The Cooking Oil Experts, owned by businessmen-sportsmen Nathaniel "Tac" Padilla and Herbert de Jesus, will be reinforced by PBA seven-time Best Import awardee Bobby Parks as well as former Socsargen Marlins guard Bong Alvarez.
Tickets for the two-game exhibition between Spring Cooking Oil and Sta. Lucia have been sold out, thus both squads are expected to play with their guts out. The two teams clash on Jan. 5 and 6. The Philippine Embassy in Israel is still working out a possible match between Sta. Lucia and an Israeli team, to be reinforced by at least five national players.
Kenny Travis, the 1993 PBA Best Import who helped San Miguel Beer to the 1993 Governors Cup crown, is also expected to suit up for the Cooking Oil Experts to give the Realtors a tough fight.
Though Sta. Lucia will be playing minus import Damien Owens, who has returned to the United States, the Realtors are still a tough nut to crack, owing to their big frontline led by 6-foor-9 beanpole Marlou Aquino, Dennis Espino and the vastly improved Gerard Francisco, adjudged the Governors Cup Finals MVP.
"We expect to give Sta. Lucia a tough fight. Kahit na exhibition lang ito, lalaban ang team naming," said De Jesus.
Spring Oil toppled Korea-Sangmu in the National Open, 84-68, behind imports Hamzah Yahya Jihad and Parks. Jihad, adjudged the MVP of the tournament, banged in 25 points while Parks chipped in 18.
The Cooking Oil Experts’ locals are no pushovers since aside from Alvarez, they also have former collegiate standouts Joel Co, Carlo Espiritu, Renato Alforque, Rodel Manuel and Joshua Lambert in their lineup.
Spring Oil has been one of the hottest teams outside the professional circuit, since aside from snaring the National Open, it also ruled the Danny Espiritu Cup and the Lito Atienza Cup. The Cooking Oil Experts also placed second in the recent 2001 National Basketball League tournament.
"I was shocked over the performance of our team. Hindi namin ine-expect na in just one year, magiging ganito na ’yung resulta. May mga mapapanalunan na kami agad na championships," said De Jesus.
Padilla, meanwhile, said they’ll be using the two-game exhibition to toughen their team in preparation for the South East Asian Basketball Association men’s championships.
The Philippines, represented by an MBA all-star selection last year, thumped the opposition to bag the SEABA cage crown.