Hapee enlists Cruz, suits up Gabe anew

Hapee Toothpaste, out to erase the stigma of its failed title bid in the just-concluded PBL V-Go Energy Drink Cup, vows to come back strong in the next PBL conference with Fil-Am Gabe Norwood back in the fold and Jervy Cruz firming up the team’s already formidable frontline rotation.

Hapee team manager Bernard Yang yesterday said Norwood, the 6-6 former US NCAA I George Mason standout, will suit up again for the team in the season-opening conference tentatively set Feb. 23.

The Lamoiyan-owned franchise has also signed up Cruz, a 6-5 rookie out of 2006 UAAP champion University of Santo Tomas who will reinforce the squad, which lost the PBL V-Go Energy Drink Cup crown to Harbour Centre last Sunday.

“Gabe will be back next conference, Jervy will also play for us,” Yang told The STAR.

Norwood and Cruz, members of the RP team that won the gold medal in last month’s Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, are joining a roster already teeming with talent in Reed Juntilla, Mark Borboran, Dino Daa, Miko Quinday, Roel Hugnatan, Alfie Grijaldo and San Beda hotshot Borgie Hermida.

With Norwood and Cruz, the Complete Protectors hope to get back at Harbour Centre and foil the Batang Pier’s bid for a fifth straight title.

Norwood was Hapee’s first rookie pick last October while Cruz, the reigning UAAP MVP, was drafted second by Mail and More.

But the Comets failed to sign up Cruz in the first two weeks after the draft, giving the other teams the chance to acquire the UST standout.

“We can’t believe Mail and More hasn’t signed him (Cruz) up. So we pursued him and we succeeded,” Yang said.

This early, Harbour Centre is tipped to win a fifth straight crown with a talent-laden roster that includes former two-time PBL MVP Jason Castro, Beau Belga, Jonathan Fernandez, Jeff Chan, Chad Alonzo, Boyet Bautista and Eric Dela Cuesta.

Backstopping the team are Finals MVP TY Tang, Finals Pivotal Player Sol Mercado, Rico Maeirhofer, Jerwin Gaco, Allan Gamboa, Edwin Asoro, Al Vergara and Jofferson Gonzales.

“I’ve heard Harbour has some good players coming in,” said Yang. “But we’re not going to think about it because our focus is to try to accomplish what we failed to do the last time, which is to win the title.”