GlobalPort in search of new coach

MANILA, Philippines – With Pido Jarencio now in charge of GlobalPort’s basketball operations, the PBA franchise is in the hunt for a new head coach and team governor Erick Arejola said the other day nothing is final on the choice at the moment even as at least two candidates are under serious consideration.

“We’re still discussing,” said Arejola. “We created a new position and appointed Pido as head of basketball operations. We’re also finalizing our choice of import for the Governors Cup. We’ll decide on our coach and import when we meet soon.” What appears to be certain is GlobalPort will rehire Palestine guard Omar Krayem as the Batang Pier’s Asian import in the third conference which starts July 15.

The two candidates are current assistant coaches in the PBA. Another PBA team is reportedly interviewing applicants for a head coaching job. An early candidate for the GlobalPort position is now negotiating with the other PBA team.

Jarencio confirmed his appointment as GlobalPort head of basketball operations and said no successor has been named to fill the coaching vacancy. He denied rumors of returning to coach his alma mater UST in the UAAP, saying no one has talked to him about it. GlobalPort assistant coach Eric Gonzales, who replaced Jarencio midway the Philippine Cup and piloted the Batang Pier in the Commissioner’s Cup before Jarencio was reinstated for the Governors Cup last season, could be tapped for the job again.

“We’re starting practice this coming week so we’ll probably be called for a meeting to decide our coach and import before we resume,” said Jarencio.

Krayem, 29, was GlobalPort’s Asian import in the Governors Cup last season where he averaged 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 13 games. The Batang Pier wound up fifth in the conference. The 6-1 guard is coming off a strong performance with Boras Basketball of Sweden in the FIBA Euro Cup, averaging 20.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists.

GlobalPort team owner and newly elected 1Pacman party list Rep. Mikee Romero recently said the Batang Pier hopes to build a strong supporting cast around backcourt anchors Stanley Pringle and Terrence Romeo. “Stanley is the backbone of our team while Terrence is why GlobalPort has a lot more fans now than before,” he said. “We made it to the Final Four in the Philippine Cup this season but we couldn’t sustain our momentum in the Commissioner’s Cup. It would’ve been a different story in the Commissioner’s Cup if we got Jason Maxiel as our import.”

Maxiel, a 10-year NBA veteran who was the Detroit Pistons’ first round pick in the 2005 draft, was offered the GlobalPort job after playing in China but negotiations fell through. Maxiel, 33, is a 6-7, 260-pound power forward from the University of Cincinnati. When Maxiel became unavailable, GlobalPort turned to 6-9, 290-pound Keith (Tiny) Gallon who led the Chinese league in scoring with a 36.2 clip this past season. But Gallon had personal issues and couldn’t fly over. In the end, GlobalPort brought in Brian Williams who was replaced after two games by Calvin Warner. Shawn Taggart took over from Warner as GlobalPort struggled with a 2-4 record. Taggart delivered monster numbers but the Batang Pier failed to advance to the playoffs, finishing last at 3-8.

In the coming Governors Cup, GlobalPort is allowed to recruit an Asian import of up to 6-3 in height and a regular import of up to 6-5. The top eight ranked teams based on composite records of the Philippine Cup (weighted average of 60 percent) and the Commissioner’s Cup (weighted average of 40 percent) may bring in a regular import of up to 6-5. The last four ranked teams – Mahindra, Blackwater, Phoenix and Star – are given the option of a regular import of up to 6-9.

In recent moves, GlobalPort bolstered its roster by acquiring Yousef Taha and Ronald Pascual from Star and Karl Dehesa from Mahindra while trading away Keith Jensen, Paolo Taha and Roi Sumang. Yousef Taha will be a critical piece in GlobalPort’s rotation with Rico Maierhofer recovering from an ACL injury.

 The GlobalPort deals were concluded over two days of a trading frenzy involving 16 players, six teams and five transactions last May 10 and 11. Relocated players were Jensen, Rodney Brondial and R. R. Garcia to Star; Taha, Pascual and Dehesa to GlobalPort; Paolo Taha and Keith Agovida to Mahindra; Sumang to Blackwater; Mark Borboran, Mark Cruz, Jonathan Uyloan, Simon Enciso and Norbert Torres to Phoenix and Mac Baracael and Emman Monfort to NLEX.

GlobalPort gave up its 2016 first round pick for Joseph Yeo so the Batang Pier won’t be able to select until the second round this year. “We need to strengthen our three and four positions so a player like Mac Belo would be perfect,” said a team source. “But we’ll have to wait who’s still available in the second round.”

The 2016 draft will be held on Oct. 30 with the next season opening on Nov. 20. Among the players expected to be tapped early in the draft are Kiefer Ravena, Belo, Kevin Ferrer, Roger Pogoy, Bobby Ray Parks (if he decides to apply), Ed Daquioag and Von Pessumal. If the UAAP Board allows incoming final-year players to be drafted, the list will expand to include Jeron Teng, Russell Escoto and Raymar Jose.