AL S. MENDOZA
NORMAN Black is all business. As always.
When two of his Sinag Pilipinas hopefuls did not show up for practice, he fired them.
Which was just too bad since Ian Sangalang and Ronald Pascual could play vital roles in our SEA Games basketball campaign this month in Indonesia.
The two had been key players of San Sebastian College in the Stags’ losing bid for the NCAA crown against San Beda.
But knowing Black, rules are rules are rules. You don’t show up for practice without a valid reason, you lose your slot.
Stars are stars, why not?
But if you break team discipline, you are no star at all. You get the boot like the rest.
Always, five players are on standby for one position as precious as a national team slot.
Dave Marcelo and Chris Tiu got the slots of Sangalang and Pascual.
They are more than able replacements.
Marcelo was the San Beda center who was chosen 2011 MVP of the NCAA Finals after helping power the Red Lions to their fourth title in five years.
And who doesn’t know Tiu?
He was a top gun in the Smart Gilas Team that recently played in the Fiba-Asia event in China.
The two are with Black’s 14-man roster set to fly on November 12 to Jakarta, where the final 12 players will be named to defend the SEA Games crown the Filipinos had won 16 of the last 17 editions.
We had been bracketed with Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in the eight-nation event.
Group B is composed of Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and the 2007 runner-up, Indonesia.
Black’s team is, of course, seeded first and Sinag Pilipinas should easily breeze through the second round as the top two teams from both divisions will advance.
Sinag Pilipinas and Thailand are tipped to join Indonesia and either Malaysia or Singapore in the Final 4.
Aside from Marcelo and Tiu, the rest of the 14-man team are Greg Slaughter, Cliff Hodge, Jake Pascual, Nico Salva, Chris Ellis, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Garvo Lanete, Kiefer Ravena, RR Garcia, Emman Monfort, Jeric Teng and Jeric Fortuna.
Black’s Boys have the tools to win.
But in the end, it’d be the discipline that Black so firmly demands from them that will define their destiny.
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