New-look Alab launches ABL campaign

MANILA, Philippines — The revamped San Miguel-Alab Pilipinas gets to test its mettle today when it visits home team Mono Vampire to kick off its 2019-2020 ASEAN Basketball League campaign at the Stadium 29 in Bangkok, Thailand.

With Brandon Rosser and Lawrence Domingo being the only remnants of the original squad, the whole new Philippine representative tangles with the Thailand-based team at 4 p.m. looking to start their redemption bid on a high note after being bumped off their throne last season.

Alab pillars in three-time MVP Ray Parks Jr. and resident import Renaldo Balkman have left the squad while Josh Urbiztondo and Rico Maierhofer retired from basketball, leaving Brandon and Rosser as the only mainstays of the formidable squad that won the title in 2018.

Without them, veteran Fil-American guard Jason Brickman and marksman Jeremiah Gray have been tasked to spearhead the new-look Alab together with world imports Khalif Wyatt, Adrian Forbes and Nick King who replaced Balkman.

Coach Jimmy Alapag also tapped a mixture of veteran and rising stars in La Salle’s Andrei Caracut, NU’s Tzaddy Rangel, Fil-Aussie and ex-Phl youth team member Jordan Heading together with pros Aaron Aban and Louie Vigil.

Alapag’s wards will be in for a tough debut as Thai-American Tyler Lamb got an even stronger Mono squad on his back led by Moses Morgan, Ryan Atkins, Preston Knowles and former PBA reinforcement Mike Singletary.

Good thing for the Alab squad, it underwent solid preparations for this ABL tour that included a pair of scrimmages against Gilas Pilipinas, which is also revving up for the Southeast Asian Games.

The Philippine ABL bet fell short in the first outing, 95-98, before getting back with a huge 93-89 win against the Nationals that served as a morale-booster heading into their ABL debut against Mono Vampire.

Alab will again play away against Macau Zhuhai Wolf Warriors next on Nov. 27 in Macau before having its first home game against last season’s runner-up, the Singapore Slingers, on Dec. 17 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.