Will it be cellar for Pinoy five?

The Philippines is destined to finish its lowest ever in the 43-year history of the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) championships and coach Aric del Rosario’s only consolation is beating Malaysia today in a playoff to avoid last place at the Heilongjian University gym in Harbin, China.

Team manager Danny Francisco told The Star in a text message the players’ spirits are both "okay and not okay." He said: "Ok coz of nw experience, nt ok coz we knw dat we dint make it." Francisco promised the national squad will go all out for a win over Malaysia to escape the cellar and reassert the country’s supremacy in Southeast Asia.

Del Rosario called off practice yesterday but the team will reassemble for a shootaround at 9 this morning. The game against Malaysia is scheduled at 2 p.m.

The country’s previous worst showing was 12th place in the 18th ABC tournament in Seoul in 1995. Coach Arlene–not Francis–Rodriguez’ squad bowed to Kuwait in a playoff for 11th spot and fell to 12th.

The Philippines improved to ninth spot in the next ABC joust in Riyadh two years later. Coach Dong Vergeire’s team failed to advance to the quarterfinals after losing to China by 35, Iran by one and Bahrain by two in the eliminations. But in the consolation pool, the Philippines posted a perfect 3-0 record–beating Kazakhstan, 84-74, India, 89-67, and Bahrain, 84-79–to clinch ninth spot. .

In 1999, the Philippines stumbled to 11th in Fukuoka. Coach Vic Sanchez’ team listed Wynne Arboleda, Alvin Teng, Melencio, Dondon Hontiveros, Bong Ravena and Gido Babilonia. The national squad lost to Lebanon by 10, United Arab Emirates by 14 and South Korea by 25 in the eliminations then bowed to Uzbekistan by 30 but beat Thailand, 82-58, and Bahrain, 83-75, to salvage 11th spot.

The Philippines did not play in the 21st ABC championships in Shanghai two years ago because of the International Basketball Federation suspension in the wake of the leadership fiasco in the Basketball Association of the Philippines.

In Harbin, Del Rosario never had a chance to break the Philippines’ long absence from crashing the quarterfinals party in the biennial tournament.

The last ABC meet where the country advanced to the quarterfinals was in Kobe in 1991 when coach Francis–not Arlene–Rodriguez piloted the national team to seventh place behind Johnny Abarrientos, Marlou Aquino, Vic Pablo, Jun Limpot, Ravena, Jolly Escobar and Tony de la Cerna.

Del Rosario’s lineup was hardly threatening. Starting point guard Celino Cruz was Talk ‘N’ Text’s third round pick in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft last year but never made it to the pros. Leading scorer Ricky Calimag played eight games for Tanduay in the 2001 PBA season and never came back. Melencio, in his third ABC stint, was Shell’s fourth round pick last year but like Cruz, was unsigned.

The writing on the wall was clear before Del Rosario and his pick-up gang of discards, substitutes and prospects left for China–there was no way the team would go far.

In the eliminations, the Philippines lost to Japan by two and Qatar by eight before bowling over Jordan, 83-67. Then it was one disaster after another in the consolation pool. Hong Kong trounced the Philippines, 66-58. Kuwait came next, 79-66. Syria followed, 95-77.

Only Malaysia stands in the Philippines’ way of winding up dead last. Malaysia is the tournament’s only winless team. It lost to South Korea by 31, India by 19, Kuwait by five, Jordan by 11, Chinese-Taipei by 38 and Uzbekistan by 22 for an average deficit margin of 21 points.

In today’s semifinals, China takes on Qatar and Lebanon faces South Korea. China and South Korea are the only unbeaten teams so far. Qatar has been the tournament surprise, losing to the Koreans by seven after blowing a lead in the fourth quarter. Qatar beat Japan by 21 and Kazakhstan by 22 enroute to the semifinals.

Japan and Iran battle in a playoff for fifth, Kazakhstan and India for seventh, Jordan and Syria for ninth, Chinese-Taipei and Kuwait for 11th, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong for 13th and the Philippines and Malaysia for 15th.