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Cobra, Cossack in the Red
by: Joseph W. Buduan (February 13,
2010)
Fresh out of the Season 72 UAAP Finals,
Coach Lawrence Chongson and the UE Red Warriors are
already looking forward to more basketball action to
start the year. UE players will be seeing action for
two distinct PBL teams – Cobra Energy Drink and
Cossack Vodka.
There must have been some 40 players at
the Tanduay Gymnasium in Quiapo that particular afternoon.
It was sweltering outside with the sun shining high,
but inside the workout and scrimmage sessions were even
hotter. Chongson, the rookie coach who steered his squad
to the UAAP Finals against eventual champion Ateneo,
had all of his guys present. “Everybody is here,
whether they are Cobra, Cossack or UE varsity,”
he declared during a lull in the practice.
His entire coaching staff was present
as well. Veteran assistant coach Rene Baena was explaining
the early offense in transition and the staggered screen
sets in the halfcourt that they wanted to run. There
were a lot of big names listening intently, trying to
absorb everything. Jai Reyes, the 5-foot-7 pointguard
who ironically enough carried Ateneo over UE in the
UAAP championship series, was right there sitting next
to his Finals nemesis and UE superstar Paul Lee, the
6-foot off-guard. PJ Barua, the 6-foot-1 Lasalle swingman,
was gesturing at the board and clarifying a point with
6-foot-5 UE center Pari Llagas. NCAA rivals Marvin Hayes,
the 6-foot-2 JRU forward, and Mark Sarangay, the 6-foot-6
Mapua Tech center, were also pointing at the board and
speaking with 6-foot former Adamson superstar Patrick
Cabahug and 6-foot-5 Santo Tomas forward Chris Camus.
Off to one side were the little hornets of UE: Raffy
Reyes, Paul Zamar, and James Martinez. Lucas Tagarda
came in a little late for this practice as he came from
class at the CM Recto campus.
If Chongson can pull it off, he would
like to have only current and former UE Red Warriors
on the Cossack side, while the more senior players will
suit up for Cobra. “I was thinking if we have
enough players, I would like to have an all-UE team
for Cossack, para na din sa mga bata,” he mused.
“Part of the reason why we have two teams is really
to give exposure and experience to our younger UE players
who are already eligible to play in the PBL, like Erwin
Duran and John Noble, nakakasabay naman sila sa mga
beterano dito sa practice namin,” he explained
further.
Coaching duties have also been divided.
Baena and another trusty assistant, former UST head
coach Nel Parado, will be calling the shots for Cossack,
while Chongson will remain with Cobra. He will be assisted
by Mark Herrera at Cobra. Herrera is a long-time and
multi-titled age-group coach and the current head coach
of the UE Junior Warriors. In the UAAP last season,
Chongson was the most junior head coach, but in this
PBL conference, he might be the most senior. “Actually
I think we are the oldest team now in the PBL without
Harbour Centre and Hapee, because we came in ahead of
Pharex,” Chongson said. “And also, at least
in terms of how long I’ve been coaching in the
PBL even when we were known as Bacchus, I think ako
na pinaka-senior na coach ngayon,” he added.
Chongson and his assistants will most
likely implement the UE system for both teams. “Konti
na lang kasi oras natin, so this is probably the best
thing to do for now, we can make adjustments during
the tournament,” explained Chongson. During the
drills and scrimmages, it was clear that all of the
non-UE players had quite a lot of catching up to do.
Among the newcomers, Jai Reyes and Hayes seemed to be
the quickest study though, as they were already showing
the other newcomers where to position themselves, and
where to go in the set that Baena explained earlier.
Barua could not quite find his position in the set right
away. Reyes was quick to help him out. Chongson picked
up on that immediately, “Baka dito ka lang makakakita
ng Atenista tinutulungan ang Lasalista,” he said
with a slight laugh.
Speaking of newcomers, Chongson is excited
with all the talent he was able to get through the two
PBA drafts. Jai Reyes, Sarangay, Camus, Hayes, Cabahug,
Barua, and Allen Mangahas all came in through the two
drafts. Suddenly, there is a surfeit of talent that
can do everything at a high level. Reyes, Cabahug, Barua
and Mangahas bring incredible depth to the perimeter
game to complement the overall superb game of Lee. Hayes,
Camus and Sarangay bring better size, rebounding and
tougher defense in the lane to help Llagas. They were
also able to draft FEU stars Reil Cervantes and Paul
Sanga, but that did not quite pan out. Those two guys
might have assured at least a trip to the Finals for
Cobra. “Their school FEU did not allow them to
play in this PBL conference,” said Chongson. “Nakiusap
na ako at lahat sa FEU, but they were still not released
to play for us,” he added.
Another personnel issue: James Martinez,
the gunner of a pointguard who injured his ACL in summer
competition last year just before the UAAP Season 72
began, is cleared by doctors to return to play. Chongson
however is seeking clarification on his status because
that injury forced Martinez to sit out what would have
been his fifth and final year in the UAAP. “I
just want to know what the UAAP rules are on his eligibility
if he plays in the PBL this conference, if it will affect
his eligibility for the UAAP, because we want him to
still play for UE next year,” Chongson explained.
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