MARK JAYVEN Tallo will spearhead expansion team Bacolod Masters in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Lakandula Cup, which opened last night at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Cebuano Tallo formalized his move to the Masters after he was released by PBA team PBA team NLEX Road Warriors on Tuesday following the arrival of Ilonggo guard Jericho Cruz.
Prior to his release, the 25-year-old Tallo even played in the Road Warriors’ first three matches in the 2019 Honda PBA Commissioner’s Cup where he averaged 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
Aside from Tallo, also tapped to play for the Masters was Bacolodnon guards Nico Paolo Javelona and Arben Dionson, Negrense Spencer Pretta and ES Santos.
Javelona was part of the National University Bulldogs champion team and have also played for San Miguel-Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League and NorthPort Batang Pier in PBA. Dionson and Pretta were from Lyceum Pirates.
The Masters are still in the process of completing its lineup from the players that attended in the tryout last Sunday at the Manville Royale Court in Barangay Tangub in Bacolod City.
Serving as head coach for Masters is Vic Ycasiano with Gilbert Malabanan serving as one of his assistants. The team was bankrolled by Anita Kaw of Master Sardines of Zamboanga City./PN
