Pharex UP Learning and Competing
By Joseph W Buduan (February 18, 2010)

In a first for them in the PBL, the Pascual Laboratories Group will be supporting two teams for this conference. Pharex will be carried in this conference by the Fighting Maroons of State University. At the helm will be UP head coach Aboy Castro, a long-time veteran of the international and professional game. Castro has been steering the UP ship the last couple of seasons in the UAAP, and will now get a chance to prove his team and his own mettle versus some of the toughest competition in amateur basketball.

Castro has served as a deputy to the flamboyant Vincent “Chot” Reyes in a couple of RP Team and PBA stints, and should be more ready to face the tougher and more experienced competition of the PBL. He will be bringing in a lot of familiar faces out of the Fighting Maroons roster. 6-foot-3 forward Woody Co, a former UAAP Rookie of the Year award winner, 6-foot-1 long-range shooter Martin Reyes, 6-foot-1 former RP Youth guard Mark Lopez, tough and versatile 6-foot-1 guard Alvin Padilla, and hopefully 6-foot-7 Smart Gilas center-forward Magi King Sison. Sison still has a commitment to the Smart Gilas team and might not be available for the entirety of this PBL tournament.

Perhaps those who are not on this PBL roster are gaining as much interest as those on it. 6-foot-3 swingman Mike Silungan, the hotshot from Chicago serving out his residency for State U, cannot see action in the PBL otherwise his UAAP eligibility might be adversely affected. He could have been a huge help as a scorer who can get around any kind of defense, and he is used to playing against bigger and tougher players, honing his game in the blacktops of Chicago. “That is one guy (Silungan) they could’ve used in the PBL, with that kind of size and scoring from the perimeter,” said long-time basketball observer Sam Miguel.

Castro will still have a few guys to look to though: 5-foot-7 pointguard Chico Tirona and 5-foot-11 off-guard JR Tecson out of San Beda, 6-foot-2 former FEU swingman Marlon Adolfo, and two former Maroon bruisers in 6-foot-3 Nestor Davis and 6-foot-4 Abby Santos, will also be suiting up for Pharex UP. Another guy that could surprise people is PSBA forward Vic Manuel, a 6-foot-4 power leaper who can jump out of the gym. Pharex UP is also looking at two forwards out of Emilio Aguinaldo College whom they are still assessing. To add more ceiling, it appears they’ve also taken in former Ateneo center Ford Arao, a wide-shouldered 6-foot-5 banger.

This should really be more of a learning experience than anything else for Castro and his boys. They do not exactly have a star-studded lineup, and in a league that puts a premium on premium talent, that is definitely a disadvantage. Still, no one will ever accuse these guys of playing soft, or giving any quarter, and they might ambush a team or two out there that might not take them seriously.
Tirona and Tecson have NCAA championship experience, and know what it takes to win in big games. Tirona was once dismissed as being way too small and thin even for a pointguard, but he is one of the headiest players in the game. Tecson developed a steadier perimeter shot and an ability to shoot coming off a pass or off his own dribble. He is also a fearless slasher who can pick apart napping defenses.

Santos and David will be looked upon by the younger Maroons as role models, and the bruising, hardworking pair can certainly impart valuable lessons. They were not the most celebrated of front line players in their UAAP careers, but they did make a living out of being relentless off both boards and being wily in the lane. Santos could’ve been a star in another era with his ability to be a strong presence at the 4 and 5 spots. David lacked height, but made up for that with his beefy frame and wide stance. He is nearly impossible to move in either box and his footwork is superior.

Manuel has been compared to James Worthy for the way he elevates over long distances and his State-of-Liberty dunks, just like the legendary Lakers forward. He might not be the headiest of players, but his athletic ability could be just what Pharex UP needs to stand up to the rest of the PBL. Arao has taken longer on the mend than most thought after an ACL injury laid him out over a year ago. He has been working assiduously in rehab and has lost some of that flab of a couple years back. If these two can help Santos and David man the inside, Castro should have plenty of option on his high pick-and-roll as well as his high-low offense.

On the local side, Co has previous PBL experience and is looking to bounce back to raise his own stock in preparation for a possible pro career. He can do a lot of things well, but he needs to expand his overall floor game. With the four aforementioned players rotating at the 4 and 5 spots, that should allow Co to roam and play his natural 3 position. Having them around also allows him to sneak in for easier rebound opportunities and take more chances on defense. Lopez, Padilla and Reyes will have to get better as spot-up shooters while moving without the ball. Their tendencies to need the ball a lot in their own hands will not lend itself too well against the kind of competition they will face. Padilla in particular will be crucial as a tall and long pointguard. If he can space the floor and move that ball around to keep defenses backpedaling then Pharex UP will have a fighting chance.

It will not be the easiest of roads for a fledgling squad with a half a roster made up of young college players, like Pharex UP, but then again, all lessons are normally learned the hard way. If anything, once the dust settles, the Maroons on this roster should be good and ready for further collegiate wars once their own regular season rolls around after stint in this man’s PBL.

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