Mad scramble for imports

Julius Nwosu is playing in Lebanon. Ron Hale and Tony Lang are in Japan. They’re former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) imports who are free agents and in the wish list of several teams hoping to sign them up for the Fiesta Cup starting Feb. 22.

The problem is they won’t be available to fly in until March and some teams may not be inclined to wait that long.

Coca-Cola coach Chot Reyes arrived from the US yesterday and was supposed to bring along 6-8, 210-pound Mark Sanford of the University of Washington. Alas, Sanford missed his connection flight from Miami and is scheduled to plane in today, if his unaccompanied bags made it to the airport.

Alaska coach Tim Cone leaves for the US today on a scouting mission and will be back Monday. He has reportedly pruned his options to a short list. Among the candidates are 6-7 Philip Ricci of Oregon State and 6-7 Matt Barnes of UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles). Barnes is seeing action for the Long Beach Jam in the American Basketball Association (ABA) while Ricci plays for the Huntsville Flight in the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). On top of Cone’s wish list is rumored to be a National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran who once played for the Atlanta Hawks.

Talk ‘N’ Text coach Joel Banal is in Los Angeles testing import candidates at a tryout camp organized by Bill Bayno and Jerry Tarkanian. Banal and the Phone Pals will be back early next week. The word from the TNT camp is 6-6 Mike Campbell of Long Island University and 6-8 Isiah Victor of the University of Tennessee are options.

Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao is trying out Pensacola junior college forward Carlos Willer, who claims to be fresh from a stint in Israel, while awaiting Nwosu. On standby is 6-8 Calvin Bowman of West Virginia University. Guiao, Willer and the Barako squad return from a two-game exhibition series in Qatar on Saturday.

San Miguel Beer coach Joseph Uichico said 6-8 Art Long has verbally agreed to play for the team in the Fiesta Cup and is expected to arrive next week. Long, 29, suited up for Seattle and Toronto in the NBA.

In the 2002 Second Conference, Long averaged 14.4 points and 9.3 rebounds in eight outings for San Miguel. He shot .584 from the field and .647 from the line. Long came in as Jermaine Tate’s substitute and was himself replaced by Terquin Mott after suffering an injury.

Barangay Ginebra was seriously considering to ink former FedEx import Jermaine Walker but athletic agent Mike Gonzalez said it’s possible the Kings will tap another player.

Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio is recalling 6-8 high school phenom Lenny Cooke to banner the Tender Juicy Hot Dogs. Cooke is flying in on Feb. 2 after finishing his playing obligations in China. Cooke averaged 37.9 points and 17.1 rebounds–both league highs–in eight games for Purefoods in the Third Conference last season.

Sta. Lucia Realty coach Alfrancis Chua is eyeing Lang and said the other day he’s willing to fly to Japan to negotiate his contract. Lang is currently playing for Mitsubishi in the Japan league. But if Lamayn Wilson of Troy State proves to be as potent as publicized, Chua may settle for the 6-8 frontliner. Wilson, 23, boasts a 40-inch vertical leap and averaged 20.1 points–hitting .501 from the field, .421 from three-point distance and .710 from the line–as a Troy State senior in 2001-02.

Wilson is flying in early next week for a tryout. The rumor is he agreed to be paid $1,000 a week until he proves himself.

FedEx import Alvin Jefferson is already in town. The 6-8 center from Auburn University–the school that produced Charles Barkley–was coach Bonnie Garcia’s personal choice for the Express.

Jefferson, 29, won a slamdunk contest in Luxembourg in 1999 and is coming off a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters. He has played in the NBDL, ABA, Continental Basketball Association and United States Basketball League (USBL). Two years ago, Jefferson averaged 11.3 points and seven rebounds for the Dodge City Legend in the USBL.

Also in town is Shell’s earlybird import 6-7 Marek Ondera of the University of California at Irvine. He saw action for the same varsity as Shell teammate Tony de la Cruz and was plucked by Turbochargers coach John Moran from the Danish league to play here.