PBA hopefuls to lead Blu vs Welcoat

Marlon Legaspi and Arnold Calo will get one last chance to prove themselves against Romel Adducul and Eddie Laure heading into the PBA Amateur Draft as Blu All Purpose takes on powerhouse Welcoat Paints today in the PBL Challenge Cup at the Pasig Sports Center.

Overshadowed by Adducul and Laure as top prospects in the PBA draft set Jan. 12, Legaspi and Calo will try to create a big impression in the 5 p.m. match with the Detergent Kings hoping to seal a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals.

Welcoat is already assured of the top spot and the twice-to-beat incentive with a league best 8-1 record while Blu, runner-up to reigning UAAP titlist Ateneo in last year’s Chairman’s Cup, is just a win away from clinching it.

John-O and Cheeseball-Shark clash at 3 p.m. in a non-bearing contest. John-O and the Cheeseballs are already out of the semis race with cards of 4-6 and 2-8, respectively.

Legaspi, a perennial member of the Mythical Team, and Calo, last year’s Most Improved Player, are the main reasons the Detergent Kings are on the rise this season from a title pretender to a certified contender.

But despite their ability to put up superb efforts, Legaspi and Calo may need some help from PBA free agents Aries Dimaunahan and Arnold Gamboa, Lou Gatumbato, skipper Eric dela Cuesta and its bench in order for them to pull the rug from under fancied Welcoat.

The Paint Masters, who are back after skipping the Chairman’s Cup, boast the deepest bench in the league with the power-playing tandem of Adducul and Laure leading the pack.

Adducul and Laure, who are both MVP winners in MBA, on the other hand, may not be in tip-top shape while recovering from a throat infection and a strained right muscle calf, respectively.

"Titingnan ko pa bukas (today) kung anong mangyayari kasi hindi pa ako sure kung 100-percent na ‘yung dalawa (Adducul and Laure)," said Welcoat coach Leo Austria, who steered Shark Energy Drink to two titles before moving to the Paint Masters’ camp this year.