Fil-Ims in PBA Finals

There’s a term for Fil-foreigners recruited to play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from the US collegiate ranks. I call them Fil-Ims. They’re not all Fil-Ams because as in Mick Pennisi’s case, he was born in Australia and in Asi Taulava’s case, he was born in Tonga. But they’re all Fil-Ims because they’re Filipino "imports."

Before I’m misunderstood, I must stress that the term isn’t derogatory. They’re imports because they come from a foreign league – the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). But they’re Filipinos because of their bloodline. I’m all for Fil-Ims. As long as their Filipino heritage is confirmed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), they’ve got every right to play here as locals. No Fil-Im is allowed to see action in the PBA without DOJ confirmation. So it’s safe to assume all Fil-Ims in the PBA are legitimate.

In the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, the Fil-Ims are for Red Bull, Pennisi and DaVonn Harp and for San Miguel Beer, Danny Seigle, Dorian Pena and Nick Belasco.

Here’s a rundown of their NCAA credentials.

Pennisi, 26, played three years for Eastern Michigan University, an NCAA Division I school. As a freshman in 1994-95, he joined 5-8 guard Earl Boykins on the varsity. That year, Pennisi averaged 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds as coach Ben Braun piloted the Eagles to a 20-10 mark. Pennisi shot a lofty 64 percent from the field.

As a sophomore. Pennisi logged 18 minutes of play in Eastern Michigan’s 75-60 upset over Duke University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Writer Joe Juliano reported that Pennisi "drove the Blue Devils’ Greg Newton to distraction with his bump-and-grind style." Juliano described Pennisi as "a tough, physical type who averaged barely nine minutes a game and a foul every 4.3 minutes." Some of the stars whom Pennisi faced in the NCAA Tournament that season were Duke’s Trajan Langdon and Ray Allen, Travis Knight, and future PBA import Kirk King of Connecticut.

"It’s fun when it’s physical" was a quote attributed to Pennisi by Juliano.

In his junior year, Pennisi averaged four points, two rebounds, and 15.9 minutes as the Eagles posted a 22-10 record under coach Milton Barnes. The Queensland-born forward hit 49.5 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three-point distance, and 79.5 percent from the line. Pennisi started in 23 of 32 games. Juliano noted that Pennisi "can hurt opponents by stepping outside and hitting the trifecta (6-of-13) every once in a while (and) makes good on his free throw attempts."

The 6-7, 230-pound Pennisi, however, didn’t return to Eastern Michigan for his senior season. Instead, he concentrated on his career in the National Basketball League (NBL), Australia’s version of the PBA.

Pennisi apprenticed in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), Australia’s version of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), before moving to the NBL during the Eagles’ offseason in 1995. He averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds for the CBA’s Burdekin Wildcats in 1994 and a year later, 11.6 points and 12.6 rebounds for the Townsville Heat. A teammate was Nate Tate, a Cebu-born Fil-Am Australian migrant. Then, Pennisi moved to the NBL, scoring 14 points in nine games for the Townsville Suns whose import that season was future Ginebra recruit Derek Rucker.

In 1998-99, Pennisi’s last season in the NBL, he compiled 37 points and 34 rebounds in 16 games for the Townsville Crocodiles who used to be known as the Suns. His teammates included brother David and former Purefoods import Rob Rose.

Pennisi’s brother David, incidentally, is a 6-9, 250-pound forward who was the NBL Co-Rookie of the Year in 1998. David, 22, should be quite an attraction in the PBA as a Fil-Im.

Harp, 23, played for Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio, before enrolling at Towson State, the same NCAA Division I school that produced former PBA import Kurk Lee, and winding up his collegiate career at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

Harp saw action only a year for Kutztown but left his imprint in the Golden Bears’ history books. He set the varsity’s all-time record for field goal marksmanship by hitting 68.3 percent in 1998-99. Harp shot 140 of 205 from the floor in 27 games to lead the entire NCAA Division II in that department and also topped the varsity in assists and blocked shots. He averaged 12.1 points and 9.0 rebounds and hit 52.2 percent from the line. He was the Bears’ leading rebounder in 20 of 27 games and top scorer in eight. Despite Harp’s glowing stats, Kutztown could only post a 13-14 mark under coach Jeff Jones.

For his efforts, Harp was voted to the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference second team. In his final Kutztown game, he scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against West Chester.

In tomorrow’s column, check out the NCAA stats of San Miguel’s Fil-Ims Seigle, Pena, and Belasco.