By Nelson Beltran

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball Association takes only a 17-day break then resumes action in the season, pitting Sta. Lucia Realty and Burger King (formerly Air21) in a road game in Dumaguete to start the import-laced Fiesta Conference on Feb. 28.

In the run-up to the season-ending tourney, the PBA-backed RP team plays the SBP RP developmental team and a visiting Puerto Rican ball club in a mini series set Feb. 21-24.

Also set this early is the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao staging of the 2009 PBA All-Star Game featuring the RP squad of coach Yeng Guiao versus a separate PBA selection reinforced by imports.

The league is deviating from the north-versus-south format this year in an effort to help the Nationals in their training for the 2009 FIBA Asia championship set in China in August.

The April event has a Visayas stop in Negros then a Mindanao leg in Panabo, Davao before its culmination at the Araneta Coliseum.

Barako Bull sealed a deal yesterday with former Tennessee stalwart Scooter McFagdon, leaving San Miguel Beer and Talk n Text as the only teams still in search of an import in the Fiesta Conference.

Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes has Rashad Bell in mind but the former Coca-Cola reinforcement is still tied up in another league.

Barako Bull team manager Andy Jao said McFagdon is about 6-foot-5 and is arriving tomorrow, fresh from a stint with the Chilean team in an Argentine tourney.

McFagdon has also played in Italy and with the New Orleans Hornets in an NBA pre-season tourney.

There will be four returning imports in Shawn Daniels (Burger King), Rod Nealy (Barangay Ginebra), J.J. Sullinger (Coca-Cola) and Charles Clark III (Rain or Shine).

A possible fifth returnee is Rosell Ellis for Alaska. “We’re hoping for Rosell but nothing is definite yet,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

New names are A.J. Jackson for Sta. Lucia Realty and Reggie Larry for Purefoods.

Ginebra hopes to be the first team in a long while to defend a title in the reinforced tourney and Talk n Text the first team to score a season sweep since the league shifted to a two-conference format.

Failing to make it past the quarterfinals with an injury-depleted lineup in the All-Filipino tourney, the Kings decided to strengthen their lineup with their acquisition of JC Intal, Doug Kramer and Chico Lanete.

Ginebra coach Jong Uichico is also hoping Mark Caguioa will be ready in time for the start of the Fiesta Conference.

Caguioa, the 2006-07 Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference, is still nursing an injury in the United States.

Left in the cold on the entry of Intal, Kramer and Lanete, Alex Crisano has since moved over to Barako Bull.


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