PBL spawning ground of stars

The Philippine Basketball League (PBL) doesn’t find the need to brag its role as a developmental league in the ever-growing basketball landscape in the country.

Ateneo, La Salle and newly crowned UAAP men’s basketball champion Far Eastern U are enough proof of that.

All three were the toast of college ball the last six years or so, a feat that could have not been made possible without their prior stint in the 20-year old amateur league.

Although commissioner Chino Trinidad, speaking before yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Manila Pavilion, is not about to credit solely everything to the league, he stressed that schools are now beginning to realize how a PBL campaign could transform a team outlook around.

"The different schools are beginning to see how effective such a program is. Na-realized ng mga eskuwela na PBL is the way to develop their players," said Trinidad in the public sports program sponsored by Red Bull, Agfa Colors and PAGCOR, where he guested together with his deputy Tommy Ong.

He cited the cases of the Tamaraws and Eagles, winner of the last two UAAP men’s cage crown who also figured in this year’s best-of-three finals.

While the Tamaraws, carrying the banner of Viva Mineral Water, finished runner-up to Hapee Toothpaste in the last PBL Unity Cup, Trinidad pointed out that the team was actually just seconds away from winning the title had Gerard Jones not miss a point-blank range shot in the team’s final play.

A year earlier, the Ateneo-backed Hapee-Negros Navigation squad beat Blu Sun Powder for the Chairman’s Cup championship and later went on to win the 2002 UAAP men‚s crown, ending a 14-year title drought.

La Salle’s reign as UAAP Kings for four straight seasons began shortly after Don Allado, Dino Aldeguer and Renren Ritualo powered Welcoat Paints to back-to-back PBL titles.

"Now it’s up to the other schools if they want to avail of the program. Basta kami, we’ll just continue developing players as what we have been doing the past years," added Trinidad.

The league’s season-ending Platinum Cup will have more teams adopting the core of college squads for its rosters, the latest of which is Blu, whose lineup is composed of players from the University of the Philippines.

Negotiations are still underway on the possibility of reigning NCAA champion Letran, Santo Tomas and San Beda, whose core was supposed to be taken by Pop Cola before it backed out at the last minute, joining the league, reason why its kick-off stage, originally set on Oct. 25, was moved to Nov. 8 instead.

Other than Viva, Hapee (now to carry the name Fash), ICTSI-La Salle and Blu, other teams seeing action are Montana, Welcoat, guest team RP men‚s squad to the Southeast Asian Games and a surprise entry which Trinidad would rather not name at the moment.