“I don’t like foreign players on my team� – Gee Abanilla
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For a change, College of Saint Benilde (CSB) has hired a new head coach for the next basketball National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball this season and hopefully the move would bring them back to respectability.
Gee Abanilla, 41, an assistant of Red Bull mentor Yeng Guiao in the PBA, replaced Carlos Caloy Garcia two months ago as head coach of the Saint Benilde Blazers, who finished last in the team standings during the past two years.
And as an inboundpass.com exclusive, we were able to interview Abanilla knowing the fact that this is his first time to handle a team from a highly-respected and oldest collegiate league in the country.
INBOUNDPASS: Well this is your first time to handle a collegiate team, so how do you feel?
GEE ABANILLA: I’m very thankful and at the same time excited after hearing the management’s decision of hiring me as coach. Step by step, I’ll do everything to turn them competitive again. I’m happy also because the players are very cooperative in my first two months. They have a good working ethic.
INBOUNDPASS: What are the expectations of the management from you?
GA: I signed a two-year contract and I told them that I’ll do everything to improve the team. Final Four is definitely a good place to be, but during our meeting I said we should be realistic also depending on what we got right now.If we finish last in the past two seasons, I told them there’s nothing we can do but to move forward.
If we ended 10th place last season, why not ninth or eighth this time (laughs). Every team in the NCAA is competitive, so it is indeed very challenging on my part to coach them.
INBOUNDPASS: How far do you think can your team go next season?
GA: I don’t want to make any prediction in the first place but we will do everything what it takes to win each game, not only in the NCAA but also during the preseason tournaments like the FIL-OIL and Nike Summer League. We will bring back the pride to the school.
INBOUNDPASS: What are the strength and weaknesses of the Blazers so far?
GA: Although there are more things which need to fix, all I can say right now is we are strong in the No. 2 position (shooting guard). Most of the guys are natural shooters and aggressive slashers. But I keep telling them that we cannot rely solely on our offense. We should also play defense.
It should be 10 percent techniques and 90 percent attitude. Caloy (Garcia) did a good job on his players, although they failed to move to the next level last year. There is no problem in the point guard position. Our disadvantage is the lack of big men and wing players. In short, we are undersized.
We need somebody who has a post threat and a physical type of player who can also score, rebound and block shots. As of now, we don’t have that kind of player in our roster and we are on the look out for future talent.
I think my players Chuck Dalanon, Byron Gan, Harvey Porras and Jeff Morial will be the core of this team next season.
INBOUNDPASS: So who will comprise your coaching staff?
GA: They are Richard Del Rosario, Mon Jose and Marlon Celis. They are all hardworking and defensive oriented coaches.
INBOUNDPASS: Do you favor foreign players in your team?
GA: I don’t like foreign players on my team because personally I favor players who came from the grassroots level though I would consider Fil-Foreign players. I’m also looking at the bigger picture for Philippine basketball. Foreign players cannot represent us in any overseas competition.
INBOUNDPASS: Aside from making Saint Benilde a team to reckon with, what are your other plans?
GA: It is actually easier said than done. Since Saint Benilde joined the NCAA in 1998, everybody was thinking that the school is only the second priority of the parent institution. And De La Salle University which plays in the UAAP is their first priority.
The Green Archers, most of them said, is the main team of the La Salle community. I want to change that view. If we play competitively, I think our image will change. People will realize that we are not the last choice. I want that La Salle and Saint Benilde are both equally competitive. I’m hoping that my goals will be a reality soon.
INBOUNDPASS: Any advice from Coach Yeng Guiao before taking this job?
GA: He is very supportive and I thank him for giving me some advice. I encouraged him to have some pep talk with my players and he promised he would.
INBOUNDPASS: Which team do you think is the strongest next season?
GA: San Beda College is definitely a contender because of their two Nigerians (Sam Ekwe and Kevin Udo). Others are Letran, Mapua, JRU and San Sebastian College, among others. But all of them are beatable if we execute our transition game and play solid defense.
Tags: Blazers, Ferdie Manalac, Gee-Abanilla, NCAA-Philippines, News, Petron, St.-BenildeRelated posts
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Christian Soler
+0
Thursday, 6 March 2008 at 12:07 am
Gee Abanilla is a defense-oriented coach. CSB has been a free-wheeling, offensive-minded and shoot-first team the past three years. Over that period of time, the Blazers went 9-31. Clearly, a new program, one built around defense and hustle, among others, has to be installed, and Abanilla is the right man for the job.
BedanRoar
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Thursday, 6 March 2008 at 9:50 am
Congratulations and Goodluck!!!
Grrr!
+0
Thursday, 6 March 2008 at 11:14 am
I hope Abanilla can make the Blazers a team to be feared and respected,and give the Knights and Lions a run for their money. A retro to 2000 is not far fetched if they get good players (not discards from their DLSU UAAP team).
mac
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Thursday, 6 March 2008 at 3:53 pm
yeah… i think csb community should also give their full support of their students, faculty and alumnies, so that it can compare to the letran and san beda’s kind of support to their team :D
animo Benilde!!!
rufo
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Sunday, 9 March 2008 at 10:37 am
sampal sa san beda ito: “I don’t like foreign players on my team.”
jeuz
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Sunday, 9 March 2008 at 5:12 pm
I hope na sna lumkas tlga benilde pra mabuhay ang NCAA kc nitong season 83 Beda vs Letran lng ang common na pinag uusapan masmaganda kung 3-4 schools ang tlgang mag llban pra sa title
major dude
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Sunday, 9 March 2008 at 9:16 pm
sampal sa san beda ito: “I don’t like foreign players on my team.�
@rufo, di lang sa San Beda, dude. La Salle and Ateneo, and Perpetual have suited foreign players in their lineup last season. And most schools from the UAAP and NCAA had one time or another, saw foreigners suiting up for their schools. Again, San Beda will be singled out because of Sam Ekwe’s caliber. San Beda deserved to get the credit for winning the NC championship twice in a row and for training Ekwe to where he is now. He was very raw and could only kick balls when discovered. I guess Abanilla should tell that to his former coach Franz and his former school’s officials who are part of their school’s recruitment program.
nick
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Sunday, 9 March 2008 at 11:16 pm
i agree with major dude, in the case of San Beda, even though Ekwe is a foreigner, his basketball skills is made in the Philippines, and i think coach Abanilla is not pertaining to San Beda or any schools that has a foreigner in their roster, he is just expressing his opinion on not wanting a foreign player on his own team.
michaelangelo_kid
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Monday, 10 March 2008 at 8:30 am
That was not a wise statement from Gee Abanilla. Look up to big brother Franz, Gee! Never ever ever make a statement you will later on regret.
Gee just made one step backward. His reason for not wanting foreigners (though he’ll accept Fil-Ams. Yeah right, an exception this early)is because they can’t represent our country. Well, La Sallian Mikee Romero wants Sam Ekwe to be naturalized so he can represent the country. Beat that!
rufo
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Monday, 10 March 2008 at 8:49 am
“Well, La Sallian Mikee Romero wants Sam Ekwe to be naturalized so he can represent the country. Beat that!”
- remember Jones Cup 1986? Yes we won it but with what? Naturalized players! Where’s the pride in that? I remeber the end of the championship game where the philippines was getting booed. There is a big difference between filams and naturalized players. What a coincidence too that another Lasallian Danding masterminded and bankrolled that sorry project.
michaelangelo_kid
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Monday, 10 March 2008 at 10:20 am
^Between Sam Ekwe and Alex Crisano, I’d choose Sam to represent us anytime.
Almost all countries now are being represented by naturalized players.
Am not generalizing but, Fil-ams who were born and raised in the US feel, think and act like Americans notwithstanding the half-Filipino blood running in their veins. They are still US passport holders and I doubt if they will their US passports for Philippine passports. Those players who were naturalized during the time of Danding, where are they now? I say they left for the US after their RP team stint.
Of course, a lot of them would have stayed if they were giveb lucrative livelihood here like showbusiness, or coaching a PBA team. So it all boils down to money.
But I digress.
Gee is entitled to his own opinion. But I don’t think he can become competitive if he were to insist on a self-imposed ban on foreign players. Different strokes for different folks.
I caution people, especially Benildeans, from embracing Gee’s philosophy as if were cast in stone. That’s his own philosophy,not the school. When he leaves the team and another coach takes over, the CSB team might just find itself having 2 or 3 imports wearing the school jersey.
At any rate, let’s see how Gee will fare as CSB coach.
Grrr!
+0
Monday, 10 March 2008 at 1:52 pm
If we can naturalize MJ or Scottie Pippen to play for the Philippine team even in their old age, why not?
After all with the PBA, UAAP and NCAA recruiting foreign players it woood be good for basketball. Besides with our flawed culture of winning at all costs and getting rich by whatever means, who gives a s—-?
Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, Mabini, Rizal, etc must be turning in their graves.
As for Ekwe turning Pilipino, he must have the seal and patriotism of a Ronnie Nathanielsz, the naturalized Filipnio who’s more Filipino than most Filipinos. If Ekwe’s going to do it for the money (remember Dennis Still amd Chip Engelland of old), then he just better stay a Nigerian.
The_Big_Cat
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Monday, 10 March 2008 at 3:22 pm
The SBP and the BAP told the inquirer today that they are seriously considering the naturalization of Sam Ekwe. Ekwe is an incoming senior at San Beda. He has been here for four years and can relate to Filipinos very well. I like him better than Crisano. FIBA allows naturalized players. Lebanon has the 6′11 Joseph Vogel and Russia has JR Holden, who delivered the winning shot as Russia won EUROBASKET 2007. It is about time we make our move. Chot Reyes is ocnsidering a 21 year old 7-footer from Serbia.
rufo
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Tuesday, 11 March 2008 at 11:21 am
Can we naturalize T-Mac, Luis Scola, Skip-to-Ma-lou, Chuck Hayes, and Shane Battier?
Why not they may agree given the right money from Danding, Romero, and Manny Pangil, maybe they’ll agree and we can also go on a 19-game winning streak.
Blazer
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Thursday, 13 March 2008 at 9:12 pm
thanks for granting my “wish” sirs. Though this might not be because of my request for such an interview for Gee in the UP’s new coach blog back a few weeks ago.
Anton
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Friday, 14 March 2008 at 2:02 pm
Let’s now rally behind Coach Gee! He
Blazer
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Friday, 14 March 2008 at 2:20 pm
@anton: are you anton from pinoyexchange? Get_Blazed here. haha
Miguel
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Friday, 21 March 2008 at 1:40 pm
wondering why it took so long before this guy got the head coaching post. Anyway you look at it, CSB will be a force to reckon with. It’ll be like combining Pumaren’s system with the motivational skills of Yeng Guiao. Ayos to..Good luck to the other teams in the NCAA.
Jojo A
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Sunday, 6 April 2008 at 8:57 pm
I think the coach’s comment has been blown out of proportion no thanks to the sensational headline which implies that the coach is some sort of a racist.
Get_Blazed
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Sunday, 6 April 2008 at 9:24 pm
@Jojo A, I dont think he has any intention or any hint of racism in that statement. It was just his opinion and his philosophy.
Jojo A
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Monday, 7 April 2008 at 11:38 am
exactly, I blame the headline of the article and the writer for portraying him that way.
Get_Blazed
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Monday, 7 April 2008 at 3:04 pm
But still, I do not see the headline to have any hint of racism. Even at first glance it was nothing more than an admirable philosophy. Hindi naman nagmukhang racist statement eh. IMO.
gyo_straightarrow
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Friday, 2 May 2008 at 2:45 pm
hindi naman kasi talaga patas na laban ung pag acquire ng foreign players versus the local players, sa genes pa lang ang laki na ng pag kakaiba. tapos imbis na mas mabigyan ng opportunity ung local players para mag improve sa game nila, eh mas lalo pa silang natatabunan dahil hindi sila maka match sa mga foreign player. ano mangyayari satin nyan in the future? paramihan na lang tayo ng foreign players para lang mag champion? at porke ginawa ng iba eh gagayahin na din? kanya kanyang paniniwala lang yan.
kobe24
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Friday, 2 May 2008 at 3:29 pm
@gyo_straightarrow.. so sinasabi mo na mahina ang standard ng laro ng mga pinoy pagdating sa basketball dahil may mga foreign players? para mo ng minaliit ang mga kakayahan ng mga local players naten, lalo na yung mga collegiate players.. doon nga ma-iimprove ang laro nila kung maaga pa lang may nakakalaro na silang mga overseas student.. isa pa, huwag nalang tayo sumali sa nga international tournaments dahil hindi tayo makaka-match…
kobe24
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Friday, 2 May 2008 at 3:36 pm
isa pa, kung nagrereklamo ka, huwag nalang pala tayo sumali sa mga international tournaments dahil hindi tayo makaka-match.. nakakatulong talga ang mga overseas students na maimprove ang standard ng laro ng mga local players….
i aree
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Friday, 2 May 2008 at 3:38 pm
maarte kase si abanilla, gusto pa fil-foreigners ang kuhain.. isipin muna nya, paano makakapag recruit ang benilde ng mga magagaling na players eh, sa lasalle taft napupunta mga magagaling na highschool players…
robert cruz
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Monday, 20 October 2008 at 9:39 am
Is Mikee Romero really from DLSU? or he’s just from DLS-College of Saint Benilde?
kulit
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Monday, 20 October 2008 at 11:10 am
I don’t think Benilde can again be serious contenders in the NCAA as long as they are part of the DLS system. We all know that the top recruits will always be reserved for the Green Archers and the maybe the DLSU Team-B. Then, Benilde will get only whatever is left. IMO, pinagbigyan lang sila noon para masabi na nakapag-champion sila at least once. Pero after that, puro sa La Salle na mapupunta magagaling na recruits.