ONE of the PBA’s steady playmakers in Mark Barroca and veteran forward-center Japeth Aguilar will get their chance to lead their respective teams in this year’s edition of the pro league All-Star Game in Bacolod.
The two emerged as the two players with the most votes from fans and will choose their players for the mid-season festivities set for March.
Barroca, who got the most votes from the fans, will be the team captain of the All-Star Game for the first time since the format was introduced last year in a duel that saw Aguilar, with his Ginebra coach Tim Cone calling the shots, holding off the team of Scottie Thompson 140-136 in Passi, Iloilo.
By being the top two vote-getters, Barroca and Aguilar will get to pick from a pool of 27 players that were also voted for by the fans, host city, coaches, and media.
Cone and newly crowned Commissioner’s Cup champion tactician Jorge Gallent of San Miguel Beer will be the All-Star strategists after getting the most number of fan votes in balloting done online and at the venues.
The cagers voted in were Thompson of the Kings, the Beermen’s June Mar Fajardo, Calvin Abueva of Magnolia, Christian Standhardinger of Ginebra, the Kings’ Jamie Malonzo, last season’s All-Star MVP Paul Lee of the Hotshots, SMB’s CJ Perez, and Maverick Ahanmisi of Ginebra.
Calvin Oftana of TNT, Stanley Pringle of Ginebra, Chris Newsome of Meralco, Terrence Romeo of the Beermen, NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino, Jayson Castro of TNT, Jio Jalalon of Magnolia, Marcio Lassiter of San Miguel, Ian Sangalang of Magnolia, NLEX’s Robert Bolick, Nards Pinto of Ginebra, Phoenix’s Ricci Rivero, Juami Tiongson of Terrafirma, and Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood also made it to the All-Star tiff through fan voting.
James Yap of Blackwater was chosen by the host city of Bacolod to be part of the All-Star Game, while Jason Perkins and Tyler Tio of the Fuel Masters, Don Beerman Don Trollano, and Cliff Hodge of Meralco were voted by the coaches and the media.
