Dondon no longer Cebu's gem

Dondon Hontiveros is now out of the Cebu Gems but which team he is transferring to is still up in the air.

In what could start a mad scramble for Hontiveros, Cebu team manager Danny Francisco announced yesterday that they have decided to release the 6-foot-3 player.

Francisco, however, said they are letting the Cebuano hotshot go with one condition -- team owner John Henri Lhuillier, who's out of the country, will choose which team will get his services.

"The management tried exhaustively to retain Dondon. We even re-structured his contract thrice just to make him stay but his non-communications with us seemed to mean that he doesn't want to play for us anymore so we're giving up on him," said Francisco.

Francisco didn't say whether they will allow Hontiveros to move out of the MBA. San Miguel and Mobiline are two PBA teams interested to recruit the player.

"Dondon may not like the team he may find himself with on Mr. Lhuillier's decision. But he has to be professional enough to accept it," said Francisco.

Meanwhile, the Manila Metrostars remain optimistic about their chances of retaining the national crown in the forthcoming third season, which opens on Feb. 13.

Metrostars general manager and interim head coach Ramon Tuason said Manila is still "a solid team" despite the departure of coach Louie Alas and players Don Camaso, Ruben dela Rosa and Nestor Echano.

Camaso was released to the PBA, Dela Rosa opted to join his brother Romy in the Negros Slashers camp while Echano was released by Manila during the dispersal draft last December. Alas resigned last week for "personal reasons."

"Coach Louie was our mentor. He was everything to us. We will surely miss him. But I guess, we will be okay," said Fil-Am Augustus Cesar Brown, who returned from the United States earlier this week.

Ace slotman Romel Adducul said while Alas will not be physically present during their workouts and on the sidelines during actual games, he will always be with them via the system that he had introduced. -