TNT back to work; Aces tap Young

Not waiting to shake off jet lag, Talk ‘N’ Text goes back to the gym at noon today to apply the lessons coach Joel Banal and the Phone Pals learned from a two-week immersion trip to the US.

The team left in four batches starting last Jan. 18 and came back in two waves. Banal led the first group of returnees last Sunday. The second group planed in yesterday morning. Team manager Frankie Lim, Banal, assistant coaches Ariel Vanguardia, Aric del Rosario, Virgil Villavicencio and Josel Angeles and 11 players comprised the traveling party.

Former University of Nevada at Las Vegas coaches Bill Bayno and Jerry Tarkanian conducted drills for the Phone Pals in grueling training sessions at the Cypress Warriors high school gym in Los Angeles. Shooting coach Dave Hopla also lectured and demonstrated.

"Coach Tark was great and Hopla didn’t miss a single free throw–about 200 foul shots–in his entire lecture," said Vanguardia.

Asked if Asi Taulava’s free throw shooting improved because of Hopla, Vanguardia replied not only did the 6-9 center get sharper but the other Phone Pals, too.

The Phone Pals will resume their workouts at the Reyes gym in Mandaluyong at 12 noon today. Expected to report is TNT’s import Randy Holcomb who was booked to arrive last night.

Each Philippine Basketball Association team is allowed to recruit an import with a height ceiling of 6-8 for the Fiesta Cup starting Feb. 22.

Holcomb, 24, is a 6-8, 220-pound forward who was spotted by Banal playing for the Fresno Heatwave in the ABA. He was the San Antonio Spurs second round pick in the 2002 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft.

Holcomb suited up for Fresno State in 1998-99, moved to Los Angeles City College then wound up his varsity career playing two stellar seasons at San Diego State. He averaged 15.9 points and 6.6 rebounds for San Diego State in 2000-01 and 17.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists the next campaign.

Holcomb’s only overseas experience was a stint for Idea-Slask Wroclaw of Poland in the Euroleague where he hit at a 14.6 clip and grabbed 5.3 rebounds a game in 2002-03. He attended the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks camps the last two years.

In other PBA news, Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo announced yesterday Aces coach Tim Cone chose 6-7 import Galen Young to anchor the team in the Fiesta Cup. Cone left for the US on a scouting trip last Friday. Young is scheduled to fly in this week.

"We got our guy," said Trillo. "He’s an A-type import."

Cone was initially inclined to sign up either DerMarr Johnson or Matt Barnes. But Johnson, who saw action for the Atlanta Hawks, opted to stay in the US, waiting for another chance to play in the NBA. "I think he has new prospects," noted Trillo. As for Barnes, he was recently inked to a second 10-day contract by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Johnson figured in a major car accident two years ago but survived to stage a comeback on the court.

He played alongside best friend Kenyon Martin at the University of Cincinnati before signing a $6.8 Million, three-year contract to suit up for the Hawks Johnson was Atlanta’s first round pick in 2000.

Young, 28, was the Milwaukee Bucks second round pick in the 1999 NBA draft. He played two years at North Carolina-Charlotte and finished his career as the school’s third all-time leading scorer, second in blocked shots and fourth in rebounding. Young has played overseas in Japan and Venezuela.

In the Continental Basketball Association last season, Young averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals for the Gary Steelheads. He played for North Charleston Lowgators in the National Basketball Development League in 2001-02, averaging 11.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals.