BLEACHERS BREW EST. MAY 2006

Someone asked me how my blog and newspaper column came to be titled "Bleachers Brew". It's like this, it's an amalgam of sorts of two things: The bleachers area in the stadium/arena where I used to sit when I would watch baseball, football, and basketball games and Miles Davis' great jazz album Bitches Brew. That's how it got culled together. I originally planned on calling it "The View from the Big Chair" that is a nod to Tears For Fear's second album, Songs from the Big Chair. So there.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

We've got your next Peter June Simon (and maybe Freddie Abuda/Rey Evangelista) right here.

Could Chris Masaglang be the next Peter June Simon? Maybe… if given the opportunity. Chris or "Ping Ping" as he is nicknamed is the dude in lime green guarding Gio Vergara #9 of San Sebastian.

Watching the Holy Trinity College Wildcats (from General Santos City), I wonder how they'd do if they had a real coach. With all due respect to their current coach Paul Torrijos who admits to being "a chess master" to use his own words, I'd really have to stand by what I've said. The Wildcats have talent. Natural, raw athletic talent. But I can see deficiencies in their skills that makes me wonder.

In spite of that, there are two players from this Wildcats team who stand out.

The first is shooting guard Christopher “Ping Ping” Masaglang who reminds me of San Mig Coffee's Peter June Simon. This kid who is maybe 5'11" or 6 feet tall has excellent range. He's got deadly a medium range shot, a pull-up jumper, a turn-around jumper, a floater, and those hanging shots. So far, he has taken only four three-point shots and made one of them. But Chris can finish the fastbreak and can even stretch for those finger rolls. And oh, he's pretty athletic.

Ping Ping is averaging 22.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.0 steals per game. He is shooting 49% from the field and 70% from the free throw line.

The other is power forward Delmar Mahaling, a 6'4" power forward who looks like he just got out of the Philippine Military Academy (that buzzcut type of hair). He looks like a throw back to another time – some really old school basketball. Give him a pair of Chuck Taylor’s then it’d be perfect.

He reminds me of Freddie Abuda – an inside operator who rebounds well, good at blocking shots, athletic and with a good nose for a shot inside the paint. When he does these turn around shots or contorts his body for them, I kind am reminded of Rey Evangelista.

Delmar is this week’s Gatorade Defensive Player for his 11.0 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. But he also averages 6.6 points on 44% FG and 50% FT shooting.

Some noteworthy players here who are fun to watch. I wish they’d be given a chance to shine.


Want to catch them?

Holy Trinity’s next match is this coming Wednesday at 2:15pm versus Emilio Aguinaldo College at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.


But you heard it first here on Bleachers Brew – the next PJ Simon and Freddie Abuda/Rey Evangelista if given the chance.

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