Beermen notch first win in ABL preseason opener

San Miguel Beermen got its first win in its debut in international play Thursday while the AirAsia Philippine Patriots will begin their campaign on Friday in the “To Be Number 1 Basketball Challenge” – a preseason tournament of the ASEAN Basketball League held at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.

The Beermen defeated the Indonesia Warriors, 76-70, in the tournament opener with Chris Banchero leading the way with 21 points. Imports Richard Jeter added 16 points while Dalron Johnson tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Warriors led, 43-37, at the half, according to the team’s Twitter account, but the Beermen, coached by seven-time best import Bobby Parks, were able to mount a rally in the third period to take the win.

The Patriots, meanwhile, will go up against expansion team Saigon Heat Friday night in the tournament, which serves as a fund-raiser activity for the flood victims in Bangkok.

The inaugural champions of the league will try to test their mettle against Saigon, who is fielding a Fil-American in John Smith.

A former PBA D-League cager, Smith played for the Junior Powerade Tigers in the Foundation Cup early this year.

Also with the Heat is Cambodian-American Sopheoun Oeun, who had 24 points when the Cambodians faced Sinag Pilipinas in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Jakarta.

The Patriots are led by former SMART-Gilas cager Aldrech Ramos and imports Nakiea Miller and Anthony Johnson, along with Al Vergara, Reed Juntilla, Jonathan Fernandez, Rob Wainright, Marcy Arellano, Warren Ybanez, Erick Rodriguez, Ardy Larong, Eder Saldua, Eddie Laure and Angel Raymundo.

source by Reuben Terrado

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ABL: Banchero, Fajardo to lead expansion Beermen

The San Miguel Beermen are focused on making their presence felt even as an expansion team in the upcoming ASEAN Basketball League season, which opens January.

San Miguel Corporation Director of Sports and Special Assistant to the Office of the President Noli Eala said that they have formed a team under head coach Bobby Parks with the eye on the finals against the best of the ABL.

“I think Bobby will have his hands full but I’m confident of what he has formed with a competitive and exciting team,” said Eala in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.

The former Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director said that the Beermen will definitely be in for a challenging season with defending champion Chang Thailand Slammers, Westport Malaysia Dragons and the country’s own and inaugural ABL champion AirAsia Philippine Patriots as the some of the teams to beat.

“The Patriots will always be a contender. But hopefully we will be in the finals this season,” he added.

The Beermen have prepared for that tough road building around their core with guard Chris Banchero, born to an Italian father but was raised in Seattle, Washington, and highly-touted six-foot-10 Cebuano center Jun Mar Fajardo leading the team.

Also in the line-up are Froilan Baguion, Allan Mangahas, former NCAA MVP Kelvin Dela Pena, RJ Rizada, Jun Jun Cabatu, Hafer Mondragon, Norman Gonzales, Jan Colina, Christian Luanzon, Neil Raneses and Marlon Basco.

Former PBA imports Dalron Johnson and Richard Jeter will also serve as reinforcements for the Beermen this season.

Eala spoke highly about their two big recruits in Banchero and Fajardo.

“Chris can shoot the ball and deliver passes crisply. He is a guy that we have been looking at even during the SMART-Gilas days. We are fortunate that Chris agreed to join us,” said Eala.

“Who can deny that Jun Mar is the future of Philippine basketball? He had 24 points and 24 rebounds against San Beda in the PCCL, which is nothing to sneeze at. Lumakas ang team dahil nagkaroon kami ng post presence,” said Eala.

Even with the team’s ability to score, Parks said that his team will be built around defense although he admits that they still have to work on their chemistry.

“Most players can score the basketball. What I’m building right now is defense and having these two young players (Banchero and Fajardo) helps. But we have to develop chemistry and it’s still hard to know how far we can go this season,” said Parks, a seven-time PBA Best Import.

“We are going to be fun to watch,” the six-foot-one Banchero said. “We run but our focus is on defense.”

But the team’s chemistry will surely develop, as the Beermen will be among the teams that will compete in Bangkok for a fund-raising activity called “To Be No. 1 Basketball Challenge.”

“We are still trying to develop the on-court and off-court togetherness of the team and this trip is going to be good for us to find the character of this team,” Parks said.

The Beermen will open their season against the Westports Malaysia Dragons on January 14 at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

source by Reuben Terrado, InterAKTV

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Fajardo excited to join SMB

MANILA, Philippines — After dominating Cebu basketball for years, June Mar Fajardo is set to bring his act to a higher level when he plays for San Miguel Beer in the AirAsia ASEAN Basketball League Season 3, set to open in January next year.

Though San Miguel is a first timer in the regional league, the 6-foot-10 Fajardo is relishing the idea of playing in the team which has a rich winning tradition in the PBA.

"May pressure din kasi first time ko sa big league," said Fajardo during yesterday's PSA Forum at Shakey's UN Avenue.

A native of Pinangumahan, Cebu, the 22-year-old dominated the last three seasons of the CESAFI. He guided University of Cebu to the finals in all of those years, winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011.

In those years, Fajardo's major rival was Greg Slaughter but when the latter decided to transfer to Ateneo from University of the Visayas, he became the face of the region.

In the ABL, he will be up against equally taller and rugged players, with some probably boasting superior talents.

"Nasanay kasi ako sa Cebu na maliliit ang mga kalaban namin pero dito (sa ABL) iba na ang level ng competition," said Fajardo.

Fajardo is one of many faces in the San Miguel roster. He'll be joined by Fil-Am Chris Banchero, a 6-foot-4 son of a mother from Isabela and an Italian father who grew up in Seattle, Washington.

"We will be a fun team to watch. We will play up and down and focus on defense," said Banchero, who was oonce eyed for a spot on the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas roster.

Defense will indeed be the main focus of Beermen coach Bobby Parks, who will have a mix of young talents like Fajardo and Banchero and seasoned veterans.

"For us to make it to the championship, we have to play defense," said Parks. "We can relax on offense on given nights but we should never rest on defense."

Also in the SMB roster are Froilan Baguion, who led the Chang Thailand Slammers to last season's title, former Mapua star Kelvin dela Pena, former Philippine Patriots cagers Benedict Fernandez and Junjun Cabatu and ex-pros Norman Gonzales and Neil Raneses.

The rest of the squad includes RJ Rizada, Christian Luanzon, Hafer Mondragon and recently-graduated collegiate players Jan Colina of Adamson and Allan Mangahas of Mapua.

San Miguel will parade former PBA imports Richard Jeter, who stands at 6-foot-4, and 6-foot-9 big man Dalron Johnson.

source by Jonas Terrado mb.com.ph

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Fajardo ready for PBA, says coach

University of Cebu Webmasters coach Roehl Gomez has a definite answer when asked if Junmar Fajardo is ready for the Philippine Basketball Association.

“Pwede na,” said Gomez, a former sharpshooter who plied his trade with Alaska and Pop Cola in the professional league.

Fajardo played his last game for the Webmasters on Monday, a loss to the San Bed Red Lions in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League battle for third.

But before entering the draft for Asia’s first play-for-pay basketball organization, the 6-foot-10 standout will be honing his skills with ASEAN Basketball League expansion team San Miguel Beermen Philippines when the team kicks off its campaign in January next year.

Gomez, who coached Fajardo throughout his collegiate career, said that Fajardo has improved through the years and he only has to be used to playing against big men in the next level, something that he will surely get playing in the eight-team ABL field.

“Mature na siya maglaro. Ang kulang pa sa kanya eh ‘yung game na pang-malakihan kasi sa Cebu, parating maliliit ang mga kalaban niya,” said Gomez.

Luckily for Fajardo, he was able to face quality big men in an international event after UC epresented the Philippines in the Summer Universiade in Shenzhen, China earlier this year.

The Webmasters lost all their games, but Gomez said that Fajardo gained valuable experience because of the tournament after facing bigger opponents from Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Japan and New Zealand.

“Hindi ko naman iniisip na mananalo doon pero ‘yung malaking bagay ‘yung nakuha nilang confidence na nakapaglaro sa international competition lalo na kay Junmar na may nakalaban siyang malalaki. Hindi mababayaran ‘yun,” said Gomez.

Ateneo coach Norman Black has seen the improvement of Fajardo himself. A highly-regarded coach for big men, Black now coaches Greg Slaughter, a former University of the Visayas player who had numerous battles with Fajardo in the Cebu collegiate leagues.

“Fajardo is a very good player. I’ve been coaching against him for the fourth time and he has played well every game that we’ve played against him,” said Black after beating UC by 47 points during the PCCL semifinals opener.

The only question now is when Fajardo will join the PBA.

“Siguro kapag may San Miguel team na mag-number one pick, bababa na siya [sa draft],” said Gomez.

source by Reuben Terrado, InterAKTV

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PCCL: San Beda winds up third; Fajardo plays last game with UC

MANILA, Philippines – Last year’s runner-up San Beda wound up in third place in the 2011 Philippine Collegiate Championship League (PCCL) after trouncing University of Cebu, 82-69, Monday at the Arena in San Juan.

After missing the finals, the Red Lions vented their ire on the Webmasters anchored on the sizzling performances of guards Rome Dela Rosa and Mar Villahermosa.

Despite the sheer disadvantage in the rebounding department, 36-52, the Red Lions, who played their last game of the year, led all through out the contest.

Dela Rosa scored 21 points and hauled down seven rebounds while Villahermosa, playing his last game in San Beda jersey, fired 14 points, added four rebounds and five assists.

The Webmasters, the only Visayan team who made it in the final four of the Champions league, also bid goodbye to the stalwart Jun Mar Fajardo.

The 6’10” center, who will go on to play with San Miguel in the Asean Basketball League, put up monster numbers in his final game with 24 points and just as many rebounds, along with two blocks.

Brian Heruela added 20 points and nine rebounds for UC.

But it still wasn’t enough to stir UC, which upset finals-bound San Sebastian, 92-71, in the round-robin final four last week, to a final victory.

source by Celest R. Flores INQUIRER.net

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PCCL: Ateneo handily defeats University of Cebu

source | INQUIRER.net | MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo barely broke a sweat in the 100-53 dismantling of University of Cebu Monday in the final four of 2011 Philippine Collegiate Champions League at the Arena in San Juan.

Quickly turning the match into a rout, the Blue Eagles got a headstart in the round-robin semifinals with the two best teams advancing to the finals of the nationwide collegiate tournament.

In the clash of the towering centers, the seven-foot Greg Slaughter got the better of the 6-foot-11 June Mar Fajardo in  the anticipated match-up with 18 points, 11 rebounds and a block.

“We got off to a good start. We played well defensively, but not offensively,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black, who is fresh off a championship in the 26th Southeast Asian Games.

Ateneo also showcased swift ball movement as they registered 28 assists compared to UC’s 12 and limited its turnovers to just nine compared to 17.

UAAP finals MVP Nico Salva also delivered 18 points while the lanky JP Erram, who gave the Blue Eagles it’s biggest advantage at 99-48 at the tailend of the game, added 13 points and two rebounds.

Ateneo, hoping to retain its title in the PCCL this year, will shoot for the number one spot which will have a twice-to-beat incentive in the finals.

Fajardo, who will be playing for the San Miguel team in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) this coming January after his stint with the UC Webmasters, scattered 12 points and hauled down nine boards in the 14 minutes he spent in the court.

“Fajardo is a very good player. He’s played well every game I coached against his team,” added Black.

By Celest R. Flores

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PCCL: Fajardo scores 49 points as Webmasters beat Olympians

Source | philstar.com | Junmar Fajardo put up a monster performance of 49 points and 24 rebounds as University of Cebu toppled a tough STI side, 99-90, to arrange a showdown with Southwestern University in the PCCL Sweet 16 Finals at the Ormoc Astrodome in Ormoc City yesterday.

Fajardo dominated the paint and crashed the boards with impunity although the Webmasters, the CESAFI back-to-back champions, had to toughen up at endgame to fend off the stubborn Olympians and set up a duel with the SWU Cobras for the Southern Islands overall championship.

The Cobras beat the Visayas champion AMA Titans, 90-61, in the other game with Justin Aboreda firing 21 points and Eleazar Armecin adding 15 points.

Von Tambeling hit 18 points and Amora Jonathan added 17 markers for the Titans. The UC-SWU showdown is a repeat of the recent CESAFI championship series won by the Webmasters. UC took a 39-34 lead at the turn but STI, behind Rob Tamporong, threatened within one at 67-68 before Fajardo took over.

Luigi Bercede backed Fajardo with 15 points while Tamporong topscored for the Olympians with 38 points with Jun Daanoy adding 21 markers. UC, managed by Atty. Baldomero Estenzo, is the defending Southern Island champion, while SWU is eyeing for a seat in the Final Four in its maiden appearance in the Sweet 16 Finals.

San Sebastian and Letran are also in Ormoc City to clash for the Luzon-Metro Manila bracket title and a seat in the Final Four where Ateneo and San Beda have been seeded. The Final Four is set to start Dec. 5 at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

The games will be covered live by ABS-CBN Sports on Studio 23. The PCCL National Collegiate Championship is backed by Smart, M.V. Pangilinan, Molten Balls, FilOil Flying V and SM Ticketing.

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