UC to play the spoiler role

CEBU, Philippines - The current lineup of two-time Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) champion University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters would like to be considered as a 'spoiler' rather than a contender.

This humble observation came from no less than their team manager himself, lawyer Baldomero "Merong" C. Estenzo, whose rookie-laden team is not bringing in any promise other than to play hard in every game when the league's 13th season gets underway on August 3 at the Cebu Coliseum.

Estenzo said the only possibility they can wage one big fight against their rivals is to play good defense and employ a fast-paced game to offset their height deficiency.   

Following the departure of two-time MVP Junemar Fajardo, the Webmasters are hardly considered as top contenders. Despite they are known to be so resilient, not much were being shown at the hardcourt in the post- Fajardo era.

Fajardo, a six-foot-nine skyscraper from the southern Cebu town of Pinamungajan, became the top pick overall of the Petron Blaze Booters in last year's PBA Draft, making him the first Cebuano cager to have achieved the feat.

He actually has one more playing year left with UC in the 2011 CESAFI season, but Fajardo opted to seek greener pastures in the pro league.

When Fajardo was gone as well as Quinton Brian Heruela, Kelvin Juliane, Luigi Bercede, Robinson Mohamad and Edward Pao, the Webmasters looked very different from the once powerhouse squad they were known to be.

Now they start all over again, hoping to find some potential replacements that could restore their status as legitimate title contenders.

That is precisely because last year, they never regained their old strength despite the presence of their two holdovers from the champion team in Jan Michael Auditor and Pompeyo Miranda as well as the likes of Kido Cabrera and Gerald Ampoon.

The good thing is that Arvin Kim Gomez, a member of the 2011 champion team who skipped last season to finish his nursing course, is back in the lineup of his father-coach Rhoel.

Their brightest prospect, however, is three-point artist Noel Villanueva, a dangerous man when left unguarded. Gomez can also shoot with precision from beyond the arc, while Anthony Tamparong can be relied upon from the field.

Also, the Webmasters have spotted a legitimate center that could be of big help to their campaign in 6-foot-5 Johnny Sigasig. UC, however, cannot make him a shining star overnight as he still lacks the fundamentals and needs rigid training to fill in the huge void left by Fajardo.

Completing UC's roster for the upcoming CESAFI cage wars are Edward Espiritu, Junas Marion Misa, Earldred Cesar Montilla, Garciano Puerto, Jr. Ernesto Roche II, Wendell Santander, Kenneth Glenn Niones, and Carlos Tabaquero.

As they brace for the uphill battle ahead, the best the Webmasters can hope for is to land at the magic four knowing that they have to hurdle huge stumbling blocks along the way. (FREEMAN)