Vroman vows Kings' rebound from loss

MANILA, Philippines - Barangay Ginebra import Jackson Vroman wasn’t his usual self when the Kings lost an 89-80 decision to Meralco in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday but vowed to return to form against B-Meg in a clash of crowd darlings, also at the Big Dome, this Sunday.

Vroman, 31, was hampered by foul trouble in the loss to Meralco and played only 27 minutes. Barely into the second half, he was whistled for a fourth foul and when he checked back in late in the third quarter, promptly got his fifth. Vroman sparked a late uprising that trimmed an 18-point deficit to four, 83-79, time down to 1:27, but the Bolts held on to win behind Earl Barron’s 27 points.

Ginebra coach Siot Tanquingcen said despite Barron’s numbers, Vroman wasn’t outplayed. “Jax got a few bad calls,” he said. “We just played poorly as a team – too many turnovers and bad shots.” The Kings hit a dismal .363 from the floor and Meralco scored 20 turnover points to Ginebra’s 13. Vroman finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots. In his PBA debut against Powerade last Sunday, the 6-10 NBA veteran compiled 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and five blocked shots in 35 minutes as the Kings won, 105-96.

Tanquingcen said he doesn’t foresee any major problems ahead. Vroman is coachable, a quality import and an intelligent player. Ginebra consultant Alfrancis Chua said Vroman will bounce back with a vengeance. “Jax promised he won’t let the referees’ calls affect him next time, he won’t lose his cool,” said Chua. “We thought Jax played well but he got two early fouls. Then, he was called for his fourth at the start of the second half and when he returned late in the third quarter, he got his fifth in less than two minutes.”

What Chua likes about Vroman is his versatility. “He can do a little of everything,” said Chua. “He’s a special player. We think he can bring us to the championship.”

Vroman came in to replace 7-1 Chris Alexander who led Ginebra to its last title in the 2007-08 Fiesta Conference. Although the Kings went 2-1 with Alexander in harness, he was given the pink slip after Ginebra edged Rain Or Shine, 89-88, in Dubai two weeks ago. Alexander averaged 14 points in three games.

“Because it’s a short conference, there’s no room for error,” said Ginebra assistant coach Allan Caidic. “If it was a double round elimination, we might have retained Chris but we couldn’t take a chance in a single round format. We were 2-1 with Chris but every game was close and could’ve gone either way. Even some of our players noticed Chris wasn’t the same as before.” With Alexander in the lineup, Ginebra beat Petron by two and the Painters by one and lost to Alaska by two.

From Manila, Alexander flew to Korea for a tryout but returned to St. Louis, where he is based, after declining an offer to play in the local league. Alexander reportedly said he’s still smarting from the pain of losing his job with Ginebra even as he understood why.

“It was difficult to let go of Chris,” said Caidic. “First, he’s very popular with the fans. Second, he’s a really nice guy. Coach Siot told him it’s nothing personal, it’s just the way basketball is.” Alexander is now considering a tryout in Qatar.

Vroman played two years at Snow Junior College in Utah and two years at Iowa State before he was picked on the second round by the Chicago Bulls in the 2004 NBA draft. He never played for the Bulls but suited up for Phoenix and New Orleans/Oklahoma City, averaging 3.3 points in 87 total games over two seasons.

A late bloomer, Vroman began playing basketball in Grade 9. He started high school as a 6-0 freshman and shot up to 6-8 as a senior. Because his father Brett was a globetrotting import, Vroman lived in Italy, Greece and Spain as a boy growing up. His father was a 7-foot center who played on John Wooden’s last UCLA championship team in 1975. Vroman attended five high schools then went to Snow Junior College where he averaged 17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 65 games over two years. Despite playing only two seasons at Iowa State, he finished his varsity career ranked No. 1 in all-time field goal percentage at .558 and No. 9 in blocked shots.