Storm delays US team arrival

A massive snowstorm in the US East Coast forced the delay of the arrival of the visiting US team, which will play a series of goodwill games against the RP team set Feb. 22 to March 1.

The US team, led by Brando Payton, the 23-year-old younger brother of Seattle Supersonics All-Star guard Gary Payton, was due to arrive today. But the said weather disturbance shut down all of the major airports yesterday, forcing the US team to reset their arrival on Feb. 20.

Payton will be accompanied by 6’4 Maurice Brown, 6’3 Alvin Stephenson Jr., 6’0 Gary DiGrazia, 6’5 Nathaniel Gore, 6’8 Will Levy and 6’10 Terrence Super.

Beefing up the team are MBA veterans Chris Mendoza, Kalani Fereria, VJ Santos and actor Carlos Morales.

RP team coach Aric del Rosario will yet name the final composition, which will be competing in three major international tournaments this year – the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Men’s Championship in April, the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Men’s Championship in September and the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam this December.

The 26 hopefuls currently in the pool are Francis Gerald Jones, Al Magpayo, Alwyn Espiritu, Rich Alvarez, Ranidel de Ocampo, Ronald Allan Capati, Richard Melencio, Al Vergara, Bernzon Franco, Emmerson Oreta, Willy Wilson, Jamal Vizcarra, Wesley Gonzales, Jay Lapinid, James Yap, Dean Paolo Hubalde, Mike Bravo, Don Villamin, Mark Macapagal, Celino Cruz, Dennis Madrid, Paul Artadi, Loreto Soriano, Mark Isip, Peter Jun Simon, Nino Canaleta, Ollan Omiping, Jean Marc Pingris.

First stop of the RP-US Goodwill Exhibition Series is the Pasig Sports Center. Gametime is set at 5 p.m. and will have the tune-up game between Welcoat Paints and Montana Jewels as curtain raiser at 3 p.m.

The US team will battle Dazz Diswashing Liquid in the main match at 5 p.m. on February 24 at the San Juan Gym, right after the encounter between John-O and LBC at 3.

On February 26, the US Team will have the chance to meet Blu All-Purpose in the out-of-town encounter at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City, right after the tune-up match between Welcoat and the Quezon Selection at 3.

Then on March 1, the US Selection will have a rematch against the RP Team at the Pampanga Convention Center at 5, after the game between John-O and the Pampanga Selection at 3.