CENTENNIAL CAGERS TOUR VISAYAS
Manila, April 13, 1998 - The 18-man team of Philippine Basketball Association stars drafted for the Philippine Centennial Team to the 1998 Asian Games will be pruned to the final Magic 12 after a series of exhibition games in Central Philippines next month.
Coach Tim Cone has divided the group into two teams, the North Squad and the South Squad, and is taking them on a four-game, 6-day tour which starts in Ormoc City on May 13 and ends in Iloilo May 17. The games will serve as the first of a series of tune-up matches Cone has lined up to prepare the Philippine Five for the tough Asian Games in Bangkok in December.
The exhibition series will use amateur FIBA rules to enable the players to adapt to the zone defense, something the PBA stars are not used to.
Also lined up for the Centennial Team's preparation games are trips to Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
"That's my biggest problem right now -- how to come up with the final 12. I tell you these guys are really giving it their all in practice and each of them deserves a slot in the Centennial Team," Cone said.
The complete line-up: Johnny Abarrientos, Vergel Meneses, Jeffrey Cariaso, Rene Hawkins, Victor Pablo, Jerry Cordinera, Marlou Aquino, Edward Joseph Feihl, Roderick Racela, Isabelo Lastimosa, Nelson Asaytono, Kenneth Duremdes, Vince Hizon, Zandro Limpot, Alvin Patrimonio, Bonel Balingit and Andrew Seigle.
© Copyright, 1998
All rights reserved