Saturday, March 24, 2012

Top 10 Players in Purefoods History

Thanks to interaksiyon.com for sharing a wonderful list of top 10 players of Purefoods franchise history. So  here they are



Since entering the league in 1988, Purefoods has been the PBA’s glamour team. The retirement of Alvin Patrimonio and the name change from Purefoods to B-MEG has barely dampened the passion of fans for the team. In the initial installment of The List, a new regular feature on InterAKTV, we count down the ten greatest players in franchise history.
But before we get to the Top 10, here are some honorable mentions:
Peter June Simon
(2004-present)
A former MBA Discovery of the Year and PBL Most Valuable Player, Simon has spent most of his career as a super-sub backing up James Yap at the shooting guard spot. With the departure of Ryan Gregorio, Simon has found more time in the starting lineup.
Elmer Cabahug
(1991-1993)
Cabahug was part of the trade that sent Jojo Lastimosa to Alaska, and quickly gave Purefoods the lethal outside gunner they needed to open things up for Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codiñera down low. He had the best years of his career with the Hotdogs, but left acrimoniously because of contract issues with the management.
Noy Castillo
(2000-2008)
Castillo was Purefoods’ star player during the team’s dark ages, straddling the period when Patrimonio was no longer dominant, and James Yap hadn’t found his groove in the pro league yet. “The Golden Boy” had a happy ending toward the end of his career, helping the team as a role player win the 2006 Philippine Cup title.
Ramon Fernandez
(1988)
The legendary “El President” was Purefoods’ first superstar after the Ayala squad bought the old Tanduay franchise, but his term didn’t last long. He led the Hotdogs to championship appearances in their first two conferences, but was shipped to San Miguel after accusations that he didn’t play his best during the 1988 All-Filipino finals against arch-rivals Robert Jaworski and Añejo.

AKTV/Paolo Papa

10. Roger Yap

(2001-2002, 2005-2012)
With Roger Yap, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. He was never a big scorer, but throughout his tenure with Purefoods, and later, B-MEG, he served as the vocal leader for the team whose top players were the quiet James Yap and the emotional Kerby Raymundo.
As the starting point guard for two Philippine Cup title-winning teams in 2006 and 2010, Roger was the team’s backcourt defensive anchor, allowing James and Peter June Simon to focus on their offense. His efforts were rewarded, as he was named to the Mythical First Team in 2006 and the Mythical Second Team in 2010 despite modest statistics.


9. Glenn Capacio

(1988-1995)
A former star scorer for Far Eastern University in the UAAP, Capacio’s calling card in the professional ranks was his lockdown defense. He was vital to the Purefoods cause, often tasked to take on the most dangerous scorers of the opposing teams such as Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Ato Agustin, Vergel Meneses, and even Jojo Lastimosa. Plus, he had a killer three-point shot that kept defenses honest.


8. Jojo Lastimosa

(1988-1990)
“The Helicopter” only played three seasons for Purefoods, but he made those three seasons count. The 1988 Rookie of the Year, he helped define the Hotdogs’ character in the early years of the franchise as young men who wouldn’t back down from any challenge. His last conference with Purefoods in the 1990 Reinforced Conference was also the team’s first PBA crown.

AKTV/Paul Ryan Tan

7. Marc Pingris

(2005-2008, 2009-present)
The finals Most Valuable Player of Purefoods’ first championship in the post-Alvin Patrimonio era was neither James Yap nor Kerby Raymundo. It was Marc Pingris, a boundless ball of energy who plays exactly like Slam Dunk’s Hanamichi Sakuragi. It was no coincidence that the team’s performance swooned after he was traded to San Miguel, and that the team regained its championship form after his return. A versatile defender who can guard all five positions, he is just as valuable to the squad as any of its stars on the offensive end.


6. Dindo Pumaren

(1989-1993, 1996-2000)
During the early years of Purefoods, the team had to contend against all-time great point guards like Hector Calma, Ronnie Magsanoc, and Johnny Abarrientos. But the Hotdogs were never outmatched because they had “The Bullet” Dindo Pumaren, one of the league’s best defenders at the position who doubled as the team’s court general. Even though Alvin Patrimonio and Codiñera were the stars of Purefoods, Pumaren was the Hotdogs’ vocal leader who kept everyone in line.


5. Rey Evangelista

(1994-2009)
Quiet, steady brilliance. That’s what Rey Evangelista brought to the table for the Purefoods franchise in his 16 seasons with the team. He did everything the team asked him — battling bigger men for offensive rebounds, defending the opposing team’s best player, hitting the open three-pointer, even playing point-forward in unconventional lineups. And he did it with little fanfare; do you even remember what his voice sounds like?

AKTV/Paolo Papa

4. Kerby Raymundo

Sure, Raymundo can be too erratic and too emotional, especially at the end of games. He doesn’t always make the best decisions and can be error-prone.
But at his very best, there was no other player in the PBA with Raymundo’s combination of strength, speed, and skill. At his peak, he was damn near unstoppable, punishing smaller opponents in the post, crossing over slower opponents at the top of the key, and banging bodies with behemoths for rebounds at both ends of the floor. When Kerby was good, he was really, really good.


3. Jerry Codiñera

(1988-1999)
It broke the hearts of millions of Purefoods fans when “The Defense Minister” was traded by Purefoods to Mobiline in 1999 in exchange for Andy Seigle. But Codiñera himself seemed to hold no bitterness toward his old team after the trade. In 2000, when the Hotdogs returned to the Governors’ Cup finals, he was asked in a television program who he wanted to win the title. Codiñera answered, candidly: “Siyempre, Purefoods, for sentimental reasons, ‘di ba?”
He may have been traded, but he never stopped being a Purefoods Hotdog. He will forever remain in the hearts of Purefoods fans, just as the team remained in his.

Pranz Kaeno Billones

2. James Yap

(2004-present)
Purefoods fans have Ryan Gregorio to thank for James Yap’s presence on the team today. In the 2004 draft, the coach struck a deal with Shell, who had the first pick, which was asked not to select Yap. In exchange, the Hotdogs agreed to trade center Billy Mamaril to the Turbo Chargers in exchange for Eddie Laure.
His production and success on the court speak for themselves. But what made Yap a critical pick for the franchise was that, in the twilight of Alvin Patrimonio’s career, the team was starting to become irrelevant. Beyond his game on the court, it was his quiet charisma that allowed B-MEG to carry on the torch that began with the earliest Purefoods teams.


1. Alvin Patrimonio

(1988-2005)
“The Captain” remains the face of the franchise almost seven years after his retirement. His four Most Valuable Player awards are testament to his greatness, and it’s an accomplishment he shares with his idol, Ramon Fernandez.
When it comes to career numbers, Fernandez leads Patrimonio in almost every category, which handicaps the latter in all “Greatest Player Ever” discussions. But here’s something that you can say about Patrimonio that you couldn’t say about Fernandez: he played to win, and left his heart and soul on the court in each and every game he played. For Patrimonio, it’s not even about whether he won or lost; it’s how he played the game.

what can u say Bmeg fanatics

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Bmeg Loss to Rain or Shine

It’s not too late for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Picking up from where they left off in the previous game, the Elasto Painters put up another excellent shooting night to pull off a big 101-95 upset win over the B-MEG Llamados on Wednesday night in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.



Jeff Chan typified the Elasto Painters’ steady three-point shooting, hitting 5-of-10 from beyond the arc on his way to finishing with 19 points. Overall, the team shot 10-of-23 from the three-point region (43.5%).

“I think this is our best shooting night,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao. “We’re still in the fight. We’re just trying hard to prolong our conference and tonight we played probably our best game. We played a good game in our 30-point win versus Air 21, but playing against B-MEG, there’s a lot pressure on us. We’re playing well with our backs against the wall.”

The win was the second straight for the Elasto Painters, who improved its record to 3-5 and climbed into a three-way tie for the eighth to 10th spots with the Petron Blaze Boosters and the Meralco Bolts.
B-MEG suffered its third loss in eight games, but keeps a hold of solo second behind the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters’ 5-2 mark.

Chan drilled in three triples in the fourth period, including his last one that gave Rain or Shine an 84-73 lead with more than eight minutes to go in the period.

Aside from their shooting, it was also their rebounding that proved to be one of the factors for the Elasto Painters’ victory.
“For a small team with a small import, we were able to outrebound B-MEG. As early as the first half, lamang na agad kami ng 11 rebounds,” said Guiao. “Rebounding plus our defense on James Yap, made things possible for this victory. PJ Simon did get his points, but for B-Meg to win, they need their double barrel attack on offense.”

Yap struggled for seven points behind 2-for-13 shooting from the field.
Rain or Shine tries to cap its remarkable run for a possible playoff berth for the quarterfinals when they shoot for a win against the No. 1 seed Tropang Texters on Saturday.

“On Saturday, we want to give ourselves a chance for a playoff or give ourselves a decent ending,” said Guiao. “Whatever happens, we will keep on fighting. This win over B-MEG gives us confidence and a psychological boost versus Talk ‘N Text.”

The scores:
Rain or Shine (101) – Crews 24, Chan 19, Arana 14, Norwood 11, Matias 8, Buenafe 8, Lee 6, Quinahan 6, Tang 5, Belga 0, Ibanes 0.
B-Meg (95) – Bowles 38, Simon 19, Pingris 8, Reavis 8, Yap 7, Barroca 6, Devance 5, Intal 2, De Ocampo 2, Urbiztondo 0, Burtscher 0.
Quarterscores: 18-19; 43-39; 70-64; 101-95.

source: interaksiyon.com

Friday, March 16, 2012

Easy win for B-meg against Alaska

Denzel Bowles is getting better. So are the B-Meg Llamados, who seem to be peaking just at the right
time.



The 6-foot-10 Lithuanian league veteran finished with 35 points, 18 rebounds and two shotblocks in
powering the Llamados to their fifth win in seven games in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the
Cuneta Astrodome Friday night.

“We’re not contented with five wins being the magic number for us to reach the playoffs, we want
to win as many games as possible and get a shot at the top two,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone
afterwards.

“Denzel played a wonderful game tonight. He can overpower you, but he’s also quick. That’s a
unique combination. He’s coming to his own because he’s slowly starting to realize the
importance of gameplans, his teammates and he can mature right before your eyes. Hopefully, he stays
at a high level. He’s a young guy. He will go up and down a little bit because of his youth, but
he’s really locked in right now,” added Cone of his prized import.

With Bowles in charge, the rest of the Llamados were doing the things they comfortably do.

Marc Pingris concentrated on defense and rebounding. James Yap, PJ Simon and Josh Urbiztondo
provided the scoring sock, but the most important thing for B-Meg’s third straight win was its
solid team defense against Alaska.

“I thought we played better in the previous game. We played good as well tonight. For back-to-back
games, we’re playing at a high level. After playing Ginebra with a big crowd, you had a tendency
to let down. In some ways, we were fortunate that we’re playing Alaska following Ginebra,”
explained Cone.

“We know we’re going to come out tough, but they’re going to play tough as well, but we came
out with so much focus and a good defensive mindset. We were really concerned on controlling LA
(Tenorio), Cyrus (Baguio) and Bonbon (Custodio). We knew Adam Parada was going to get his points
because he’s so big and strong. He will just overpower you at the post.

“Marc and Josh hounded them. And James was amazing tonight, particularly on the defensive end.
We’re not afraid on putting him on anybody at this point. I like his concentration and his
attention to details,” he added.

Parada led the Aces with 24 points, but was outplayed by Bowles in almost all departments. Tenorio
contributed 18 markers built around four triples, but he was only 1-for-7 from the two-point region
and committed three turnovers. His 10 points also came in the fourth quarter when the Llamados were
already leading by as much as 20.

Baguio and Custodio, two players who have thrived on the Aces’ new free-flowing system, struggled
against the Llamados’ defense.

Baguio was held down to only seven points on 3-of-11 shooting while went 0-for-4 and finished with
only one point.

A crippling 23-5 second quarter run with Bowles and Urbiztondo at the forefront, enabled the
Llamados to take a 48-35 lead at the half. B-Meg even padded its lead to as high as 20, 80-60, on
Bowles’ two charities with 6:39 left in the game.

B-Meg held Alaska to just eight points in that second quarter, the lowest by any team in a quarter
this conference and the lowest for a quarter this season for the Aces. (RJ)

The scores:

B-Meg 90 - Bowles 35, Yap J. 14, Simon 13, Urbiztondo 10, Intal 8, Pingris 4, Barroca 2, Burtscher
2, De Ocampo 2, Reavis 0.

Alaska 75 - Parada 24, Tenorio 18, Thoss 11, Baracael 8, Baguio 7, Gonzales 6, Custodio 1, Salamat
0, Eman 0, Reyes 0.

Quarterscores: 25-27, 48-35, 70-56, 90-75

source:

http://www.pba.ph

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Bmeg 2nd place in PBA Standing

 
 

 
B-Meg stood its ground in a fierce battle with Barangay Ginebra, playing solid throughout to pull
off a 109-93 win and seize solo second place in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup elimination round at
the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday night.

Denzel Bowles matched up well with Jackson Vroman and the B-Meg locals outfought their Ginebra
counterparts as the Llamados closed in on the post-elim plays with a 4-2 win-loss card.

The Kings, with a second straight loss, slid to 3-3, now a game and a half behind the front running
Talk n Text Tropang Texters.

Denzel Bowles, Mark Barroca, PJ Simon and James Yap did the biggest damage on the Kings in this game
watched by a crowd of over 16,000.

“Obviously, we played our best game in the conference. We clicked on all cylinders and that’s
the way to beat Ginebra,” said B-Meg coach Tim Cone.

“We had a good shooting night, making a lot of big shots out there.

They tried to disrupt us and I thought our guards did a good job battling the pressure,” Cone also
said.

The B-Meg bench tactician also felt their big men played tough defense and their import came through
with an exceptional overall performance.

“Denzel played well three ways – defense, offense and getting the rebounds. That’s what
we’re looking for from him. He’s a young guy progressing,” said Cone of Bowles who held his
ground against the older and more experienced Ginebra import.

Bowles attacked Vroman’s defense to help fuel B-Meg’s key closing run that handed the Llamados a
second straight win following their conquest of the Air21 Express in a road game in Tacloban eight
nights ago.

The young B-Meg import wound up with 27 points and 15 rebounds as against Vroman’s 26 markers,
eight boards and eight assists.

Bowles saved his best for last, putting in 10 points in their romp from an 85-all count. From 93-89,
Bowles teamed up with Simon, Yap and Barroca in a decisive 10-to-nothing roll as the Llamados
eventually fended off the Kings, 103-89.

Barroca and Urbiztondo, left to tend the B-Meg backcourt on Roger Yap’s exit, combined for 30
points and six assists.

Simon and Yap fired 18 and 15 points, respectively, as their contribution at wing spot.

The two teams engaged in a battle before B-Meg seized command at the finish. (SB)

The scores:

B-MEG 109 - Bowles 27, Simon 18, Barroca 18, Yap J. 15, Urbiztondo 12, Devance 7, Reavis 5, Pingris
4, De Ocampo 3, Intal 0.

GINEBRA 93 - Vroman 26, Ababou 15, Helterbrand 14, Caguioa 11, Canaleta 8, Raymundo 8, Hatfield 4,
Wilson W. 3, Labagala 2, Cortez 2, Wilson J. 0, Mamaril 0.

Quarters: 20-26, 46-45, 75-69, 109-93

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Bmeg's Coach Tim Cone Declines Smart Gilas Offer

AKTV/Paolo Papa
B-MEG coach Tim Cone has declined the offer of incoming SMART-Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes to be part of the national program, citing his other commitments.
“With my involvement in La Salle and my newness in the SMC organization, there’s just too much on my plate at the moment,” wrote Cone in a text message to InterAKTV. The coach joined the Llamados, a team owned by the San Miguel Corporation, just last September, and was named La Salle consultant in January.
“I can’t give the [SMART-Gilas] position the attention it deserves.”
Cone, however, said that the door remains open for him to join the national program in the future once he isn’t as bogged down with his current priorities.
“I did discuss with Chot, and perhaps sometime down the line when things settle a bit, I’ll be able to join him, but there is certainly no deadline.”
Cone earlier said he had wanted to return the favor for Reyes, who served as his assistant in the Centennial Team, the last Philippine squad to win a medal in a high-level Asian competition in 1998.
“I just hate to let Chot down, however, because he’s such a great friend,” added Cone. “But in truth, he has such a tremendous staff already, I’ll hardly be missed.”
Reyes will formally take the reins of SMART-Gilas at the end of the PBA season, after which he will be replaced by outgoing Ateneo coach Norman Black at the helm of the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters. Black is expected to be part of Reyes’ staff at SMART-Gilas, along with Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio and consultant Jong Uichico.
Reyes, for his part, expressed disappointment that Cone would not be able to join him immediately in the national team.
“Disappointed, but I understand why [Tim Cone] declined our invitation for him to join the national team coaching staff. Big loss,” wrote Reyes on his Twitter account.

source: interaksiyon.com

Bmeg Released Roger Yap to ABL Beermen

The B-MEG Llamados have given an unconditional release to veteran guard Roger Yap, who will be joining the San Miguel Beermen in the ASEAN Basketball League.

B-MEG team executive Rene Pardo confirmed the news to InterAKTV on Monday, saying that Yap believes that he will be able to contribute more with the Beermen.

Yap, who turns 35 in August, was drafted by the Purefoods franchise in 2001, and has spent nine of his 11 PBA seasons with the franchise. He was the starting point guard for Purefoods’ Philippine Cup title-winning teams in 2006 and 2010. He was named to the PBA’s Mythical Team in each of those years, including a First Team selection in 2006.
Despite his credentials, Yap has seen his minutes cut this season with the entry of new B-MEG coach Tim Cone, who has opted to play younger guards Josh Urbiztondo and rookie Mark Barroca ahead of the veteran. He is averaging just 19 minutes per game this season, down from 28 minutes per game last year.
Yap’s departure would also pave the way for the return of Jonas Villanueva, who is scheduled to rejoin the team after recovering for a knee injury that has kept him out of the past year.
Yap becomes the second veteran leader to leave the Llamados this season. Prior to the start of the Commissioner’s Cup, Kerby Raymundo left the team in a three-way deal that brought JC Intal to B-MEG.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Bmeg Derby Ace Llamados Defeats Air 21 in Tacloban

B-MEG needed a strong finishing kick to repulse the challenge of Air 21, 88-79, and end a two-game slide Saturday in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Tacloban Convention Center.



The Llamados used a 16-8 spurt in the first eight minutes of the fourth period to break away from a tight contest and improve their win-loss mark to 3-2 while handing the Express their second straight loss to slip to 1-2.

Denzel Bowles led B-MEG with 27 points while James Yap and Mark Barroca each had 12 points for the Llamados.

“That was a battle for us and they are playing very well so we were not surprised how hard they played us,” said B-MEG coach Tim Cone, who also drew 11 points from Peter June Simon.
“[Marcus] Douthit is really a great import and we were really worried about him today. I though Rafi Reavis played well tonight against him.”
Douthit led Air 21 with 22 points but was a non-factor in the final quarter where the Llamados pull away.

After Ren-Ren Ritualo banged in a triple to trim the lead to 64-62, Yancy de Ocampo and Joe Devance joined forces in leading a decisive 16-8 exchange that allowed the Llamados erect an 80-67 spread with less than four minutes remaining.
Air 21 never had a serious run since.

“We didn’t play the way we wanted to play in the first half,” said Cone whose wards trailed 38-37 after the first 24 minutes.
“We finally got going in the fourth quarter. It brought easy baskets from our defense.”
Ritualo chipped in 16 points for the Express of coach Franz Pumaren.

BOX SCORES:

B-MEG 88 – Bowles27 .. JYap12 .. Barroca12 .. Simon11 .. Devance9 .. deOcampo7 .. Pingris4 .. Urbiztondo3 .. Reavis3 .. Intal0 ..

Air 21 79 – Douthit22 .. Ritualo16 .. Duncil12 .. Jazul7 .. Isip6 ..Omolon5 .. Hubalde3 .. Aquino2 .. Sison2 .. Escobal2 .. Sena2 ..Faundo0
..
QUARTERSCORES: 21-19 37-38 64-59 88-79

source: interaksyon.com