Alaska to add an Ace in Cortez

La Salle ace pointguard Mike Cortez turned in his application for the PBA Annual Draft through an agent late yesterday afternoon – a delivery seen as the arrival of what’s probably the missing link in the Alaska Milk puzzle.

Alaska has long been eyeing Cortez to be the top pick in the Jan. 12 draft, hoping the Fil-Am cager would plug the team’s hole at the backcourt.

Thus, the Alaska management saw it as a cause for little celebration as American player-agent Bill Rosmarino applied Cortez for the draft in the nick of time.

"Wala talaga kaming legitimate pointguard kaya talagang kailangan namin si Mike Cortez. I have talked to him and his father a month ago. Mike said he wants to play for us," said Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo.

Alaska need for a court director was evident in its sorry loss to Coca-Cola in their recent Selecta All-Filipino Cup title playoff. Coach Tim Cone had to rely on John Arigo, Jon Ordonio and Rodney Santos at the point although these players are not natural guards.

Ordonio and Santos, along with EJ Feihl, Rob Duat, Eric Reyes, Alvin Teng, Jojo Lastimosa and Richie Ticzon, have expired playing contracts at the end of the month.

Trillo told The STAR they have signed up Feihl to a new contract worth P9.3 million in three years. The 7-foot-1 behemoth is to receive P260,000 a month from 2003-2005. Trillo also said Duat is next on the negotiation table.

A total of 67 players, including 22 Fil-foreign cagers, applied for the coming draft.

Among the marquee players aside from Cortez are SEA Games veterans Romel Adducul, Eddie Laure and John Ferriols, Fil-Am guard Jimmy Alapag, Ateneo ace slotman Enrico Villanueva, and PBL standouts Reynel Hugnatan, Bruce Dacia, Ronald Tubid, Sunday Salvacion, Billy Mamaril, Cyrus Baguio and Marlon Legaspi.

After Alaska, which gained the first pick overall on a past trade deal with FedEx, next on the draft order are Barangay Ginebra, Shell, Purefoods, Sta. Lucia Realty, Talk N Text, Red Bull, San Miguel, Coca-Cola and Alaska Milk.

Ginebra is likely to enlist Adducul while Shell, badly in need of big men, may take in either Laure or Villanueva. Purefoods is reportedly looking for a guard and Sta. Lucia a small forward.

Aside from Cortez and Alapag, other Fil-foreign players in the list are Richmond delos Santos, Eugene Tejada, Joseph Lee Dominguez, Paul Kalani Ferreira, Clarence Cole, Sanley de Castro, Abraham Gabriel Paglama, Mark Caguco, Crispin Guinto Jr., Michael Tablan, Dustin Coloso, Francis Rauschmayer, Richard Hardine, Harvey Carey, Richard Michael, Leodito Yanogacio, Dennis Morante, Cid White, Robert James Johnson and Brandon Lee Kaui Cablay.

They have until Jan. 6 to submit certification of citizenship from the Bureau of Immigration and confirmation from the Department of Justice to be declared eligible for the draft exercise.

Rosmarino showed BI and DOJ papers for Cortez. Alapag, a candidate for the RP team to the recent Asian Games, has reportedly secured his documents, too.