Woolpert back next year

Only five Talk ‘N’ Text contracts are expiring this year and coach Paul Woolpert’s isn’t one of them.

Phone Pals team manager Frankie Lim yesterday confirmed Woolpert will be back in the Talk ‘N’ Text saddle next season. Woolpert was signed to a four-conference deal, starting in the current Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Selecta All-Filipino Cup.

"Paul came in five days before the start of the conference," said Lim.

"He didn’t know anyone here. He didn’t know the players. He didn’t know how the game is played in the PBA. He had little time to adjust.

Personally, I think he’s a good coach. Next year, he’s got the chance to prepare the team, the chance to get the players he wants. Now, he knows what to expect from the league, what kind of game the other teams play, and most importantly, what his players are capable of doing."

Assistant coach Joel Banal chimed in. "Paul had a lot of adjusting to do," noted Banal. "In the CBA (Continental Basketball Association), he won a title–you don’t win a title in the CBA if you’re not a good coach.

Here, he had to get adjusted to playing about once a week so there’s a lot of waiting time. In the CBA, it’s like three games a week. Next year, he’ll be adjusted to our style and schedule and we’ll see a much better performance."

Banal said in last Sunday’s do-or-die loss to Alaska, he anticipated the Aces to play at a higher level. "Paul made adjustments in the game but I guess, our guys are just not used to playing at that level yet, unlike Alaska," he continued. "For instance, Asi (Taulava) has never played in the semis. But we’re learning."

In terms of wins and losses, Talk ‘N’ Text improved from 18-23 last year to 27-20 this season. That’s a dramatic turnaround from a 43.9 percent winning clip to 57.4. In the First Conference this year under Bill Bayno, the Phone Pals zoomed to a 9-2 record in the eliminations, punctuated by an eight-game winning streak, but lost two straight to San Miguel Beer in the twice-to-beat quarterfinals. Talk ‘N’ Text rebounded to barge into the Second Conference Finals but lost to Red Bull in a pulsating series that went the full route. In the All-Filipino Cup knockout quarterfinals, the Phone Pals lost a 19-point decision to Alaska.

"Little by little, we’re improving," said Lim. "Hopefully, we’ll have a fruitful season next year. We want to make a strong statement to the players that we’re serious about building a competitive team. We want to get better. For us, change should be a constant thing because we should be open to all options in exploring how we can improve."

Lim explained that team owner Manny Pangilinan didn’t walk out on the Phone Pals in the Alaska game last Sunday. "He left after the first half to catch a flight to Hong Kong–it wasn’t a walkout," added Lim. "But Mr. Pangilinan felt bad at the way we lost, considering it was a do-or-die game. He wasn’t happy about the game. We’ll take it as a challenge for us to do better next time."

Lim said the contracts of Bong Alvarez, Kenny Evans, Alex Crisano, Gabby Cui, and Jercules Tangkay are expiring this year. Nothing is certain about their future.

As for Alvarez, Lim said he stuck out his neck to bring Mr. Excitement back. "Bong called me and asked if we could give him a chance," related Lim. "He told me he’d play for P50,000 a month even if his FedEx salary was P150,000. I didn’t quote the figure. He did. After we got off to a 1-2 start, I asked management if I could bring in Bong. Management approved it so I told Bong to report for practice and gave him a two-month contract. The other players were surprised when Bong walked in for practice."

With Alvarez in the lineup, Talk ‘N’ Text posted a 4-3 record. He averaged 8.6 points in seven outings.

This weekend, the coaching staff will get together with company executives Ricky Vargas and Al Panlilio in Baguio to discuss plans for next season.

Woolpert will be there. He’ll leave for the US next week to spend the holidays with his family and be back early next year.

Talk ‘N’ Text has only one pick in the first two rounds of the draft next year. That’s the sixth overall in the first round. So the Phone Pals may not be able to land a prized catch unless they trade for a higher slot. Anyway, Lim said the team is open to trades.

Banal said he’s confident the team will get better next year. "We’ve got the No. 1 center in the land," he went on. "We’ve got a talented team.

We’re learning, we’re adjusting and we’re improving."

Postscript. More prizes are coming in for our Christmas contest which we launched yesterday. From FedEx, 10 caps, 10 tote bags, 10 koozie bottles, 10 umbrellas, and 10 FedEx notepads. From Red Bull, T-shirts, basketballs, Red Bull energy drink, and calendars. From Alaska, five thermos jugs and 10 E-Cow stuff toys. From the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), a special edition gym bag (not available in the market) and more surprises. We’ll pick 26 winners. Send in your entries to "The X’Mas Treat," A Sporting Chance, The Philippine Star, 13th and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Metro Manila. Write your name, address, telephone number, and your answers to these questions: Who will be the PBA’s MVP this year and which team will win the PBA Selecta All-Filipino Cup? Deadline for entries is the day before Game 3 of the All-Filipino Finals. Hurry. Don’t wait for the last minute to send in your entries. Join now.