Noosa courting Tiu

Noosa Shoes, formerly Blu Detergents, wants Chris Tiu to be the cornerstone of its new PBL franchise.

Team owner Dioceldo Sy, the former PBL chairman, yesterday told The STAR they’re in the middle of negotiations to have the Ateneo hotshot help Noosa in its campaign starting on Feb. 23.

“My team manager (Pat Aquino) is talking to him (Tiu) right now. I would also talk to him any day soon so that I could personally convince him to play for us,” said Sy.

“We want to have Chris Tiu as the cornerstone of this franchise,” he added.

Tiu, who has yet to apply for the PBL rookie draft, was part of the RP team that trained for the SEA Games last December. But he did not make it to the final roster of the team that won the gold in Thailand.

Tiu, who has one playing year left for Ateneo in the UAAP, can suit up for Noosa and still find enough time to prepare for the varsity tournament which starts in July.

As a new PBL franchise, Noosa was given the right to hire two direct players. The first one is reserved for Tiu, and the second probably for a big man.

“We’re still looking for our other direct hire, we hope to use it on a big man,” said Aquino.

The Shoe Stars have already formed a 13-man line-up headed by former collegiate stars Jemal Vizcarra and Allan Evangelista of Santo Tomas, Axel Doruelo of UP and Dom Javier of Perpetual Help.

Also on its fold are Mike Beuschler, former Far Eastern U standout Roser Mangahas, UP‘s Virgilio Serios, St. Benilde’s Kris Robles and Jose Rizal’s John Wilson, Mark Pradas and Jayson Nocum.

Aquino said they’ve also picked the top three players of reigning NCRAA champion Arellano – Gio Ciriacruz, Adrian Silana and Jerome Agustin.

Leo Isaac, who won a PBL title for underdog Dr. J Alcohol in 1998, when it defeated a fancied Tanduay team, will coach the Shoe Stars.

“This is already a competitive team but the team would be stronger if we could get Tiu,” said Aquino, who’s arranging a team building session next week in Batangas.