TROUBLE is brewing inside a popular collegiate basketball team based in Manila just a year after the entry of its current head coach whom the school anticipates to be their savior after years of struggling in the standings.
A source told the Buzzer Beater that the head coach felt that he was short-changed as all of what he and the collegiate team’s management have agreed upon was not followed.
“Nagtataka lang si coach dahil parang lahat ng napagkasunduan ay hindi natutupad,” the source said. “Una doon sa sinasabing long-term contract niya, biglang nangalahati na lang.”
“Another is ‘yung pag-alis sa kanya ng control sa juniors basketball team. Ang una kasing usapan is dapat mga bata rin ni coach ‘yung magha-handle sa juniors para may continuity kapag nagtapos sila diretso na sa seniors,” added the source.
“Pero ibang coach ‘yung inilagay ng management sa juniors kaya lahat ng recruit ni collegiate coach para sa high school team ay hindi nagagamit at nadedehado pa sa allowance kaya ‘yung iba nag aalisan na lang,” said the source.
The coach has no plan of resigning “dahil nakukuha na niya ‘yung gusto niyang team for college pero siyempre nanghihinayang lang siya dahil ‘yung mga magagaling na recruits niya to be the school’s future ay napapabayaan.”
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Magnolia Hotshots is bracing for a possible revenge from Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings when the two teams cross paths in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Honda PBA Philippine Cup.
The Kings have an ax to grind with the Hotshots after the latter ousted the former in the semifinals round of the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup, ending Ginebra’s two-year reign in the conference.
Hotshots guard Paul Lee knew that the Kings will go all-out to get their revenge but their focus is on winning the series opener on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“Crucial ‘yung Game 1, ‘yun ang sinasabi sa amin ni coach Chito (Victolero), ‘yun ang talagang parang Game 7 kasi kung sino talaga ‘yung makauna yun ang mas mataas na chance na manalo sa series,” Lee said.
Personally, Lee hopes that he could continue his hot shooting in the playoffs round after torching the NLEX Road Warriors with 26 points on six three-point conversions on Wednesday night.
“Sana magtuluy-tuloy yung ganoong shooting ko kasi this conference medyo hindi consistent ‘yung tira ko sa labas. So hopefully, magdire-diretso,” the former PBA Rookie of the Year awardee said.
He added: “As a team, siguro sabihin na lang natin na napaganda lang din ‘yung schedule namin na sunud-sunod, nakuha namin ‘yung timing naming. Medyo mahirap lang pero nakatulong din sa amin.”
Aside from Kings-Hotshots, other quarterfinals pairing features defending champions San Miguel Beermen and TNT KaTropa (best-of-three) and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and NorthPort Batang Pier with the former having a twice-to-beat edge.
Top-seed Phoenix Fuel Masters, which also has a twice-to-beat advantage, is still waiting for an opponent between NLEX Road Warriors and Alaska Aces, which is having a do-or-die game as of presstime last night for the last quarterfinals seat./PN
