Aces, Giants to try them out while waiting for old reliables

Galen Young is rejoining Alaska while Lousiana-Lafayette's Brian Hamilton is to suit up for Purefoods, completing the starting cast of imports slugging it out in the 2009 Motolite PBA Fiesta Conference which comes off the wraps with a road game in Dumaguete Saturday.

Hamilton arrived Monday while Young is to fly in Thursday. Both are sub imports while the Giants and the Aces wait for the availability of original choices Marquin Chandler and Rosell Ellis, respectively.

Young is no stranger in PBA play having played with the Alaska Aces and the San Miguel Beermen. He's making another return stint in the local pro league, fresh from a stint in the Australian league where he competed with Ellis.

Ellis can't play yet for Alaska as his Townsville Crocodiles team is playing deep into the playoffs.

"Galen plays for us as we wait to see what happens with Rosell's playoffs," said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

Cone has also high hopes on Young, a former UNC-Charlotte standout who was once a CBA Player of the Year awardee.

Young is coming back in the PBA after leading the Beermen to a semifinal finish in the 2007 Fiesta Conference which was topped by the Ellis-led Aces.

The Giants, meanwhile, settled with Hamilton after Reggie Larry suffered an injury in a tune-up game with San Miguel Beer, and then second choice Harvey Thomas measured beyond the 6-foot-6 height limit.

But Hamilton could well be a better replacement.

Hamilton is a 6-foot-6, 193-pound small forward who starred for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns from 2000-2005, winding up with a collegiate career averages of 10.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 assists.

Left undrafted in the NBA in 2005, Hamilton spent the 2005-06 season with the Pennsylvania Valley Dawgs of the USBL, averaging 15.7 points while shooting .538 from the field.

In the 2007-08 season, he played for the Utah Flash of the D-League, appearing in 49 games, including 34 starts. He averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.2 minutes per contest.

His decent showing with the Utah Flash earned him a short contract with the New Jersey Nets. He was cut only last September.

“He’s a natural small forward,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio of Hamilton. “What I saw in him in practice Monday was his ability to play tough defense. Of course, the ultimate test will be his ability to match up with other imports.”

The initial cast of imports in the Fiesta Conference includes Scooter McFadgon of Barako Bull, Nate Carter of San Miguel, JJ Sullinger of Coca-Cola, Shawn Daniels of Burger King, Rod Nealy of Barangay Ginebra, Charles Clark III of Rain or Shine, Tiras Wade of Talk N’ Text and AJ Jackson of Sta. Lucia Realty. (NC)


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