Tar Heel star ready to strut stuff in PBA

Former University of North Carolina swingman Jackie Manuel is ready to play in the PBA if the right offer comes along, said Los Angeles-based Filipino agent Roger Jimenez yesterday.

Jimenez told The Star in a long distance phone call he spoke to Manuel’s agent Derek Powell who confirmed the Tar Heel’s willingness to play here and leave his Los Angeles D-Fenders team in the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).

Jimenez, who migrated to the US in 1988 and is active in Los Angeles Fil-Am leagues as a coach, recently visited Manila for three weeks. He watched several games in the recent PBA semifinals and finals and said Manuel would be a perfect fit for a squad like San Miguel Beer.

Jimenez said D-Fenders assistant coach Chucky Brown put him in touch with Manuel then Powell.

"I know what it takes to play in the PBA because I’ve coached guys like Mark Caguioa, Tony de la Cruz, Alex Cabagnot and Don Allado in L. A. leagues," said Jimenez. "One year, my team with Tony and Don beat Mark’s team for the Fil-Am championship. Mark was averaging about 35 points but we held him to only 10 in the finals. Mark later joined my team and we were unbeaten."

Jimenez said he would’ve offered players to the PBA earlier but his work as an accounting assistant and cashier at Occidental College kept him busy. Now, he’s got a little more time in his hands to dabble into player management.

"I like players from North Carolina," said Jimenez, a PSBA graduate from Lucena. "They’re known for their attitude and work ethic. That’s why I zeroed in on Manuel, a tough defensive player who plays like Bruce Bowen and Doug Christie."

Jimenez said in the Fiesta Conference opening tomorrow, teams with players on loan to the national squad will need top-quality imports to fill the vacuum.

Manuel, 23, is a 6-4, 190-pound guard-forward who averaged 20.8 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals as a Cardinal Newman high school senior in Florida in 2000-01. He played four years at North Carolina, ending his career with an NCAA title in 2004-05.

In the NBDL this season, Manuel is averaging 15.3 points for Los Angeles.

Jimenez said if a team has a serious offer for Manuel, he’ll personally accompany the Tar Heel to Manila on the first available flight.

Jimenez added that he’s bringing University of Redlands senior Amir Mazarei to Manila this summer to play in the PBL and later apply for the PBA draft. Mazarei’s father Mahdi is Iranian and his mother Linda is Filipina.

Mazarei, 21, averaged 24.8 points for Redlands with a single-game high of 57 as a junior last year. The 5-11 guard, a Dean’s Lister, is the Bulldogs varsity’s top offensive threat.

Mazarei’s teammate Justin Omalev, 20, is also half-Filipino. His father Tom is Yugoslavian and mother Elvie is from Olongapo. The 5-10 guard is a Redlands reserve. Jimenez said he will take Omalev to Manila after he graduates next year.