"I’m happy that Rommel (Adducul) has agreed to play for us," said Spring team owner and national shooting champion Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla. "He’s definitely going to boost our title chances in the Yunnan tournament."
The 6-foot-6 Adducul, until recently with the Pangasinan Waves, became available after the country’s other pro league, MBA, folded up.
Also seeing action for coach Tito Palma’s Spring Cooking Oil in Yunnan are 6-9 Jeffrey Flowers, another MBA star, and seven-time PBA Best Import Bobby Parks.
Completing the Spring squad, which has Ricky Magallanes as assistant coach, are Braulio Lim, Carlo Espiritu, Rodel Manuel, Joel Co, Mario Reyes and Archer Calacar.
"With Adducul, Flowers and Parks playing together, Spring will be very competitive in the (Yunnan) tournament," stressed Padilla.
Three Chinese teams, led by the Liaoning Tigers, Hong Kong champion Pacific Long Distance Telephone and Australia’s Sydney Kings, winner of the recent Jones Cup, will also vie in Yunnan.
Spring’s trip is sponsored by Liwayway Marketing Corp. (Oishi), Alfa laval Phils. and Morning Star Travel and Tours and supported by the Basketball Association of the Philippines, Philippine Sports Commission and Adidas.
The Aussies and the Tigers are the early favorites. The Sydney Kings boast a couple of 6-10 players–David Cooper and Ernest Zingamsabo–while the Chinese will be sparked by three members of the national team.