Player of the Week: Mark Caguioa

MARK Caguioa's indomitable spirit is coming to the fore anew - and just when Barangay Ginebra needs it the most.
With the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period July 18 to 24 coming up with some very impressive figures the Kings notched back-to-back wins to remain on track for a coveted slot in the Governors Cup.
"Mark is proving he is still our main man," noted coach Jong Uichico after Caguioa came off the bench to average 23.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in Ginebra's victories over Rain or Shine at the end of the elimination phase and B-MEG at the start of their semifinal round campaign.
It was the second such citation in two weeks for Caguioa, who was also so honored by the scribes for the period July 4-10 and Uichico said he could not agree more. 
"You would
always want a player like Caguioa, who will always battle, compete. It doesn’t
matter what the odds are, kahit me dinaramdam sa katawan niya. Kung kaya niya
ilalaban niya," stated Uichico.
"Mark is indeed a true warrior and a competitor."
Caguioa highlighted his splendid week with a personal career-high 33 points, laced by nine rebounds, in 32 minutes as Ginebra carved a 99-79 victory over B-MEG last Sunday. He single-handedly outscored the entire Llamados, 16-14, in the second quarter to turn a five-point deficit into a 12-point spread at halftime and scattered nine more points in the fourth to ensure the lopsided triumph and cap the output which is his highest in the last three years.
Against Rain or Shine Caguioa only had 13 points, but eight of those came in the homestretch as he helped power the Kings out of a tight game and into a 98-90 victory.
Those triumphs gave the perennial crowd favorites a 6-3  win-loss record that put them at second-running spot, just a game behind leader Talk N Text's 7-2 slate.
And at the rate Caguioa is going, it is not too far-fetched to assume Ginebra is on its way to a Finals stint.[pr]

Player of the Week: Mark Caguioa

ANY coach would like a Mark Caguioa on his team. For sure, Barangay GInebra’s
Jong Uichico does.
“Mark Caguioa is a competitor. He’s a fighter, ayaw magpatalo,” said Uichico of
the prolific guard-forward chosen as the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the
Week for the period April 11 to 18 after helping boost the Kings into the
semifinals and tantalizingly close to a Commissioner’s Cup Finals stint.
“It’s really nice to have a player like (him) in your team. it’s positive.”He’s
just so competitive that he wants to win… and sometimes you’d rather have that
than somebody who won’t fight at all.”
Such a competitive spirit was translated into more concrete form by the 2001
Rookie of the Year to the tune of 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3
steals in the three victories Ginebra notched in the week that was.
He highlighted his sterling performances with a 30-point, 11-rebound game in a
92-82 win against Rain or Shine last Wednesday, enabling Ginebra to buck an
unusually cold night from import Nate Brumfield.
Brumfield shot just 4-for-12 from the field and wound with just 12 points. That
didn’t matter as, no little thanks to Caguioa’s best performance since the 2010
Fiesta Conference, the Kings wrapped up their best-of-three quarterfinals duel
with the Elasto Painters, 2-1.
In the first two games of the race-to-three semis match-up with No. 2 seed
Smart-Gilas, Brumfield picked up his game and led Ginebra to 97-96 and 110-103
triumphs. But Caguioa remained as the top local King by averaging 17.0 points in
those outings.
Those wins pushed Ginebra within another of booking a seat in the championship
series and Caguioa is one player sure to crank up his game even more if that
objective is realized.
That should spell even more bad news for the opposition.
Caguioa beat out Talk N Text’s Ranidel de Ocampo (18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds in
two semis games) for his second such citation for the conference after being
similarly honored for the period March 24-30.PR

Mark, Willie lead North against James and South

THE explosive Ginebra backcourt tandem of Mark Caguioa and Willie Miller leads the North team against James Yap and the South squad when the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) unveils the 2011 edition of the annual All-Star game next month in the scenic island of Boracay.

Caguioa and Miller accumulated the most number of fan votes among guards from Luzon with 17,037 and 9,603, respectively, in earning the starting guard spots
for the North.

But it was James Yap, as expected, who emerged the runaway fan favorite, receiving the most number of votes among this year’s All-Stars with 31,437.

The Derby Ace top gunner gets to share stellar billing with high-flyer Cyrus Baguio of Alaska, who nosed out Talk `N Text’s Jimmy Alapag for the other backcourt spot by earning 18,342 votes. Alapag got 16,785.

Voting for the May 18-23 mid-season spectacle dubbed ‘Hala Bola Boracay 2011 All Star Weekend’ ended last April 10.

Joining Caguioa and Miller in the starting unit of the North are llamados frontcourt tandem Mark Pingris (22,041) and Kerby Raymundo (15,381), with Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood, last year’s All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, filling up the last North starting spot with 12,744 votes.

Starting up front for the South are Barangay Ginebra’s Eric Menk, who garnered 23,571 votes, San Miguel’s Jay Washington (23,571) and Kelly Williams of Talk `N Text (20,439).

Talk `N Text’s Chot Reyes and Ato Agustin of San Miguel will call the shots for the South and North squads, respectively, after guiding their teams into the Philippine Cup Finals.

The South All Stars are raring to get back against their North counterparts after losing last year’s All-Star game by the skin of their teeth, 133-132, in Puerto Princesa City.PR

Mark the transformer

MARK Caguioa’s growth as a player has been clearly evident in the PBA
Commissioner’s Cup and Barangay Ginebra is all the better because of it.
With the man primarily known before as a scorer now fully evolved into a team
man as well, the Kings have sustained their rise to near the top of the
standings and in a very good position to clinch one of the six playoff spots up
for grabs in the mid-season tourney.
Nobody has a clearer view of what the Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week
for the period March 14 to 20 has recently done than Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

“He has been a great transformation player, from a scorer to a playmaker who can
score. That’s evolution in terms of basketball,” noted Uichico of the man
instrumental in stoking their winning streak to three.
In the Kings’ 99-86 victory over Air21 followed by a 106-94 triumph over San
Miguel Beer, Caguioa averaged 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5
steals while coming off the bench each time.
What made the man nicknamed “The Spark” earn the scribes’ nod over Powerade’s
Gary David was Caguioa’s  ability to still ignite – and even stoke – whatever
run Ginebra may need, like in the game against SMB last Sunday.
Caguioa picked up from where Nate Brumfield left off by scoring 10 straight
points as he single-handedly put away what had been a 96-91 game.
Caguioa seems to be enjoying more his reliever’s role, a job he has had their
last five games, as he also had 14 points and six rebounds against Air21 last
Wednesday.
Those back-to-back victories and three-game streak put Ginebra at 4-2 and in a
tie for third-running spot with Alaska behind unbeaten leader Smart-Gilas and
Talk N Text (5-1).
With only three games left in the eliminations, Uichico wants his players to
continue bringing their A-game as they continue striving for a top-tier spot.
For sure, Caguioa aims to do just that.(pr)