Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
“Hoops and Hopes”: A preview of 2011 PBA draft picks on AKTV on IBC
AKTV on IBC, now the new home of the PBA for the upcoming 37th season, will get basketball fans excited for the upcoming 2011 PBA Draft with two 1-hour specials called “Hoops and Hopes” airing on August 26 and 27 at 9pm.
Hoops and Hopes will give an in-depth preview and interviews with some of the future PBA stars hoping to make it big in the first professional basketball league in Asia.
Leading the list of hopefuls in the draft are players from the SMART-Gilas Men’s Basketball national team, including Mac Baracael, Mark Barroca, Marcio Lassiter, Dylan Ababou and JV Casio. Amateur standouts like James Martinez, Eric Salamat and Paul Lee are also hoping to make the cut.
A total of 36 aspirants are hoping to be selected by the 10 PBA teams and be included in the next basketball season’s roster of players.
The 2011 PBA draft will take place this Sunday, August 28, at Robinson’s Place Manila and will air on AKTV on IBC channel 13 starting at 7pm.(pr)
Monday, August 8, 2011
Collegiate, commercial tourneys on Aug.22-28
The 26th Kadayawan Sports Festival will feature an inter-collegiate and commercial basketball tournaments on August 22 to 28 at the Davao City Recreation Center (formerly known as Almendras gym).
Mark your calendars and witness exciting basketball games.
Player of the Week: Arwind Santos
FINISHING the threshing-out process in the PBA Governors Cup stronger than he started was Petron Blaze’s Arwind Santos, making him the unanimous choice as the Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week for the period Aug. 1 to 7.
The 6-foot-4 Santos shone the brightest among the locals in the week that was, enabling the Boosters to notch back-to-back wins that helped propel them to the finals of the season-ending conference and perhaps redemption against Philippine Cup tormentor Talk N Text.
“Mahihirapan kaming marating ang kinalalagyan namin ngayon kung hindi sa napakalaking tulong ni Arwind,” said Petron coach Ato Agustin of the former shooting forward transplanted to the power forward slot due to key absences in the team.
“Masaya talaga ako para sa kanya dahil deserving talaga siya for the citation,” added Agustin.
Santos sure did deliver just when his team needed it most.
In victories over B-MEG and Talk N Text, the Angeles City native posted averages of 20.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocked shots, an assist and a steal.
Those numbers were even more impressive than when he normed 14.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and a steal in a similar two-game winning stretch that made him co-recipient, along with Tropang Texter guard Jayson Castro, of the honor on June 13-19.
All in all, Santos has been averaging 16.7 points, 14.5 rebounds, 11.1 assists, as many steals and 1.7 blocked shots going to the best-of-seven championship series.
He leads the import-spiced tournament in swatted shots, is tops among locals in rebounding and double-doubles (10) and fourth among locals in points production, making him one of the top prospects for the Best Player of the Conference award.
Santos just wants to focus on helping his team win the title over the same Talk N Text crew that beat them in six games during the Philippine Cup crown chase.
It should take a lot of doing since the Boosters are without the injured Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Jay Washington, Lordy Tugade and Joseph Yeo.
But Santos remains unfazed. “Mas gusto naming makabawi,” he said. “Sa ngayon iyon lang talaga ang focus namin.”(pr)
Monday, August 1, 2011
Player of the Week: Ronjay Buenafe
RONJAY Buenafe keeps validating his coach’s trust in him.
Buenafe proved this by coming up with a couple of
scintillating performances in the week that was, helping Rain or Shine fan its
Governors Cup quest and earning the Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week
for the period July 25 to 31.
The former second round pick has cranked up his game a notch
in the semifinal round and proved that by playing a key role in the Elasto
Painters’ back-to-back wins that fueled their drive to at least a playoff berth
for a finals slot.
“Ronjay’s game has matured. He has more confidence in his
game. He has improved his shot selection and his defense,” said Rain or Shine
coach Yeng Guiao, instrumental in acquiring the 6-foot-2 shooting guard from
Air21 before the season.
“I have no regrets taking him in a trade that was the
subject of criticism and doubts. He works hard and can only get better,” added
Guiao.
The former Emilio Aguinaldo College standout, tabbed at No.
11 by Coca-Cola in the 2007 Rookie Draft, upheld Guiao’s belief by notching a
career-best-tying 30 points (anchored on 6-for-9 three-point shooting and a
perfect 4-for-4 from inside the arc) in a 102-86 repeat win over Petron Blaze
in Digos City last Saturday.
With that output and in the absence of available data, Buenafe
is perhaps the only player to score 30 points for all three teams he has so far
played with. He set his personal scoring standard first with the Tigers in 2008-09
and again with Burger King/Air21 the following season.
Buenafe did not show any inkling of what he was set for by
putting up 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, helping the
Painters beat league-leader Talk N Text, 96-81, last Wednesday.
Those numbers helped improve Buenafe’s averages in the semis
to 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists, up from his 11.5, 2.0 and 0.25
norms in the eight-game eliminations.
Also, those victories against its more highly-touted rivals jacked
Rain or Shine’s win-loss record to 6-5 and gave it two routes to realize a first-ever
championship stint.
If they win their last two assignments the Painters could play
off for the second finals slot by virtue of the four-of-five incentive. Or they
could make it outright against early finalist Talk N Text if no other team
notches eight wins.
For sure, Buenafe and his teammates are not giving up on
that hope.(pr)
Buenafe proved this by coming up with a couple of
scintillating performances in the week that was, helping Rain or Shine fan its
Governors Cup quest and earning the Accel-PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week
for the period July 25 to 31.
The former second round pick has cranked up his game a notch
in the semifinal round and proved that by playing a key role in the Elasto
Painters’ back-to-back wins that fueled their drive to at least a playoff berth
for a finals slot.
“Ronjay’s game has matured. He has more confidence in his
game. He has improved his shot selection and his defense,” said Rain or Shine
coach Yeng Guiao, instrumental in acquiring the 6-foot-2 shooting guard from
Air21 before the season.
“I have no regrets taking him in a trade that was the
subject of criticism and doubts. He works hard and can only get better,” added
Guiao.
The former Emilio Aguinaldo College standout, tabbed at No.
11 by Coca-Cola in the 2007 Rookie Draft, upheld Guiao’s belief by notching a
career-best-tying 30 points (anchored on 6-for-9 three-point shooting and a
perfect 4-for-4 from inside the arc) in a 102-86 repeat win over Petron Blaze
in Digos City last Saturday.
With that output and in the absence of available data, Buenafe
is perhaps the only player to score 30 points for all three teams he has so far
played with. He set his personal scoring standard first with the Tigers in 2008-09
and again with Burger King/Air21 the following season.
Buenafe did not show any inkling of what he was set for by
putting up 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, helping the
Painters beat league-leader Talk N Text, 96-81, last Wednesday.
Those numbers helped improve Buenafe’s averages in the semis
to 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists, up from his 11.5, 2.0 and 0.25
norms in the eight-game eliminations.
Also, those victories against its more highly-touted rivals jacked
Rain or Shine’s win-loss record to 6-5 and gave it two routes to realize a first-ever
championship stint.
If they win their last two assignments the Painters could play
off for the second finals slot by virtue of the four-of-five incentive. Or they
could make it outright against early finalist Talk N Text if no other team
notches eight wins.
For sure, Buenafe and his teammates are not giving up on
that hope.(pr)
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