Rival imports in decisive duel

Talk ‘N’ Text’s Jerald DeWayne Honeycutt and San Miguel Beer’s Adrian Llewellyn (Ace) Custis go back a long way.

They’ve been facing off since their school days. And neither has been able to claim bragging rights. Tulane University’s Honeycutt and Virginia Tech’s Custis played against each other in four Metro Conference games in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The results were split down the middle–two wins apiece.

In the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference Finals, they’re settling their feud once and for all.

It’s a battle for supremacy. Honeycutt and Custis are out to prove who’s the top gun in the league.

Both Honeycutt and Custis were varsity stars who learned their tricks from outstanding collegiate coaches. Honeycutt polished his act under Tulane coach Perry Clark, a long-time assistant of the legendary Bobby Cremins, while Custis honed his skills under Virginia Tech coach Bill Foster.

With Honeycutt in the frontline, Tulane posted a combined 83-42 mark from 1993-94 to 1996-97. Virginia Tech was 81-42 with Custis in the same four-year period.

Honeycutt, 30, blossomed as a power forward. Former National Basketball Association (NBA) coach Hubie Brown described him as "a 6-9 guy who plays with a lot of authority." Clark said, "He’s got the ability to shoot the ball in traffic and he can also get out and knock down threes for you–he’s got a lot of skills, all he needs to do is to put those skills into a productive system."

Writer Mike DeCourcy said, "He’s a good ballhandler and a passer for a player his size with large hands to snatch down rebounds, has an amazing knack for finding the passing lane and disrupting the opposing offense."

As a junior in 1995-96, Honeycutt made headlines when he hurled the ball from behind the board, adjacent to the bench, going out of bounds to sink a triple and lift Tulane to a buzzer-beating win over Florida State. He finished his career at Tulane as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,209 points and also topped the campus marks in assists (419) and triples (193).

Custis, 31, enjoyed an equally glowing collegiate history at Virginia Tech. He scored a total of 1,706 points, started in every game from his freshman to senior year and grabbed 1,177 rebounds. His jersey No. 20 was retired by the school.

"He was a big part of making everybody in the team better," said Foster. "Ace just kind of got things done. You don’t notice a lot of what he’s done when you look at the stats or the film. He’s always in the top two or three in eight or 10 stats. He just does a good job of everything."

Like Honeycutt, Custis played power forward in college.

The imports’ stats are strikingly similar. Honeycutt averaged 23.8 points and 9.8 rebounds as a Grambling High School senior in 1992-93. Custis averaged 26 points and 10 rebounds as a Northhampton High School senior in 1991-92. He redshirted a year to recover from reconstructive knee surgery and began his Virginia Tech career in 1993-94 when Honeycutt was a Tulane freshman.

Before the PBA Finals, Honeycutt averaged 23.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 3.2 turnovers. He shot .436 from the field, .244 from three-point distance and .704 from the line. Custis averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 5.5 turnovers. He hit .459 from the field, .333 from three-point distance and .600 from the stripe.

Phone Pals coach Joel Banal said Honeycutt is like an older brother to his teammates and a younger brother to the coaching staff. "He’s part of the Talk ‘N’ Text family," said Banal. "He followed the PBA in the internet and monitored our finals versus Ginebra the last conference. His biggest asset is his NBA experience. His weakness probably would be sometimes in his desire to win, he pushes everybody so hard, everybody is feeling additional pressure."

San Miguel coach Joseph Uichico said he’s been on Custis’ trail the last four years in looking for a 6-8 import. "He’s a good all-around player," he added. "He works hard and is very coachable. As for his weaknesses, that’s for Talk ‘N’ Text to figure out."

Uichico said Custis flew in three weeks ago as a stand-by import. When Chris Burgess hurt his ankle, Uichico made the switch. "Chris wouldn’t have been 100 percent," said Uichico. "That’s why we made the change."

Custis played only two games for San Miguel, both against Red Bull, before the Finals. He earned a reputation as a physical player, sending Enrico Villanueva to the hospital with a fractured nose, flooring Warren Ybanez and striking Lordy Tugade on the nape.

Honeycutt came in when the Phone Pals teetered at 3-3. Since his arrival, the team has compiled a 12-4 mark.

Both Custis and Honeycutt are crafty veterans with tons of experience. Custis has played in Lebanon, Qatar, Indonesia, Italy and Japan while Honeycutt has toured Russia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Korea. Honeycutt suited up for Milwaukee and Philadelphia in two NBA seasons. Custis never made it to the majors although he had close calls with the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs.

They both play finesse and power although Honeycutt has the advantage in posting up because he outweighs Custis by at least 30 pounds. Honeycutt is a banger with a sweet touch and a feisty disposition. Custis, who is about two inches shorter, likes to slash and attack from the wings.

The Finals will determine who’s the superior import.