Imports pass test for PBA Gov Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Four early bird imports measured within the 6-5 height limit for the PBA Governors Cup starting Aug. 14 and from indications, the third conference will feature a high-quality crop of reinforcements.

The Governors Cup will be a blitz tournament with the last two placers struck out after the first single-round of eliminations. Then, the top four finishers carry a twice-to-beat advantage over the bottom four, in reverse crossover pairings as in No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5. The four survivors advance to battle in two separate best-of-five semifinal series with the winners moving on to slug it for the championship in the best-of-seven finals.

First to be measured was Rain Or Shine’s comebacking import Arizona Reid who was taped at 6-3 in official sizing by the PBA last July 16. Reid, 27, was the Best Import in the 2010-11 Governors Cup, averaging 28.7 points and 15.5 rebounds with the Elasto Painters who finished fifth. A globetrotting import, Reid has played in Italy, Finland, Australia, Lebanon, Switzerland and Germany but never in the NBA.

Next was Globalport’s Markeith Cummings who came in at 6-4 3/8 last July 18. Cummings, 24, is fresh out of Kennesaw State in Georgia where he wound up his four-year varsity career as the school’s all-time leading scorer. In 2009-10, Cummings averaged 17.4 points and was the third-leading freshman scorer in the US.

Then came Ginebra San Miguel’s Dior Lowhorn of the University of San Francisco. He checked in at 6-4 3/ 4 last Friday. Lowhorn, 26, played a year at Texas Tech then went to San Francisco for three seasons, ending up as the Dons’ fourth all-time top scorer with 2,003 points. As a senior in 2009-10, Lowhorn averaged 18.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. Like Reid, Lowhorn has traveled the world to play basketball with stops in Belgium, Ukraine, Czech Repubic, Slovakia, Venezuela and Vietnam. In the ABL last season, Lowhorn hit at a 26.7 clip with the Saigon Heat. Two of his Saigon teammates were Jai Reyes and Karl Dehesa, now trying out with Talk ‘N’ Text.

Barako Bull’s Mike Singletary was the fourth import to pass the test, measuring 6-4 1/4 last Monday. Singletary, 24, was brought in to play with Barako in the Al Shabab invitational tournament in Dubai last May and impressed coach Rajko Toroman. He played four years at Texas Tech then signed contracts as an import in Belgium, Uruguay, Greece and Montenegro. Singletary saw action on the Rio Grande Valley Vipers squad that captured the NBA D-League crown this past season. Toroman said Singletary plays the four spot with Barako and his positive attitude is a healthy sign looking forward. In three tune-up games so far, Barako is unbeaten, drawing with Meralco, 86-86 and beating San Mig Coffee, 85-81 and Talk ‘N’ Text, 105-80.

Toroman said with Singletary in the mix, Doug Kramer and Mick Pennisi will alternate at the five position. New recruits Ronjay Buenafe and Gilbert Bulawan are making progress in learning Toroman’s system and the Energy Cola’s recent trip to Dubai seems to be paying off in terms of generating chemistry. Toroman said J. C. Intal, Allein Maliksi, Eman Monfort, Jonas Villanueva, Danny Seigle, Elmer Espiritu and Mark Macapagal are among the players he’s counting on to deliver this conference.

Air 21’s import is comebacking Zach Graham, 24, of Mississippi while Petron will suit up Elijah Millsap, 25, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Millsap’s older brother Paul played seven years with the Utah Jazz in the NBA and moved to the Atlanta Hawks recently. Meralco tested Chris Blake of the University of Detroit during a three-game series in Japan but is inclined to recall Mario West, 29, of Georgia Tech. Alaska will bring in Wendell McKines, 24, of New Mexico State while San Mig Coffee is returning Marqus Blakely, 24, of Vermont. Talk ‘N’ Text will likely tap the services of Tony Mitchell who averaged 38.7 points in three games for the Tropa in the recent Commissioner’s Cup. Mitchell, 23, is from the University of Alabama.