Ginebra retains Caguioa, 7 other cagers

MANILA, Philippines - Barangay Ginebra re-signed no less than eight players, led by top gun Mark Caguioa, before opening its training camp today for the coming season under returning head coach Siot Tanquincen.

Caguioa inked a fresh two-year pact worth P8.4 million even as Eric Menk settled for a one-year contract-extension deal (P4.2 million) and Jayjay Helterbrand just for a one-conference agreement.

With an assortment of injuries slowing him down in the last two years, Helterbrand wants to see how he fares in the first conference.

“If he can’t cope up anymore, he might call it quits,” SMC official Robert Non told The STAR.

“He’s thinking on returning to the United States. He said his daughter there is growing fast. He wants to be with her,” Non said.

Helterbrand is 34 and has been in the league since 2000, winning the MVP award in 2009.

He’s easily among the league’s best in the last 10 years, gaining two Mythical Five honors, two All-Star MVP plums and twice making the national team roster (in Fiba Asia joust in Tokushima in 2007 and the Asian tilt in Tianjin in 2009).

But injuries slowed down the heady guard in the last two years.

Rico Villanueva also inked a new contract, ready to plunge back into action after recovering from a knee injury.

Ginebra also re-signed Yancy de Ocampo, thus keeping a solid frontline rotation despite Rudy Hatfield’s decision not to return anymore.

Filling in the spot left by Hatfield is former FEU banger Neil Cervantes.

Only Talk n Text and Petron Blaze remain in vacation with Ginebra kicking off its training camp today.

Both the Texters and the Boosters start preparing for the coming season on Sept. 14.

The 2011-2012 PBA season kicks off with the Philippine Cup on Oct. 2.

Despite health woes, the Kings fared well last season, finishing second in the Commissioner’s Cup and narrowly missing the finals in the Governors Cup.