Wild scramble on for last seven berths

Interim national coach Jong Uichico left only seven slots in the 24-man national pool open as he seeded into the roster the 17 PBA players personally named by coach Ron Jacobs as candidates in the final stage of tryout for the RP team bound for the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

"Si coach Ron ang nag-name sa kanila. Ang hirap naman mag-tanggal ako diyan, baka magalit sa akin si coach Ron (Coach Ron named them and I would be difficult I were to take them out. Coach Ron may get mad) ," said Uichico after getting his first glimpse of the national hopefuls at the resumption of tryouts yesterday at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center inside Ateneo.

The 17 players chosen by Jacobs are San Miguel’s Danny Ildefonso and Danny Seigle, Alaska’s Kenneth Duremdes and Ali Peek, Red Bull’s Davonn Harp and Mick Pennisi, Sta. Lucia’s Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino, Ginebra’s Eric Menk, Talk N Text’s Asi Taulava and Don Camaso, Pop Cola’s Poch Juinio and Rudy Hatfield, Purefoods’ Andy Seigle and Noy Castillo, Airfreight/FedEx Jeffrey Cariaso and Shell’s Chris Jackson.

All except the two Seigles, Ildefonso, Aquino, Espino and Cariaso, who are all still out of the country, joined the resumption of tryouts yesterday together with some Fil-Am hopefuls and aspirants from the MBA and the PBL.

Menk, Peek and Castillo, however, skipped the scrimmages because of injuries. Johnny Abarrientos was released by his mother team to join the tryout but likewise sat out the scrimmages also due to injury.

"I’m pressuming all those candidates who are not here have legitimate excuses. But because of things that have happened, we’ll try to be flexible. We’ll give everybody equal chance to make it to the team," said Uichico, who has until Jan. 25 to name the players making the two candidate teams that will compete as guest squads in the 2002 PBA season first conference.

"Everybody’s starting from scratch. Sabi ko sa kanila iyong tryouts last December kalimutan na nila. Wala ako noon, so I myself will start from scratch," he added.

But Uichico stressed he’ll follow the program of Jacobs and will try his best to form the national pool Jacobs may have in mind.

"I’ll evaluate things, try to think the way he would think and form teams he may envision it to be," said Uichico.

Uichico said he has to evaluate things because, in the first place, he’s not the one who named the players attending the last stage of the tryout. Although officially named assistant coach by Jacobs, Uichico failed to attend the tryouts last December because he figured in the PBA Governors Cup Finals versus Red Bull.

Outside of the 17 named by Jacobs, others tapped to join the final stage of the tryouts were PBA mainstays Abarrientos, Boyet Fernandez, EJ Feihl, Patrick Fran, Olsen Racela, John Arigo, Dondon Hontiveros and Mike Hrabak, MBA players Romel Adducul, Jeffrey Flowers, John Ferriols, Rafi Reavies, Chris Clay, Omanzie Rodriguez, Chris Calaguio, Fil-Ams Jimmy Alapag and Rob Johnson, PBL mainstays Renren Ritualo and Mike Cortez and collegiate standout Sunday Salvacion.