Wednesday, March 07, 2007 PBL teams target Visayas cagers By Henry C. Villalva
ALREADY orphaned by the pullout of several key players from the UAAP and the NCAA, some leading squads in the Philippine Basketball League are turning to the vast talent pool of the Visayas provinces for young and promising players whom they can field in the PBL Unity Cup that kicks off later this month in Manila.
This was confirmed to Sun.Star Bacolod by head coach Jun Noel of Silver Cup runner-up Hapee toothpaste in a telephone interview late Monday.
Noel, the former head coach of the Negros Slashers in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), said Philippine Christian University is pulling out seven NCAA eligible players from the Hapee PBL lineup which is regarded as a powerhouse in the league.
Also being pulled out is UE Warrior Mark Borboran.
The PCU players being pulled out are Silver Cup MVP Jason Castro, Beau Belga, Robbie David, Lemar Navarro, Liztian Amparado, Ian Garrido and Robert Sanz.
Noel said Garrido and Sanz have completed their playing years in the NCAA but are still enrolled with PCU. "They could, however, remain in the PBL should they opt to," Noel added.
He confirmed he is scouting for players from Cebu and Bacolod cities particularly those who no longer have playing years in their respective school leagues. This includes former Monico Cup 19-Under Most Valuable Player Ely Olarte of Barangay Estefania.
The prolific Olarte, who helped the West Negros College Mustangs capture both the National University Games (Unigames) and the National Students Basketball Championship (Inter-Collegiate) crowns last year is scheduled to leave for Manila today to join another former WNC Mustang -- Mark Moreño -- in the Hapee Toothpaste lineup.
Magnolia Ice Cream, which fielded seven San Beda College players last conference, is also affected by the pullout of NCAA and UAAP players from the country's premier amateur cage league.
The WNC Mustangs skipped this year's national inter-collegiate series held in Ibajay, Aklan which was won by the Angeles University Foundation Great Danes.
