” Pennisi was mindful of the big job in his hands.
“I can’t fill Danny’s shoes, they’re really big. I just hope to fill his number. We’re two different players,” said Pennisi, the Red Bull mainstay who is staying with his wife and a daughter in Binangonan, Rizal.
The 27-year-old Pennisi admitted he had an inkling he would be elevated to a regular status after Seigle suffered a injury and reinforced his belief with the other Seigle, Andy, not in top condition.
But not until Uichico personally informed him that he was the coaching staff’s hands-down choice to replace Danny Seigle.
Instinctively, Pennisi heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that it was something he had worked so hard for since he was called to join the national training pool’s in December last year. Assistant RP team manager Elmer Yanga , on the other hand, said Uichico picked Pennisi, a power forward and one of three reserves on the Philippine basketball team, the most high-profile squad in the Philippine delegation to the Asiad owing to the fact that it is made up of the top millionaire superstars of the PBA who are hoping to dethrone long-time champion China.
Obviously because Seigle’s brother, Andy, also has an injury problem and is on a day to day basis,” said Yanga. “If Andy Seigle can’t play, regular slotman Asi Taulava would have no backup.” The other members of the cage team are Olsen Racela, Noy Castillo, Kenneth Duremdes, Dondon Hontiveros, Rudy Hatfield, Eric Menk, Danny Ildefonso, Dennis Espino and Jeffrey Cariaso.
Seigle is expected to arrive this week in crutches accompanied by assistant coach Boyzie Zamar to give his teammates morale support. Even without Danny Seigle, the Nationals are convinced they’ll have a good shot at the elusive gold medal if they play up to their potentials.
So the Nationals are putting the loss of Seigle at the back of their minds and all they want now is to get rid of the obstacles in their bid to end the country’s 40-year jinx in the Asiad. The Philippines last won the Asiad basketball gold medal in 1962 in Jakarta with a team backstopped by Caloy Loyzaga and a young Rhoel Nadurata under coach Enrique Crame. It was the country’s fourth and last Asiad gold medal.
Today the Nationals are carrying the hopes of a country that longs to see this squad succeed in the Asiad despite the odds and they are hopeful they can have a good shot at the elusive gold medal if they play up to their potential.
“We’re beyond that already. Nobody’s talking about Danny Seigle’s injury anymore. We’re just looking forward right now. I guess this is it,” said Uichico. “Everything we’ve worked so hard to build will be tested finally.”
Despite losing Danny Seigle to injury, Uichico said the mood in the Philippine team camp was upbeat. Morale is high and the players, except for the Seigle brothers, are healthy, discounting some nagging aches and pains. “We’re raring to play,” said Uichico yesterday. “Everyday, at practice, we work on execution, fine-tuning our moves. The guys are ready. We can’t wait to get it on.”
The Nationals will be without multititled coach Ron Jacobs, originally picked to call the shots for the squad, who suffered a stroke December last year.
On the eve of their departure, the coaching staff and some of the players visited bed-ridden Jacobs in his Pasig condominium, asking for his blessing, guidance and wisdom.
“When we left, we paid him a little visit and it was emotional,” said assistant coach Allan Caidic. “The team is very active and rarin’ to go.
The injury of Seigle has become a rallying point of our boys. We have a very good chance and our positive attitude will carry us hopefully to the championship,” said PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino, who had nothing but kind words for the selection of the finest players from the pro league.
“Definitely, Danny is a great loss,” Bernardino said. “But things happen for a reason. His case could even become a rallying point for the team. One way to positively look at it is that the injury happened now and not at the time when competitions in Pusan had begun. At least, we have more time to prepare and make the necessary adjustments.”
Bernardino is convinced no team is unbeatable in the Asiad, not even China.
“Hope springs eternal. They (Chinese) are beatable. Every team, in fact, is beatable in this games,” said Bernardino.
But he admitted it won’t be easy.
Uichico himself conceded the job has become tougher with the team losing Seigle.
The 6-foot-9 Andy Seigle is still enduring back pains but maintained he’s determined to play for flag and country.
“I’ve played under worst condition, he said. It’s been sore the past few days but it’s coming around and I’m definitely playing.”
Interestingly, before leaving for Pusan, he was given clearance to compete but was advised to continue undertaking therapy even while in Pusan to heal his sore back.
There are 13 teams entered in the basketball tournament. The Philippines is bracketed in Group C with the UAE and North Korea.
Group A is made up of China, Hong Kong and Lebanon. Group B is composed of South Korea, Japan, Kuwait and Mongolia. Group D lists Chinese-Taipei, Kazakhstan, and Qatar.
The North Koreans, who took over the slot in Group C vacated by the withdrawal of India, boast of probably the tallest basketball player in the world in 7-foot-9 Ri Myong-hun.
If seedings run true to form, the Philippines would hurdle UAE and North Korea in the eliminations then join China, Japan and either Kazakhstan or Qatar in one of two groups in the quarterfinals.
Barring any hitches, the Nationals may well make it to the crossover semifinal round against the deadly South Korean team.
The basketball competition is now minus one top contender with Lebanon, second placer behind China in the last ABC men’s championship in Shanghai pulling out of the tourney at the last minute citing major injuries to its key players as the primary reason.
But Uichico said Lebanon’s exit would hardly matter in the Nationals’ title bid.
“In the first place, they’re not in our bracket. Then if we would make it past the elims, it’s a long shot for them (Lebanese) to meet us in the quarterfinals,” said Uichico.
Aside from Caidic and Zamar, Uichico’s assistants are Eric Altamirano and Binky Favis. American Paul Howard, a former Arizona State assistant coach, is the staff’s consultant.
To prepare for the Pusan Games, the Philippine team saw action in the PBA Governor’s Cup and Commissioner’s Cup. It also played four games in Italy last June. There were also a series of two-game exhibitions against Chinese-Taipei, the Melbourne Tigers of Australia, and Qatar.
The staging of the quadrennial meet could very well be the biggest acid test for the PBA, which for the past three editions of the games has represented the country and carried the burden of trying to live up to the Filipinos’ expectations of winning the gold.
The PBA has sent the best players, and coaching staff, it could best offer to fulfill its golden mission — to no avail, though.
Since its formation late last year, the Philippine team’s preparations have been hounded by one setback after another.
Four years since the last Asian Games in 1998, the Philippines will embark on a mission yet again to reclaim regional basketball throne from the Chinese with the help of much taller, heftier, quicker and talented Fil-foreign players.
