Friday, August 8, 2008 · News

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[Check out latest MTV on YouTube. Type: Playmaker LA Tenorio.]

Great news for Alaska Aces fans.

Mainstays John Ferriols, Reynel Hugnatan and Tony Dela Cruz, whose contracts expired last July 31, have been offered extensions by Alaska management.

Our priority is to keep the team intact, said Alaska COO Wilfred Steven Uytengsu. We will be drafting fifth in the coming Draft which everybody thinks will be a thin draft. We do not see any players, that we could draft, who could make an immediate impact with the team.

Players with live contracts include team captain Jeff Cariaso, Willie Miller, Sonny Thoss, JR Quinahan, Larry Fonacier and LA Tenorio.

Other players hoping to get offers for renewal are Eddie Laure, Jun Cabatu, Aaron Aban, Rensy Bajar, Ariel Capus and Poch Juinio.

Ferriols, Hugnatan and Dela Cruz, arguably the most valuable and most talented of the Alaska free agents, were the first to receive contract offers.

My goal is to help Alaska win another PBA title, said Ferriols. I am not even thinking of winning any individual award. I just want to help Alaska win. My biggest contributions to the team are my defense, my strength and my hustle.

The 33-year-old Ferriols is a grizzled veteran who has had stops in the Philippine Basketball League with Casino Rubbing Alcohol; the Metropolitan Basketball Association with the Negros Slashers; and the Air21 Express and the Talk N Text Phone Pals in the Philippine Basketball Association.

He led the Slashers to second place in the inaugural season of the MBA and earned the first MVP award of the league.

The 29-year-old Hugnatan is not quite as long in the tooth as Ferriols but he is an experienced veteran. He was one of the youngest players in the league when the MBA opened shop over a decade ago. He joined the Negros Slashers as a teen-aged undergraduate out of the University of Manila.

While Ferriols was the cornerstone of the Slashers from the get-go Hugnatan was just a reliever who put in the hard work to become better and better every year. By his third year in the league he was good enough to also earn an MVP award.

When the Slashers were disbanded and the MBA folded Hugnatan made his way to the PBA and hooked up with the Coca-Cola Tigers before being traded to the Alaska Aces.

A hard worker, Hugnatan is the best post defender of the Aces. He is so versatile that he can also guard the perimeter. He is just as versatile on offense and can do a little of everything including bringing up the ball when needed.

I am willing to do anything to help the team, said Hugnatan. I do whatever coach Tim (Cone) asks me to do. Whether it is to rebound, hustle or guard somebody. I always do my best and do everything that is needed to help the team.

Probably the most marketable and most versatile of the three free agents is former Shell Turbo Chargers star player Dela Cruz.

Probably anxious because he was in a contract year the 29-year-old Dela Cruz suffered one of the worst scoring slumps in his career in the past All-Filipino. Fortunately, his shots finally started to fall during the past Fiesta Conference and he regained his spot as a starter which would justify another max contract for the Fil-Am.

I would love to stay with the team, said Dela Cruz. I am in great physical condition. I can still contribute. I like playing with my teammates and I like playing for coach Tim.