1997 Pop Cola Sizzlers season

Last updated
1997   Pop Cola Sizzlers season
Head coach Derrick Pumaren
(All-Filipino Cup)
Arturo Valenzona
(Commissioner's Cup)
Norman Black
(Governors' Cup)
General Manager Elmer Yanga
Owner RFM Corporation
All-Filipino Cup results
Record59
(35.7%)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Commissioner's Cup results
Record46
(40%)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Governor's Cup results
Record59
(35.7%)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Pop Cola Sizzlers seasons
  1996
1998  

The 1997 Pop Cola Sizzlers season was the 8th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known as the Pop Cola Bottlers in the All-Filipino and Commissioner's Cup.

Contents

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerCollege
12 Nic Belasco Notre Dame-Maryland
210Romulo Marata Adamson

Notable dates

February 22: Pop Cola stuns defending champion Alaska Milkmen, 96–88 in Lipa City, Batangas, for their first win in two starts.

September 20: Vergel Meneses tallied a game-high 36 points, and import Byron Houston added 29 points with 19 rebounds as Pop Cola gave their new coach Norman Black his first win at the start of the Governor's Cup with a 108–92 victory over Purefoods in the out-of-town game in Tarlac State University Gym. [1]

Occurrences

Starting the Commissioners Cup, coach Derrick Pumaren was replaced by Arturo Valenzona, whose last coaching job in the PBA was nine years ago. Valenzona chooses Alfrancis Chua as his assistant coach while Pumaren remain as a team consultant.

After Pop Cola's failure to reach the semifinals for the fifth straight time, a player-coach trade took place between the two teams that didn't make past the eliminations in the Commissioner's Cup, the Bottlers acquired Norman Black from Mobiline as their head coach along with Elpidio Villamin and Peter Martin in exchange for guard Ato Agustin and their former coach Derrick Pumaren, who has now moved over to the Mobiline camp. Upon Norman Black's entry at Pop Cola, Alfrancis Chua was retain as assistant coach while Arturo Valenzona was relegated to team consultant. [2]

Roster

1997 Pop Cola Sizzlers roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#POBNameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY–MM–DD)From
G 3 Flag of the Philippines.svg Eugene Quilban 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) San Sebastian
C 4 Flag of the Philippines.svg Bonel Balingit 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Visayas
G 9 Flag of the Philippines.svg Boybits Victoria 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) San Beda
G 10 Flag of the Philippines.svg Boyet Fernandez 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) San Agustin
F 11 Flag of the Philippines.svg Marcelino Morelos 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) UE
G 12 Flag of the Philippines.svg Romulo Marata 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Adamson
F 13 Flag of the Philippines.svg Elpidio Villamin 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
F 15 Flag of the Philippines.svg Dwight Lago 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) De La Salle
F 18 Flag of the Philippines.svg Vergel Meneses 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) José Rizal
F 21 Flag of the Philippines.svg Peter Martin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Sebastian
G 23 Flag of the Philippines.svg Ricardo Marata 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Southwestern-U
C 33 Flag of the United States.svg Nic Belasco 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Notre Dame (OH)
C 35 Flag of the Philippines.svg Zaldy Realubit 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) USJ–R
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

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

Transactions

Additions

NameDeal InformationFormer team
Eugene QuilbanAcquired Mobiline late last year in a trade with Eric Reyes Mobiline
Jack Tanuan Acquired from Mobiline late last year in a trade with Alvin Teng

Trades

July 1997To Mobiline
#6 Ato Agustin
To Pop Cola
Elpidio Villamin, Peter Martin
October 27, 1997 [3] To Alaska
#19 Kenneth Duremdes, #14 Jack Tanuan
To Pop Cola
Boyet Fernandez, Dwight Lago

Recruited imports

TournamentNameNumberPositionUniversity/CollegeDuration
Commissioner's Cup Norris Coleman 8Forward Kansas State June 13 to July 18
Governors' Cup Byron Houston 8Guard Oklahoma State September 20 to November 16

References

  1. "Pop Cola blasts Purefoods". Manila Standard.
  2. "Manotoc named Mobiline head coach". Manila Standard.
  3. "Duremdes debuts for Alaska against Sta.Lucia today". Manila Standard.