Miller eyes place in PBA’s elite

ALASKA’S Willie Miller is hoping to join an elite group of players who have won the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) honor three times since the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) started giving the award in 1994.

And he looks to be on the inside track.

The 32-year-old left-handed guard is tied with Aces teammate Joe Devance at No. 3 in the statistical points (SPs) category after the semifinal round of the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup with 31.0 SPs average.

Sta. Lucia Realty’s Kelly Williams actually topped the category with 40.6 SPs average but his chances of bagging his second BPC plum look bleak because the Realtors were eliminated in the wild-card stage.

San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos ranked second with 35.3 SPs average but, like Williams, the six-foot-four versatile forward might not get the nod of the voting media, who represent 30 percent of the total vote, as his Beermen were also booted out by Purefoods Tender Juicy in the semifinals.

This prunes down the race among Miller, Devance, LA Tenorio (No. 6, 29.8 SPS average) and Giants star James Yap, who ranked No. 8 in the SPs average with 27.6.

Yap, the top scorer in the semifinals with almost 20 points per game, is the only Purefoods player in the top 10 of SPs category, with teammate Kerby Raymundo at No. 13 with 26.423.

Miller, also a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP), has won the BPC honor last season also in the Philippine Cup after leading his team to the finals against Talk ’N Text. He first won the award in the 2004-05 Fiesta Cup.

If the Olongapo City-native player bags the award, he will join Vergel Meneses, Eric Menk and four-time MVP Alvin Patrimonio in the elite group with three BPC citations.

Meneses, now coaching Jose Rizal University, won it in the 1994 Governor’s Cup and the 1995 All-Filipino and Commissioner’s Cup, the year he won his MVP in the PBA.

Menk won the BPC trophy in the 1999 All-Filipino while playing for Tanduay and in the 2004-05 Fiesta Cup and Philippine Cup en route to his first MVP in the league.

Patrimonio, now the team manager of the Giants, pocketed the BPC trophy in the 1994 Commissioner’s Cup, the 1996 All-Filipino and 1997 Governor’s Cup.

The statistical points comprise 30 percent while the players’ votes have 25 percent value in the voting. Television coveror, Solar Sports, has 10 percent. The Commissioner’s Office gets the remaining 5 percent.

The BPC winner will be known on Wednesday before Game Four of the Alaska-Purefoods final series at the Araneta Coliseum. Written by Joel Orellana / businessmirror.com.ph Reporter

Olongapo Basketball Team at National League

Ask Coach E: The NBTC D-League
PEOPLE asked me how different the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) D-League is from all other leagues that are to be unveiled in the coming months.

Of course, I thank them for their interest, for it only means that they are eager to know how the NBTC D–League is seen to change the face of Philippine basketball in the days, months and years to come.

Of course, this program is not for the impatient and for those looking for a quick fix.

To reiterate, here are things that make the NBTC D-League different, namely:

The NBTC D-League is not school-based. The NBTC D-League is not a school league and its lineups are based on the cities, towns and other areas which joined the ranks of the D-League as its pioneering teams.

The players are thoroughly chosen. The NBTC D-League has conducted talent-identification camps in the several areas where the organizers chose the potential players to form the team. This process made the formation of these teams objective and, thus, true to the ideals of the NBTC D-League.

The coaches are thoroughly chosen, too. It does not only mean that if one knows how to coach, then he can coach. The NBTC D-League chooses only coaches with good moral conduct in the community. Of course, basketball knowledge is a must.

A wholistic practice and training plan. It means that all the teams, through the coaches, should adhere to the practice and training plan. This is not to curtain the individual and uniqueness of each team. The singular approach is seen as a way to harness the skills of the players and make sure that the players learn the correct way to play basketball in a competitive environment.

It is designed to be a feeder program for collegiate, amateur and professional leagues. This may be taking things a bit too far, but that it how the NBTC D- League envisions itself to be.

Winning is only secondary. If it solely focused on winning alone, the NBTC D-League’s purpose to develop players is defeated from the very start. What’s more important is imparting the right basketball skills through adequate training in a competitive environment.

It’s for free. There are no fees to be collected from the players in joining the NBTC D-League. Event sponsor Nokia has graciously shouldered the event expenses while each team has a generous sponsor to back it up, win or lose. The local government units have done their fair share by allowing these teams to practice and train in their gyms, free of charge.

For a quick rundown, the teams are Antipolo, B-MEG Premium (Batangas), Dasmariñas (Cavite), Health Solutions (Laguna), Manila, Team Nueva Ecija Foundation (Nueva Ecija), Olongapo Volunteers (Olongapo City), Lubao Bulls (Pampanga), Quezon City, Pasig (B-MEG Dynamix Calata), Lucena, Sugod Bulacan (Bulacan) and Tarlac for Luzon.

For Mindanao it is Oro Grande-CDO (Cagayan de Oro), Team Misor (Misamis Oriental), Iligan Fireflies (Iligan City), Iligan Black Viper (Iligan City), Saints (General Santos), Energen (Davao), Megavia Southmin (Davao) and Montana Pawnshop (Davao).

For Visayas the teams are Santos Petroleum Corp. (Iloilo), Dumaguete Suy (Bacolod), IEC Computers (Bacolod), 888 Chinatown (Bacolod), Daisy Condensada (Cebu), M. Lhuiller Kwarta Padala-South, M. Lhuiller Kwarta Padala-North and Penshoppe (Cebu).

So I invite basketball aficionados to watch the launching of the NBTC D-League on October 25, 9 a.m. at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. Business Mirror Sports Written by Eric Altamirano, altamiranohoops@yahoo.com

Lyceum Subic reigns supreme in UCLAA 1st season

Six schools in the region met in a three-day basketball event wherein Lyceum of Subic reigned over other competing teams.

Lyceum of Subic met other basketball teams in the United Central Luzon Athletic Association (UCLLA): 1st Mayor Francis "Blue Boy" Nepomuceno Champions' League held at Holy Angel University (HAU) Gymnasium from August 11 to 13.

Matching wits with Lyceum were Bulacan State University (BSU), St. Nicolas College (SNC), Tarlac State University (TSU), University of the Assumption (UA), and HAU.

The first-ever UCLAA games were meant to forge camaraderie and provide an effective training for school varsity basketball players.

Through basketball, the participating schools are also expected to bring about a yearly competition that will serve as a benchmark for other basketball competitions in the region.

HAU president Arlyn Villanueva and Mayor Nepomuceno led the welcome remarks and the opening rites for the opening of the games.

Lyceum had an early win in the first day of the games over BSU with a score of 94-81. Team HAU, which was also making a good lead in the games, was conquered by Lyceum at 75-63. Team Lyceum galvanized its win as it defeated TSU with 96-68 on the scoreboard at the last round of the games.

Final ranking included HAU (first runner-up), UA (second runner up), St. Nicolas of Science and Technology (third runner-up), BSU (fourth runner-up) and TSU (fifth runner-up). Sun Star

Miller wins award

His golden feat earned the Olongapo City-born Miller the Smart Accel- PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week

Miller wins award; PBA sets draft guidelines

Two-time MVP Willie Miller showed his old deadly form as he propelled defending champion Alaska Aces to back-to-back wins over higher-placed teams recently in the 2008 Smart- PBA Fiesta Conference.

The 5-foot-8 Miller, a first overall draft pick by Red Bull in 2001, averaged 29 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in Alaska’s 99-91 triumph over Coca-Cola on May 14 and their 101-90 victory over Red Bull last Sunday.

His golden feat earned the Olongapo City-born Miller the Smart Accel- PBA Press Corps’ Player of the Week plum for the May 12 to 18 period.

“When the new guys, LA (Tenorio) and Larry (Fonacier) and (import) Randy (Holcomb) came, he backed off a little bit. He wanted to get those guys involved. He didn’t want to be the big man on the campus. He wanted to step away, as if saying, ‘Welcome to the team,’” Cone said.

“He has since realized how important he is to the team. We were bugging and bugging him how he needs to be aggressive and be aggressive. And finally before the Coke game he came up and he said he was going to be aggressive. It kind of scared us a little bit.”

It readily showed.

Against Coke, Miller had 13 of his game-high 34 points in the fourth quarter, six of them in an 11-3 run after the Tigers took a 95-86 lead with 3:56 left.

Personal high

The 34 is a personal conference-high for last season’s MVP and is the second most by a local this conference, next only to Mac Cardona’s 35 in Talk N Text’s 115-113 win over Sta. Lucia on April 18.

“After the Coke game he’s come back to the realization that for the new guys to be successful, he needs to be aggressive, to be the big man on campus. Without that, we cannot be successful because we rely on him a lot,” said Cone.

Miller had a modest 24 points in the Aces’ win over Red Bull, but he showed his all-around efficiency by spiking those up with seven rebounds and six assists and going 8-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Those triumphs over the erstwhile co-leading Coke and previously solo leading Red Bull snapped a four-game slide by Alaska and improved the team’s win-loss record to 4-6.

Procedure

Meanwhile, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) formulated a fix itinerary for this year’s Rookie Draft, assuring a hassle-free procedure leading up to the annual proceedings in August.

Fil-foreign players eyeing to enter in the Draft are required to submit their applications and necessary papers until July 8.

July 11 marks the last time the preliminary list of prospective foreign-bred draftees will be issued and submitted to member teams.

The contestability period on the legitimacy of the Fil-foreign applicants runs for about a month, from July 12 to Aug. 11.

“We’re doing this to make it easier for prospective rookie players and for the teams themselves. At the same time, we want everything to go smoothly when the league holds its annual Rookie Draft on August 31,” said PBA commissioner Renauld Barrios.

On Aug. 12, it’s the local players’ turn to tender their respective application and requirements, followed by the final day of deciding the contestability of Fil-foreign applicants on Aug. 13.

On Aug. 15, the league will issue the final list of rookie candidates for the PBA Draft.

All prospective applicants take part in the expanded Rookie Camp on Aug. 21 to 23 just a week prior to D-day.

Among the possible rookie prospects for this year are highly-touted Fil-Ams Gabe Norwood and Solomon Mercado, reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) Jervy Cruz, guard TY Tang, the Ateneo duo of Ford Arao and Chris Tiu, UE big man Mark Borboran and Harbour Centre’s Beau Belga. (FCC) SunStar

Olongapo Inter-dept Basketball

The Olongapo City Inter-Department Basketball tournament started Saturday with the City Mayor James Gordon, Jr tossing the ceremonial ball. also in the photo are SBMA Director Ted Del Rosario, Engr Bernabe, Kgd Cortez and Cerezo.

Lucky 13th for Miller

FRIDAY THE 13th proved lucky for Willie Miller.

The versatile guard celebrated his 30th birthday as he became the first player in the PBA standing below six feet to win a second Most Valuable Player plum as the league cited the season’s top individual performers in the 32nd Leo Prieto Awards last night at the Araneta Coliseum.

Miller, who stands 5-foot-10, bested a strong field that included two of the league’s rising stars with his impressive showing this season with the Alaska Aces.

The former Letran stalwart garnered a total of 2,671 points to beat Talk ’N Text guard Mark Cardona, the Fiesta Cup Best Player of the Conference and Air21’s Gary David.

Miller got 547 from statistical points and 2,124 vote points from the media (1005), players (218), TV broadcast carrier ABC5 (600) and the PBA Commissioner’s Office (300).

"Swerte lang talaga ako to win this award," said Miller.

However, the Olongapo native said that the award could have been more special if the league’s other best players played in the season-ending conference as they were pulled out to form the Philippine Team.

"Nataon na wala yung ibang superstars ng liga na naglalaro ngayon sa RP team. Parang kulang pa rin kasi wala nga ‘yung iba. Sana kung nandyan sila talagang magkaka-alaman," said Miller.

Still, Miller said that he’s happy to join an elite group of superstars to become a two-time MVP, thus joining a select list of players to win two or more.

Miller captured his first MVP award in 2002, a year after he was chosen by former team Red Bull as the No. 1 overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft.

Alaska got him last year via a trade and he played a key role in the Aces’ return to the Finals of the Fiesta Cup against the Talk ’N Text Phone Pals.

"Masaya na din kasi ilan lang din naman ang nananalo ng MVP for a second time," he said.

He joined four-time MVP winners Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio, three-time winner Bogs Adornado, as well as Alberto "Abet" Guidaben, Benjie Paras and Danny Ildefonso, who each won twice.

With two MVP trophies tucked under his belt, Miller said that he still hopes to join the RP team that will seek an Olympic spot this month in the FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship in Tokushima, Japan.

"Sana p’wede pa din mapasama after the PBA Finals," said Miller.

Miller and David were named the two guards in the First Mythical selection, with Sta. Lucia Realty rookie Kelly Williams and Jay Washington of Talk ’N Text as forwards and Dorian Peña of San Miguel Beer at center.

Williams had earlier been named the Rookie of the Year.Williams become only the second Sta. Lucia player since Jun Limpot in 1993 to win the trophy.

David also bagged the Most Improved Player and Sportsmanship awards, and was chosen to the All-Defensive Team with Santos, Arboleda, Nelbert Omolon of SLR and Harvey Carey of TNT.

Named to the Second Mythical team were Cardona and Wynne Arboleda and his rookie teammates Arwind Santos of Air21, Ildefonso of SMB and Yancy de Ocampo of TNT.
By WAYLON GALVEZ - Manila Bulletin