Cebuano bigman ready to bring act in Asean basketball

Thursday, December 15, 2011

DIVERSIFYING conglomerate San Miguel Corp. is confident that its acquisition of Junemar Fajardo, a prized bigman from Cebu, will help in its initial campaign in the upcoming third season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL).

"Our team got stronger with the help of Fajardo. We had a post presence and the team developed its character. Hopefully, we will be in the finals this year," SMC director of sports Noli Eala said in a briefing.

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At 22, Fajardo guided the University of Cebu to back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 in the Cesafi tournament. He was also vital for the Webmasters' semifinal stint in the Philippine Collegiate Championship League (PCCL).

"It will be my first time to play for a big league. In Cebu, I used to play against smaller opponents. But this league (ABL) has a different level of competition and the amount of pressure," the 6-foot-10 Fajardo, who grew up in Pinangumahan town said.

The Beermen also tapped highly-touted guard Chris Banchero, who expressed readiness to deliver the goods for the team.

"I've won three state championships (with Seattle Pacific University) so I know what it takes to win. I'm excited to be here and we'll be a fun team to watch. We will play up down and focus on defense," said the 6-foot-1 point guard, whose mother hails from Isabela. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)