Compton plays as Welcoat import

Alex Compton has been tapped once again to be a Welcoat Dragon import, taking over from Corey Santee in the remainder of the double-round elimination phase of the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference.

The Welcoat management decided to send Santee home after a three-point showing by the former Texas Christian U mainstay against Alaska Milk Friday.

Before the Welcoat-Alaska tiff, Santee averaged 15.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.4 steals a game.

“He lacks the leadership that we need. We’re not happy with his decision-making on the floor. With him as our point guard, (other Welcoat import) Marquis Gainous was getting limited touches,” said Welcoat co-team owner Raymund Yu.

“The final straw was his three-point game against Alaska. He couldn’t shoot against LA (Tenorio) and he couldn’t defend LA,” Yu added.

Pressed for time to find a much-dependable replacement abroad, the Welcoat management opted to reactivate Compton – one of the team’s assistant coaches.

“Right now, there’s no available player ready to fly on short notice. If ever there’s one, he would need to adapt to our system. So we decided to just tap in Alex at least for the remainder of the elims. If we make the playoffs, we’ll discuss things,” said Yu.

The Dragons are running 10th and last with a 4-11 win-loss card entering the final stretch of the elims. They are two games and a half behind the Ginebra Kings, the Purefoods Giants and the Sta. Lucia Realtors with three games left in their elims assignments.

Compton has experienced playing as a PBA import in the same tourney last year. The 5-foot-10 1/2 Cornell University product, at 33, coped with the league youngsters, shooting 32.6 percent from the three-point area and averaging 14.6 points, 5.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals a game.

Compton was allowed to play as Welcoat’s extra import in the 2007 Fiesta Cup upon the request of the rookie ballclub following its woeful maiden tourney.

The former MBA and PBL star teamed up with Charles Clark III of Johnson Smith U, then with Robert Sanders of Providence and Wayland White of New Mexico.

Meanwhile, Ginebra’s Jayjay Helterbrand gained the Smart-Accel PBA Press Corps Player of the Week honors for a second straight week. He was accorded the award in the period June 11-15 for his explosive games against Purefoods Wednesday and against Coca-Cola Sunday.

In another development, La Salle’s TY Tang, UE’s Mark Borboran and FEU’s Jeff Chan were the first three players to join  the rookie draft, submitting their applications in the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City yesterday.

Fil-Am Gabe Norwood is tipped to become the No. 1 choice in the 2008 Rookie Draft set in August.