BELASCO SET TO JOIN COKE

BELASCO SET TO JOIN COKE

dennis PRINCIPE

Friday, 07 March 2008

VETERAN forward Nic Belasco is on his way to his fourth PBA team. Sportsnews.ph learned from reliable sources that the 11-year pro Belasco was dealt by the Welcoat Dragons to the Coca-Cola Tigers for shooter Cesar Catli and two second round draft picks. “It’s almost done. Both teams agreed to the trade and will now work on the documents to seal the deal,”said one source. Another source said several other teams were enticing Welcoat to deal young prospects Jay-Ar Reyes and incoming sophomore Joe Devance with tempting but aging and overpaid superstars. “Welcoat is firm in building its team around those two players. It’s non-negotiable for them when it comes to those players,” said another source. Belasco, traded by Alaska for Junjun Cabatu 53 games for the Aces last season, starting in all but one, and averaged 10 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 31.7 minutes a night of playing time. Belasco was drafted second overall by the now defunct Sunkist Orange Juicers during the 1997 rookie draft. Belasco also played for San Miguel Beer. Meanwhile, Philippine Basketball Association is taking its act down south with an exciting matchup pitting the Coca-Cola Tigers and the Talk N Text Phone Pals on March 29 at the Panabo Multi-Purpose Tourism, Cultural and Sport Center in Davao del Norte. Organized by the city's local government unit led by Mayor Jose Silvosa Sr., the lone game scheduled at 4:30 p.m. highlights the celebration of the 7th Araw ng Panabo City. The Panabo stop is an official provincial game of the import-laced 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Cup, which will commence formally on March 30 at the Araneta Coliseum with a double-header featuring Welcoat against Air 21 at 4:30 p.m. and Red Bull facing Barangay Ginebra at 6:50 p.m. Three days later, the rest of the teams strut their wares at the Big Dome. At 4:50 p.m. newly-crowned Philippine Cup champion Sta. Lucia takes on Alaska. In the 7:20 p.m. nightcap, the Purefoods TJ Giants go up against the Magnolia Beverage Masters. With a good three weeks remaining before the second conference gets going, most of the teams are still busy shopping around for prospective imports. To date, only Talk N Text and Air21 have signed imports. Aaron DeShon McGhee, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound power forward who starred for the Oklahoma University Sooner that reached the 2002 US NCAA Final Four will reinforce the Phone Pals. The Express, for their part, will lean on CBA leading rebounder Steve Thomas to bring them to the top. Thomas has been averaging 13.8 points and 11.1 rebounds for game for the East Kentucky Miners in the CBA before he got the call from Air21. Understandably, teams are taking much time searching for reinforcements because this year's edition of the Fiesta Cup features imports with no height limit. Not to mention, the handicapping system applies on Coca-Cola and Welcoat – two teams that finished 9th and 10th in the elimination round of the just concluded PBA Philippine Cup. The Tigers and the Dragons have the luxury to beef up their teams with two imports – one of unlimited height and another not over 6-foot-1. The last time the league adopted the open height limit for imports, TnT and San Miguel arranged a final showdown with the Beermen, powered by Ace Custis, capturing the 2005 Fiesta Conference title. The Alaska Aces are the defending champion of this year's Fiesta Cup. Source: http://www.sportsnews.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=560&Itemid=1