1998 San Miguel Beermen season

Last updated
1998   San Miguel Beermen season
Head coach Ron Jacobs
Owner San Miguel Corporation
All-Filipino Cup results
Record1810
(64.3%)
Place2nd
Playoff finish Finals (def. by Alaska 3–4)
Commissioner's Cup results
Record129
(57.1%)
Place2nd
Playoff finish Finals (def. by Alaska 2-4)
Governors Cup results
Record1312
(52%)
Place4th
Playoff finishSemifinals (def. by Shell)
San Miguel Beermen seasons
  1997
1999  

The 1998 San Miguel Beermen season was the 24th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Contents

Draft picks

RoundPickPlayerNationalityCollege
12 Noy Castillo Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States The Citadel
15 William Antonio Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Chaminade

Notable dates

February 1: San Miguel Beermen got excellent debuts from its two rookies Danny Ildefonso and Steve Smith as the Beermen pulled away with an 86-67 rout of Pop Cola at the start of the All-Filipino Cup. [1]

April 14: San Miguel booked the first finals seat in the All-Filipino Cup with their 14th win against six losses, defeating Pop Cola, 89-69.

Runner-up finish

After two seasons of non-finals appearance, the San Miguel Beermen return to the championship series twice in the season but could only end up with runner-up finishes. The Beermen placed second behind Alaska Milkmen in the eliminations of the All-Filipino Cup with seven wins and four losses. [2] They won eight games in the semifinals for a league-best 15-6 won-loss record. The Beermen played the Alaska Milkmen in the best-of-seven championship. In the battle between two American coaches, Ron Jacobs and Alaska's Tim Cone, the Beermen blew a 3-2 series advantage, they lost Game six by a big margin and in the deciding seventh game on May 8, the San Miguel Beermen folded up to the pressure as the game reaches its climax, losing by nine points to Alaska Milkmen, 63-72, before a jampacked crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

In the Commissioner's Cup, the Beermen bring back last year's best import Jeff Ward, who was good for only six games when coach Ron Jacobs gambled on a smaller import in the returning Lamont Strothers. The Beermen scored a 3-0 sweep over Pop Cola in the best-of-five semifinal series and went on to play the Alaska Milkmen in a championship rematch. The Milkmen paraded a taller import Devin Davis and they jump off to a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-seven finals, the Beermen were able to tie the series at two games apiece by winning Games three and four, but Alaska came back with a victory in Game five and finish off the Beermen in six games.

Roster

1998 San Miguel Beermen roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#POBNameHeightWeightDOB (YYYY–MM–DD)From
G 4 Flag of the Philippines.svg Siot Tanquingcen 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) UST
C 5 Flag of the Philippines.svg Ronilo Padilla 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Cebu
G 7 Flag of the Philippines.svg Michael Mustre 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Letran
F 8 Flag of the Philippines.svg Allan Caidic 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) UE
C 10 Flag of the Philippines.svg Danny Ildefonso 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) National-U
F 11 Flag of the Philippines.svg Nelson Asaytono 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Manila
F/C 12 Flag of the Philippines.svg Yves Dignadice 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) STI WNU
F 14 Flag of the Philippines.svg Joey Santamaria 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) De La Salle
G 15 Flag of the Philippines.svg Edward Naron 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Visayas
G 17 Flag of the Philippines.svg Olsen Racela 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Ateneo
F 18 Flag of the Philippines.svg Art Dela Cruz 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) San Sebastian
F/C 25 Flag of the Philippines.svg Freddie Abuda 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Cebu
F 28 Flag of the Philippines.svg Elpidio Villamin 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
G 34 Flag of the United States.svg William Antonio 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Chaminade
G 42 Flag of the United States.svg Steven Smith 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) US International
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

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

Transactions

Trades

Off-seasonTo Formula Shell
Noy Castillo
To San Miguel
Danny Ildefonso
Off-seasonTo Gordon's Gin
Paul Alvarez
To San Miguel
Steven Smith

Additions

PlayerSignedFormer team
Joey SantamariaOff-seasonMobiline Phone Pals
Elpidio Villamin Mobiline Phone Pals

Recruited imports

TournamentNameNumberPositionUniversity/CollegeDuration
Commissioner's Cup Jeff Ward 21Center-Forward Tiffin University May 23 to June 14
Lamont Strothers 42Guard-Forward Christopher Newport June 20 to August 14
August 30 to December 1
Commissioner's Cup
Governor's Cup
Governors' Cup
Larry Robinson 20Guard-Forward Centenary College August 30 to December 1

References

  1. "SMB downs Pop as PBA honors five decades' best". Manila Standard.
  2. "Refs' calls get Ron Jacobs' goat". Manila Standard.