Import key to Aces bid for second title in row

MANILA, Philippines - Alaska Milk is bringing in former New Mexico State star Wendell McKines as the Uytengsu franchise chases a second straight crown in the PBA Governors Cup set to start Aug. 14 or after the country’s hosting of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship.

Alaska team owner Wilfred Steven Uytengsu has said they will soon buckle down to work following their Commissioner’s Cup title conquest over the Barangay Ginebra Kings.

Having ended their hunt for a first title in three years, the Aces will now embark on a quest for first back-to-back championships since a failed second grand slam bid in 1998.

Thr Aces mission hinges on McKines, the US NCAA Western Athletic Conference (WAC) MVP and scoring and rebounding champion in the 2011-12 campaign.

Reviews on the Oakland, California native suggest he’s tailor-fit for Alaska, just like Rob Dozier. 

Listed as 6-foot-6 but is likely to fit the league’s 6-foot-5 ceiling, McKines is said to have a size of a two-guard, but has the game of a power forward.

He submitted whopping averages of 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in his senior year with the NMS Aggies then played with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA summer league.

He erupted for 27 points and 14 rebounds to power the Aggies to an 82-57 rout of the Louisiana Tech in the 2012 WAC championship.

With 20 double-doubles – and a total of 47 in his career, McKines emerged the hands-down choice as the WAC MVP.

He also earned National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District Six team and US Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District VIII team honors.

He concluded his career as No. 2 on the all-time rebounding list (1,135) and No. 8 on the all-time scoring list (1,521) at New Mexico State. McKines ended his time in the Crimson and White ranking third in both games played (126) and minutes played (3,576) in school history.

He was tied for eighth in career rebounding average (9.0), 10th in career blocked shots (66), ninth in career field goals made (582), eighth in career field goals attempted (1,194) and ninth in career free throw attempts (432).

In the 2011-12 season, McKines shot 46.1 percent from field, 35.2 percent from three-point line and 76.0 percent from free-throw line.

Meanwhile, San Mig Coffee is bringing back Marqus Blakely while Globalport is considering to acquire the rights of Jamelle Cornley from titleholder Rain or Shine which has decided not to rehire the Best Import awardee because of his recent off-court foul-up.

Barangay Ginebra is looking at Dior Lowhorn of San Francisco while Talk n Text is playing Tony Mitchell whom the team has fielded during the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals against the Gin Kings.

The season-ending Governors Cup is a short tourney where the 10 teams figure in a single-round elims play with the top eight advancing to the playoffs.

It’s No. 1 versus No. 8, No. 2 against No. 7, No. 3 opposite No. 6 and No. 4 versus No. 5 with the higher seeds enjoying twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals. The semifinals is a best-of-five series and the finals a best-of-seven playoffs.