On the Sorsogon Bubble and Professional Student Athletes

Bubble popped.
(Photo by: Rappler.com)

If you are reading this, that means you are alive and well, going through the motions of the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic and the now six-month quarantine that has befallen our country. Just being alive, waking up to the voices of our loved ones, seeing their faces either in person or online, that's all that matters. If you have lost someone, my heartfelt condolences to you. 

I had a follower/ friend on @kilikilishot who succumbed to the disease. I just cannot recall his username at the moment ( Rest in Power @kotsleo ), but I was able to exchange a message or two with his loved one. I hope and pray that you are all doing well and safe. 

That's me, Angel V., the author, talking to all of you, with no BS. 

So for the longest time, specially when this blog shot up to fame thanks to a few popular readers retweeting and sharing (and some PBA names), I've shied away from discussing things that I'm not privy to or as well-researched of. For one, I've left the college basket-talk to better men and women-- those from Humblebola, Tiebreaker Times, Salascout, and the rest. Though some of them do sound more like a certain school's sports mouth piece as they mostly cover in-house. 

The 2016 PBA Special and Regular Mock Draft

Get Belo-fied
(Photo credit: interaksyon.com)

Ugh.

The Gilas boys need to come out with red dots on their foreheads. Green for the regulars. Siopao-style.

Special thanks to ABS CBN Sports for the Draft order, as per this report >>> click here.

1 Blackwater - Mac Belo, SF
Arguably the most sound Gilas player to date be it on offense or defense. Though he is not a go-to-guy per se, Belo almost, always ends up being his team's leading scorer (and rebounder) by sheer hard work and simply working efficiently without the basketball. If you were to compare him to any current PBA player, then the guy his game closely resembles is that of TNT's incoming sophomore Troy Rosario-- only with a better dribble game. Belo works the glass relentlessly, has a pocket set-shot from 15 feet and out, and best of all can put the ball on the floor on the pick and roll which makes him an even bigger threat than Rosario. We honestly like what Blackwater is looking at here, since they will be able to parade a blue chip foursome of Roi Sumang, Carlo Lastimosa, Art dela Cruz and Belo right away, with the center position hopefully addressed in the later conferences (via an import).

Trial and error

What now for "consultant" Pido?
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

When Pido Jarencio made the leap back into the PBA, this time as head coach, it was met with a lot of positivity and with an "it's about damn time" hoopla. After all, he pretty much rebuilt the UST Growling Tigers men's basketball program and was able to turn it into the UAAP's Ginebra to counter the DLSU and ADMU (Purefoods and San Miguel-like stature) programs.

Unfortunately, he found himself in the wrong situation and maybe with the wrong franchise.

Jarencio was handed the keys to an up-and-coming GlobalPort Batang Pier squad with a passionate, win-now owner in Mikee Romero. However, he was unable to get the right kind of players that would fit his, uptempo, old school system (we're giving him the benefit of the doubt here, thinking that Jarencio would want to run his UST sets with the Batang Pier).

But could you really blame Jarencio for "failing?"

The Fireman and his Batang Pier

I never really got to watch the "real" Pido Jarencio. The man, the legend, the UST Glowing Goldie and PBA "Fireman" whose shooting was almost (legend has it) at par as PBA Hall of Famer Allan Caidic.

Instead, my mental image of Jarencio was a short-shorts wearing veteran who would come in to either spell a winded Vince Hizon or Jayvee Gayoso and knock down a "legs wide open" three from the corners every now and then for Barangay Ginebra in the mid-90s. He was out of basketball shape, appeared to be on his last legs, but was just a feel-good favorite because he looked like someone I'd bump into in pick-up games (you know, that village vet who is always hanging by the playground waiting, preying on the young ones).

When he finally retired and resurfaced as a head coach in college, it was during my 2nd year with the Black-Gold, Black-White. He took a team of several unheralded wingmen and a center to the Finals, much to the surprise of the college ranks (and every single Thomasian who weren't expecting much post-Cyrus Baguio and Alwin Espiritu or better yet, post-Aric del Rosario).

Ang batang Maliksi

Ang batang Maliksi
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

When the San Mig Coffee Mixers’ Allein Maliksi first came into the league by way of the Barako Bull Energy, he quickly started to make a name for himself as a wiry and creative scorer reminiscent of 90s Pinoy superstars Kenneth Duremdes, Vergel Meneses and Bong Alvarez.

You know what we’re talking about. Guys who just make the game look easy, shooting jumpshots, driving to the hoop and throwing in a dunk or two from time to time.

So it really shouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Maliksi finding a niche with the Mixers this PBA Governor’s Cup (or even when he was briefly sent to Barangay Ginebra then back to Barako Bull). The 2011 PBA D-League Best Player of the Conference is blessed with a PBA stardom-ready body frame standing 6”3 and weighing a fit 180 lbs. (again, Duremdes II). Despite playing only 24 minutes a game, Maliksi is averaging a respectable 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in Mixers’ head coach Tim Cone’s “new” spread-out offense wherein everyone gets a chance to score.