RP 5 won’t be embarrassed

National coach Chot Reyes was in Mandaue to scout the Bad Boys in their 124-96 win over the San Miguel Beer All-Stars last Thursday and is confident the Philippine basketball team will be competitive against the visitors at the Araneta Coliseum tomorrow night.

Although careful not to predict the outcome, Reyes said the national squad won’t be embarrassed by Dennis Rodman and company. "I think we’ll do well," he added. "The veterans are slow but take Calvin Murphy, for instance. He’ll hit the jumper if he’s open. Rodman can still play, (Alex) English can still shoot and the collegiate recruits are in great shape."

Reyes said when Rodman saw the All-Stars were seriously competing on the floor, he stepped it up. That was his cue to turn on the heat.

"By my count, Rodman already had 22 rebounds sometime in the third quarter and he wasn’t finished yet," said Reyes. "He ran the floor, set picks, played defense and controlled the boards. That’s what you expect from Rodman."

Reyes said the Bad Boy were toughest when playing coach Sidney Moncrief sent in Rodman, Kareem (Best-Kept Secret) Reid, Myron Allen, Olu Famutini and either Chad Wilkerson or Colin Boddicker. Moncrief and Otis Birdsong, bothered by a painful knee, sat out the action as the Bad Boys rotated only nine players.

One of the recruits, 6-10 Jason Klotz of the University of Texas, backed out of the tour at the last minute after signing a contract to play in Venezuela.

All-Stars coach Eric Altamirano made platoon substitutions to keep fresh players on the court early in the game as the Bad Boys were pushed to the limit. Allan Caidic hit three triples in the opening minutes against the Bad Boys’ zone, prompting Moncrief to adjust to a man-to-man with Rodman on the Triggerman.

Caidic, who shot five treys, said he was surprised when Rodman was assigned to keep him in check. Boddicker, a 6-8 forward from Texas Christian University, also shadowed Caidic.

Rodman played over 20 minutes and once dove for a loose ball, landing on a reporter at the endline.

It was a seesaw battle in the early going until the Bad Boys surged to take a 16-point lead at the half, capped by Allen’s window buzzer-beating triple.

Reid, Darryl Dawkins, Rodman, Alex English and Murphy started for the Bad Boys while Caidic, Pido Jarencio, Tony Boy Espinosa, Ronald Magtulis and Cris Bolado opened for the All-Stars.

Murphy hit the game’s first field goal followed by Dawkins who surprisingly buried a triple. But when the All-Stars started to rally, Moncrief turned to Famutini to douse the fire. Famutini led the Bad Boys with 33 points. Allen contributed 25 and Reid, 13. Rodman and Dawkins netted five apiece.

Caidic and Agustin led the All-Stars with 17 points each. Vince Hizon chipped in 14. Chito Loyzaga, as usual, was a stonewall in defense and Peter Martin even got away with a dunk.

Famutini is a 6-6, 200-pound forward from Arkansas where Moncrief and Reid also played. He suited up two years for the Razorbacks then renounced his varsity eligibility after the 2004-05 season to apply for the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. Alas, he wasn’t chosen.

A Canadian national player, Famutini averaged 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds as an Arkansas freshman. He raised his clips to 9.4 and 4.2 in his sophomore season.

"He can be a highlight film," said Arkansas coach Stan Heath. "He’s more of a scorer than a shooter. He gets his points in different ways but is best suited for the open court."

With Reid orchestrating, the Bad Boys raced to a 20-point lead in the third period as Allen and Famutini repeatedly scored in transition off turnovers and outlet pitches. That was when the All-Stars decided to throw in the towel and the Bad Boys began to entertain the turnaway crowd with thundering dunks, flashy passes and dazzling plays.

Despite the romp, Caidic said the national team has a good chance of whipping the Bad Boys. The key is to run the visitors to the ground–something the All-Stars couldn’t do.

Tour organizer Mario Whitmire said at least one NBA legend will be on the floor at any time against the national team, making sure Moncrief won’t load the court with his five collegiate thoroughbreds.

Murphy said the Bad Boys got together only a week before the tour to practice but he’s not worried. "Hey, we can still play this game," he said. "In 1974, I was in Manila to play against the national team. I remember the fans were fanatical. They almost toppled our team bus when we were mobbed for autographs and pictures. The Philippines is a great basketball country and I love it. We’ll put on a good show for the fans tomorrow."

Murphy, 57, is the oldest among the legends. English, 52, and Birdsong, 50, are the other "golden" boys.

The national team is composed of Jimmy Alapag, Mike Cortez, Willie Miller, Ren-Ren Ritualo, Dondon Hontiveros, Tony de la Cruz, Asi Taulava, Don Allado, Nic Belasco, Rafi Reavis, Kelly Williams and Joe Devance in place of the injured Romel Adducul.