In the cellar

There’s only one winless team left in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Samsung Governors Cup and the unlikely cellar dweller is San Miguel Beer.

It’s not surprising. Of all the PBA teams, San Miguel was hardest hit – in relative terms – by the outflow of players to the national pool. The Beermen not only lost coach Joseph Uichico but also their top three players – Danny Ildefonso, Danny Seigle, and Olsen Racela. That’s a crippling handicap. Ildefonso, Seigle, and Racela form the nucleus of San Miguel’s starting brigade – the Beermen just aren’t the same without their No. 1 center, No. 1 shooting guard, and No. 1 point guard.

Additionally, fresh San Miguel recruit Dondon Hontiveros was drafted to the pool.

Still, San Miguel isn’t about to roll over and die. Assistant coaches Siot Tanquingcen and Art de la Cruz are desperately trying to rouse the Beermen from their deep sleep. After all, upholding San Miguel’s championship tradition is a matter of pride and playing with a crippled lineup is an unacceptable excuse.

To be sure, San Miguel got off on the wrong foot. Strothers’ original partner Keith Hill was a disappointment. Hill shouldn’t have come in the first place. But top pick Ira Newble was signed by the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA), leaving Hill conveniently available. Hill scored 16 points in his first game, a 64-59 San Miguel loss to Selecta. Then, when he heard of his impending departure, Hill grumbled and mumbled on the way to the arena for his second outing against Coca-Cola. He complained of a bum stomach and was benched most of the game. Hill bowed out of the PBA with a single point to show in his final appearance. Good riddance.

Then came Mario Bennett, nicknamed "Super Mario" after the Nintendo video game character. Strothers couldn’t have found a more reliable soulmate. Bennett, 28, is a 6-8, 235-pound do-it-all type. He was the Phoenix Suns’ first round pick in 1995. Bennett’s the only NBA first round choice still playing in the conference – Rodrick Rhodes and Johnny Taylor are gone. Bennett played for the Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Clippers in four NBA seasons. He almost made it to the Sacramento Kings roster this campaign.

In Bennett’s PBA debut, he was devastating. "Super Mario" poured in 27 points and grabbed 22 rebounds. A 20-20 game is as rare as a hoop referee’s 20-20 vision. But alas, San Miguel couldn’t break out of the doldrums and lost an 82-81 decision to Talk ’N Text.

Bennett, the youngest of four children, is an intimidating presence on the floor. He looks menacing with tattoos on both biceps. On his left bicep is a tattoo of "Super Mario" dunking. On his right bicep is a lion holding a basketball.

One thing about Bennett, he’s a survivor. In 1992 – after his freshman season at Arizona State, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a summer camp in his hometown of Denton, Texas, and underwent reconstructive surgery. He sat out the entire 1992-93 season to recover from the injury. Then in August 1993, Bennett reinjured the knee in a freak accident at a pick-up game. He had another surgery but miraculously, returned to action six games into the 1993-94 season or about four months later and went on to average 38.7 minutes an outing that campaign.

Bennett had a year of varsity eligibility left when he turned pro in 1995. Among his college teammates were former PBA imports Lester Neal and Steven Smith. Another teammate was Alaska import Ron Riley.

The chink in Bennett’s armor is his inconsistent free throw shooting. As an Arizona State senior, he shot only 49.1 percent from the line. In the NBA, Bennett hit only 51.1 percent. And in five games for Montpellier in the French league this year, Bennett knocked in 51.6 percent from the stripe.

A blemish in his career was his dismissal from the San Diego Wildfire in the American Basketball Association (ABA) last year. Bennett was cut for arguing with a critical fan and walking out on coach LaSalle Thompson after a misunderstanding on the court. The waiver had nothing to do with Bennett’s playing ability. Thompson was later fired as the Wildfire coach.

Bennett was rated among America’s top 65 prepsters after averaging 24.2 points and 13 rebounds as a senior at Denton High School in 1990-91. He was Freshman of the Year at Arizona State in 1991-92 and led the Sun Devils to a 77-74 win over archrival Arizona with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocked shots that season. In his final campaign, Bennett set a school record with 191 blocked shots as Arizona State made it to the NCAA Sweet 16, limiting opponents to an average of only 70.6 points and averaging a league-high 10.5 steals a game.

While Bennett and Strothers are expected to carry the brunt of San Miguel’s offense against FedEx at the PhilSports Arena tonight, San Miguel will find it difficult to win if the locals don’t put out. That means Nic Belasco, Dorian Peña, Boybits Victoria, Dwight Lago, Rob Duat, and Joey Mente must contribute their fair share to back up the "Helicopter" and "Super Mario."

FedEx is coming off back-to-back wins over Shell and Sta. Lucia. So the Express is on a roll. FedEx is unbeaten since Tim Moore flew in to replace Rhodes. It’ll be a tall order for San Miguel to derail the Express but if the Beermen can get the job done, the big win could pave the way for a major reawakening.