PBL Silver Cup begins; Spinners, Sealants face off

Nigerian Sam Ekwe and the triumphant San Beda Red Lions bring their act to a tougher, bigger stage as Magnolia Ice Cream takes on Henkel-owned Sista Sealant in today’s start of the PBL Silver Cup at the San Juan Arena.

Ekwe, the 2006 rookie MVP who powered the Lions to this year’s NCAA crown, will get most of the attention when the Spinners and the Super Sealants collide in the main game of a two-game offering at 4 p.m.

"I told them the PBL is a far different league than the NCAA so they need to be more physically and mentally prepared here," said Magnolia coach Koy Banal, who steered the Mendiola-based school to its first title in 28 years.

Harbour Centre, one of the teams tipped to contend for this year’s crown, likewise plunges into action as it tackles Jason Castro and Hapee Toothpaste-PCU at 2 p.m.

A colorful and elaborate opening ceremony set at 1 p.m. will formally usher in the season-closing conference with no less than bowling legend and Asian Games-bound Paeng Nepomuceno as guest of honor.

Commissioner Chino Trinidad and league chair Efren Angeles of Toyota Otis and the rest of the nine-team PBL family will also be in attendance to welcome and honor one of the country’s top sporting icons.

BJ Manalo, former La Salle standout, will do the invocation while winners in the Little Big Star search and popular band Sponge Cola will provide the entertainment numbers.

Focus is then expected to shift to Ekwe.

"He’s a pretty exciting player, he should help the league attract interest," said Angeles, who took over the PBL chairmanship from Chito Loyzaga of Magnolia, referring to the power-slamming Nigerian.

Ekwe, along with San Beda teammate Yousif Aljamal and Francis Barcellano of Far Eastern U, should be enough to fill the void left by Kelly Williams, Arwind Santos and Mark Isip, who are now carving their names in the PBA landscape.

Bring in the prolific troika of Bon Bon Custodio of University of the East and Jeff Chan and Jonas Villanueva of Far Eastern U and you have a champion team in the making.

"This (Magnolia) is a very strong team but we’ll give them a big fight," said Sista coach Caloy Garcia, who put in 6’9" Samigue Eman in the injury list.

With LA Tenorio, Joseph Yeo, Rob Reyes and Rico Maeirhofer gone, the Port Masters were left in shambles. Tenorio and Yeo are now in the pros, Maeirhofer recalled by La Salle and Reyes returned to the United States.

Compounding Harbour’s woes is JC Intal, who opted not to play this season to either play in a semi-pro league in the US or concentrate on his studies at Ateneo.

Thankfully, the Mikee Romero-owned franchise got the talented pair of Jonathan Fernandez and Edwin Asoro from adopted school National U and a veteran crew of Reed Juntilla, Al Vergara, Marvin Ortiguerra and Ron Capati in trades, dispersal and rookie drafts.

"Of course, there’s pressure on our part, first, because we’re coming off a championship and everybody expects us to win again. And second, we lost four key players from that champion squad," said Harbour Centre coach George Gallent.

Hapee, which will now be coached by Jun Noel, also lost Gabby Espinas to the pros but more than made for it with Castro still in the fold and its recent acquisitions of University of the East hotshot Mark Borboran and Larry Rodriguez.