Menk, Caguioa hurting

Menk, Caguioa hurting
By Gerry Ramos, Journal Online
October 13, 2007

The Barangay Ginebra Kings' defense of their Philippine Cup title suffers another major blow two days before the Philippine Basketball Association's 33rd season formally kicks off.

The coaching staff of the league's most popular ballclub yesterday admitted that key players Mark Caguioa and Eric Menk may not be 100 percent ready for the season-opening conference.

The 6-foot-5 Menk, the 2004-05 league Most Valuable Player (MVP), strained his calf muscle again, while Caguioa, the team's leading scorer last season and Best Player of the Conference when the Kings bagged the Philippine Cup title a year ago, still has to recuperate from the shoulder injury he suffered while playing for the RP men's team in the 24th FIBA-Asia men's championship.

The two played major roles when the Kings rallied back from a 0-2 deficit against the San Miguel Beermen (now Magnolia Beverage Masters) to rule the highly-coveted conference featuring an all-Filipino cast.

Also not around for Ginebra this season are big men Rudy Hatfield and Andy Seigle.

Hatfield, the league's top rebounder last year, is still in the US and has not personally advised the team when he'll be coming back to the country, while Seigle was not re-signed to a new contract.

"They're not 100 percent in shape, and remained doubtful if they can play on our first game against Red Bull next week," said Marco Januz Sauler, one of three battery of assistants by Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

Owing to the extent of their respective injuries, Caguioa and Menk failed to suit up for the team during the league's pre-season games.

"Of the three Ginebra players who saw action for the RP team in Tokushima, only Jayjay (Helterbrand) was able to play for us during the pre-season," Sauler added.

According to Menk, the injury has been bothering him for quite some time now.

"It occurred a week after we came back from Tokushima, while I'm at the course of training in Michigan," said the 33-year-old center-forward.

"It's unfortunate that I've been injured the whole pre-season and has not been practicing with the team. I'm doing rehab right now and it depends whether I'll be given the go-signal to play against Red Bull in our first game," Menk said.

With Menk's health doubtful and Hatfield and Seigle no longer around, the Kings will have to make do with an undersized frontcourt composed of Billy Mamaril, new acquisition Gilbert Lao and Rafi Reavies, himself still recuperating from a shoulder operation in the U.S.

"Medyo maliit kami ngayon, but we intend to make up for it by running a lot and pushing the ball more frequently," added Sauler, in effect justifying the team's excess of guards at the backcourt consisting of Helterbrand, Caguioa, veteran and former MVP Johnny Abarrientos, rookie Macky Escalona and Paul Artadi, whom the Kings acquired from Purefoods.