TNT Katropa parades a new import in Glenn Rice Jr. as it resumes its campaign in the PBA Governors Cup against Rain or Shine on Sunday after almost a three-week break.
Rice, son of NBA great and namesake Glen Rice Sr, will debut in the 6:30 p.m. main game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum as early replacement for Michael Craig.
The burly Craig didn’t do bad in his short stint with the Katropa, steering the team to a 2-1 record, including a 107-106 squeaker over the Alaska Aces in what proved to be his last outing in the league.
While Craig topscored for 28 points and had 19 rebounds, the thrilling win over the Aces was more of the handiwork of rookie Roger Pogoy and resident star Jayson Castro.
Pogoy scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and was 7 of 8 from three-point range, while Castro was just a rebound short of a triple double with 23 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists as the two had to play extended minutes before departing for Beirut, Lebanon for Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup.
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Castro and Pogoy are still in the Lebanese capital with the national team, even as sophomore big man Troy Rosario will also be missed by TnT after leaving for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday to be with the other Gilas team competing in the 29th Southeast Asian Games.
The absence of the three would have the spotlight falling more on the 26-year-old Rice , a product of Georgia Tech, who will be coming to the league with an impressive credentials as a second round pick (no. 35 overall) of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2013 draft and played for the Washington Wizards for two seasons.
A former MVP of the NBA Summer League (2014), Rice, who rather had a very colorful basketball career, last played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he also won an NBA D-League championship in 2013.
Rice will be up against J’Nathan Bullock, who had a decent debut for Rain or Shine with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 94-86 win over KIA. The replacement for JD Weatherspoon however, shot a paltry 7 of 23 from the field and committed seven turnovers.
The absence of Castro and Co. for TnT also leveled things up for the Elasto Painters, who will also missed the services of Gilas members Gabe Norwood and Raymund Almazan, along with the suspended Beau Belga.
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Without the benefit of their three key players, new acquisitions Ed Daquioag and Mark Borboran are expected to get more playing minutes from the Elasto Painters (2-2).
Daquioag was acquired in one-on-one trade with Meralco for Mike Tolomia, while Borboran was involved in the deal that sent veteran gunner Jeff Chan to Phoenix. Both players already suited up for Rain or Shine in the game against Kia.
