Gins sign Fil-Am player

The Ginebra San Miguel coaching staff may have seen something special in Kim Valenzuela that prompted them to sign up the pint-sized Fil-Am player yesterday though the team is already loaded at the point guard spot.

Meanwhile, news of a trade involving Alaska’s Ali Peek and Talk n Text’s Harvey Carey spread like wildfire but Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo denied any truth to this.

"Ano kami naloloko? Payag kami kong isama nila si Asi (Taulava)," said Trillo.

A former US NCAA Division II campaigner, Valenzuela inked a two-and-a-half-year contract with Ginebra, gaining a chance to see action with the Kings in the coming PBA wars beginning Feb. 22 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Valenzuela, a product of Cuyamaca College playing in the Pacific Coast Conference, is not assured of an outright slot in the team as coach Allan Caidic has already 15 players with live contracts.

"We’ll see what happens because we’ll still evaluate many things. Pagaaralan pa namin nang mabuti kung paano mababalanse ang team," said Caidic.

For one, the team has now four legitimate point guards in Bal David, Aries Dimaunahan, the comebacking Jayjay Helterbrand and Valenzuela. The other Gin Kings are new recruits Andy Seigle, Rodney Santos, Migs Noble, Noynoy Falcasantos and other old mainstays Eric Menk, Romel Adducul, Alex Crisano, Banjo Calpito, Mark Caguioa, Sunday Salvacion and Estong Ballesteros.

With Ballesteros on the injured list, two players will be put on the reserve roster.

"May quality siya na nagustahan namin. May potential siya, kaya pinapirma namin," said Caidic of Valenzuela.

"May tira sa labas, smart at mabilis na parang si (Jimmy) Alapag. But of course, Alapag has proven himself in the league," Caidic added.

Valenzuela, 22, whose parents are from Tanauan, Batangas, was picked 13th overall by Sta. Lucia but left unsigned, thus, becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Because of a slight hamstring injury sustained in practice with Sta. Lucia, Valenzuela played only minimal minutes in Ginebra’s tuneup game with Purefoods last Wednesday. The Kings beat the Hotdogs, 100-90.

But if Valenzuela lives up to his reputation in California, he could well curve a niche in the local pro league just like Alapag, an old rival in Fil-Am competitions in the West Coast.

Valenzuela saw action for San Diego Dynasty which is considered among the best teams in California after stints with the Serra High School, where he once scored 41 points and dished off 10 assists in a game, and Cuyamaca College.

Among his awards were Eastern League Player of the Year, MVP in his junior and senior year at Serra High and MVP of the Surf and Slam Tournaments.

At Cuyamaca, he established records in three-point and free-throw shooting. He holds the records in most number of three-points made in a season with 54 and free-throw percentage, making 131 of 162 attempts for 81 percent.

Valenzuela is second in career most triples made with 87, next to Randy Bland’s 91 and also No. 2 in assists with 196, next to Tim Browning’s 257.