1997 Mobiline Cellulars season

Last updated
1997   Mobiline Cellulars season
Head coach Norman Black
Tommy Manotoc
Owner(s) Pilipino Telephone Corporation
All-Filipino Cup results
Place5th
Playoff finishSemifinals
Commissioner's Cup results
Record46
(40%)
Place6th
Playoff finishN/A
Governors' Cup results
Record78
(46.7%)
Place5th
Playoff finishQuarterfinals (Lost to Purefoods in one game)
Mobiline Cellulars seasons
  1996
1998  

The 1997 Mobiline Cellulars season was the eighth season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The team change its moniker from Cellulars to Mobiline Phone Pals beginning the Governor's Cup.

Contents

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerCollege
11 Andrew John Seigle University of New Orleans
29Antonio Espinosa, Jr La Salle

Notable date

February 23: Rookie Patrick Fran saved the day for the Cellulars in the 84–78 victory over Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys which clawed back from a 20-point deficit to come close to within three with still 71 seconds remaining. Mobiline scored their first win of the season after losing to defending champion Alaska Milkmen on opening day a week ago. [1]

Occurrences

Former San Miguel coach Norman Black became the new head coach of Mobiline Cellulars, replacing Yeng Guiao at the start of the season. [2] Coach Black steered the team to a semifinal stint in the All-Filipino Cup after two years of being a doormat. After the Cellulars got eliminated in the Commissioner's Cup, Mobiline top honcho Choy Cojuangco and RFM chairman Joey Concepcion agreed on a player-coach trade during the first week of August. Norman Black will now coached his third team in 13 years with Pop Cola while Bottlers' team consultant Derrick Pumaren will moved to the Cellulars.

Mobiline also acquired Ato Agustin from Pop Cola in exchange for Elpidio Villamin and Peter Martin. Starting the Governor's Cup, former Grandslam coach Tommy Manotoc has taken Norman Black's place at the Mobiline bench with Derrick Pumaren as his co-mentor. [3]

Roster

Mobiline Phone Pals roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.Age
G 3 Flag of the Philippines.svg Espinosa, Tonyboy 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) De La Salle
G 5 Flag of the Philippines.svg Pumaren, Franz 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) De La Salle
G 6 Flag of the Philippines.svg Agustin, Ato 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Lyceum
F/C 7 Flag of the Philippines.svg del Rosario, Richard 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) De La Salle
G 8 Flag of the Philippines.svg Solis, Al 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Visayas
F 10 Flag of the Philippines.svg Teng, Alvin 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Arellano
G/F 12 Flag of the Philippines.svg Capacio, Glenn 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Far Eastern
F 14 Flag of the Philippines.svg Reyes, Eric 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Ateneo
G/F 16 Flag of the Philippines.svg Briones, Lowell 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Visayas
G 17 Flag of the Philippines.svg Fran, Patrick 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) UST
F 19 Flag of the Philippines.svg Santamaria, Joey 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) De La Salle
F 22 Flag of the Philippines.svg Cariaso, Jeffrey 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Sonoma State
C 52 Flag of the Philippines.svg Seigle, Andy 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) New Orleans
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (IN) Inactive
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Transactions

Additions

NameDeal InformationFormer team
Lowell BrionesPick by Purefoods in the Rookie draft and dealt to the Cellulars the following dayN/A
Patrick FranRookie Free AgentN/A
Franz Pumaren Acquired from San Miguel San Miguel Beermen
Eric ReyesAcquired from Sunkist late last year in a trade with Eugene Quilban Sunkist
Alvin Teng Acquired from Sunkist late last year in a trade with Jack Tanuan

Trades

Off-seasonTo Purefoods
Cadel Mosqueda
To Mobiline
Glenn Capacio
Off-seasonTo Alaska
Dwight Lago
To Mobiline
Jeffrey Cariaso

Subtractions

PlayerSignedNew team
Yoyoy Villamin September 1997Pop Cola
Peter MartinSeptember 1997Pop Cola

Recruited imports

TournamentNameNumberPositionUniversity/College
Commissioner's Cup Isaiah Morris 35 Forward University of Arkansas
Governors' Cup Artemus McClary 25 Guard/Forward Jacksonville University

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References

  1. "Rookie lifts Mobiline past Purefoods". Manila Bulletin Online.
  2. "Seigle-led Mobiline completes lineup". Manila Bulletin Online.
  3. "Manotoc named Mobiline head coach". Manila Standard.