PBACC The Quarterfinals: Talk'n'Text vs Barako Bull

Buddy and Sol(s)
(Photo credits to the owner)

A long-established league powerhouse battling the playoffs' darkhorse/ underdog/ "they're not supposed to be there!" A team with so much firepower, you could field in their 2nd unit and have them play 3/4s of the game and they'll probably still be good enough to score 90 points at least. A team with so little firepower, they are actually forced to play two point guards and hope one of them feels like scoring game by game.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your favorites to make it to the next round: Jayson Castro's Talk'n' Text Tropang Texters versus the over-achieving, Sol Mercado's Barako Bull Energy Cola.
Barako head coach Koy Banal has done it again and transformed a team into one that plays defense first, second and last. He has introduced a winning culture to a team that's basically in the league to serve as conduit for whoever needs whatever. Getting 7"1 Solomon Alabi to patrol the paint was a stroke of genius and showed that they wanted to win this conference. Getting Sol Mercado to go back to his old self-- "pre-sacrifice," took a while but the Sol Train seems to be back on track. Guys are playing for each other. Chico Lanete is dropping buckets. Dave Marcelo is looking like Doug Kramer with more hair.

Their run has been nothing short of inspirational and magical.

And then came the Texters.

Castro and Mercado should be very entertaining should both men be healthy.

But who guards Ranidel de Ocampo? Marcelo? Sure, inside. But when RdO, ANG DALUBHASA goes outside, what then?

Ivan Johnson is going to pull Alabi all the way out to the three point line and it's going to get ugly.

Larry Fonacier and Ryan Reyes versus who? RR Garcia? Carlo Lastimosa?

Matt Ganuelas Rosser versus JC Intal.

We don't even have to discuss that one.

The Texters are BACK. And Jong Uichico has that championship itch again. The guy who's the closest thing to a PBA zen coach is actually shouting at his guys for broken plays at times. SHOUTING. Uichico. Mr Cool. Yep, he wants to win big.

And he has the right team to do it.

On a side note, we just love how Johnson-- a known "bad boy" has added some flavor to an otherwise cookie-cutter Texters team.

Fearless forecast: Texters in one game.