Ayo disappointed but hopeful

MANILA, Philippines — Converge head coach Aldin Ayo said yesterday the FiberXers could’ve performed better in the PBA Governors’ Cup if only import Tom Vodanovich came in earlier but although disappointed, he’s hopeful of a bright future with his sights set on recruiting a high-caliber big man in the September draft.

“Top priority is drafting a big man and Balti (Justine Baltazar) is our target,” said Ayo. “There will be changes in our roster. Coach Danny I (Ildefonso) may or may not be in our active lineup next season, depending on if we get a big man. Our players learn from him in practice and absorb so much more when he’s on the floor. He’s very credible and dedicated. From a scale of one to 10, I rate the performance of our locals an eight this conference. Let’s face it, we rely on our import 60 to 70 percent of the game. Our locals can’t just turn it on if they’re not confident of our import. Jamaal (Franklin) is a talented NBA player but our locals found it difficult to adjust to his style. We tried to convince Jamaal to play within our system but once the ball is in his hands, that’s where it ends.”

Ayo said he’s been a Vodanovich fan since watching Gilas play New Zealand in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers last year. “When I joined Converge, I thought of Tom for the Commissioner’s Cup but we already had Quincy (Miller),” he noted. “For the Governors’ Cup, we tried out Ethan (Rusbatch) then brought in Jamaal because Tom was playing in the Australian NBL. The day after the NBL Finals ended, Tom flew to Manila and arrived last Thursday. He had only two practices with us and against San Miguel in his first game, had 39 points, 10 rebounds and no turnover. If we beat San Miguel last Sunday, the extra days of practice would’ve helped us in a rematch.”

Ayo said Vodanovich could be Converge’s resident import like Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee. “Tom doesn’t demand the ball, sets screens and plays within our system,” he said. “He’s 6-5 7/8 so he can play in the Commissioner’s and Governors’ Cups. Converge hasn’t played beyond the quarterfinals in three conferences. We want to be better.” Vodanovich, 28, averaged 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds, shooting 52.6 percent from three, in four FIBA World Cup qualifying games. Against Gilas, he had 20 points and 10 rebounds in New Zealand’s 88-63 win. Vodanovich played four seasons for James Madison University, the same Virginia school that produced ex-PBA import Denzel Bowles.