1997 Pop Cola Bottlers season
Head coachDerrick Pumaren
Arturo Valenzona
Norman Black
Owner(s)RFM Corporation
All-Filipino Cup results
Record5–9
(35.7%)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Commissioner's Cup results
Record4–6
(40%)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Governor's Cup results
Record5–9
(35.7%)
Place7th
Playoff finishN/A
Pop Cola Bottlers seasons

The 1997 Pop Cola Bottlers season was the eighth season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Draft picks

Round Pick Player College
1 2 Nic Belasco Notre Dame-Maryland
2 10 Romulo Marata Adamson

Notable dates

February 22: Pop Cola stuns defending champion Alaska Milkmen, 96–88 in Lipa City, Batangas, for their first win in two starts.

September 20: Vergel Meneses tallied a game-high 36 points, and import Byron Houston added 29 points with 19 rebounds as Pop Cola gave their new coach Norman Black his first win at the start of the Governor's Cup with a 108–92 victory over Purefoods in the out-of-town game in Tarlac State University Gym.[1]

Occurrences

Starting the Commissioners Cup, coach Derrick Pumaren was replaced by Arturo Valenzona, whose last coaching job in the PBA was nine years ago. Valenzona chooses Alfrancis Chua as his assistant coach while Pumaren remain as a team consultant.

After Pop Cola's failure to reach the semifinals for the fifth straight time, a player-coach trade took place between the two teams that didn't make past the eliminations in the Commissioner's Cup, the Bottlers acquired Norman Black from Mobiline as their head coach along with Elpidio Villamin and Peter Martin in exchange for guard Ato Agustin and their former coach Derrick Pumaren, who has now moved over to the Mobiline camp. Upon Norman Black's entry at Pop Cola, Alfrancis Chua was retain as assistant coach while Arturo Valenzona was relegated to team consultant.[2]

Roster

Pop Cola Bottlers roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Wt.
G 3 Philippines Quilban, Eugene 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) San Sebastian
C 4 Philippines Balingit, Bonel 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Visayas
G 9 Philippines Victoria, Boybits 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) San Beda
G 10 Philippines Fernandez, Boyet 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) San Agustin
F 11 Philippines Morelos, Marcelino 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) UE
G 12 Philippines Marata, Romulo 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) Adamson
F 13 Philippines Villamin, Elpidio 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
F 15 Philippines Lago, Dwight 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) De La Salle
F 18 Philippines Meneses, Vergel 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) José Rizal
F 21 Philippines Martin, Peter 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) San Sebastian
G 23 Philippines Marata, Ricardo 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Southwestern-U
C 33 United States Belasco, Nic 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Notre Dame (OH)
C 35 Philippines Realubit, Zaldy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) USJ–R
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Team manager
  • Philippines Elmer Yanga
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured

Transactions

Additions

Name Deal Information Former team
Eugene Quilban Acquired Mobiline late last year in a trade with Eric Reyes Mobiline
Jack Tanuan Acquired from Mobiline late last year in a trade with Alvin Teng

Trades

July 1997 To Mobiline
#6 Ato Agustin		 To Pop Cola
Elpidio Villamin, Peter Martin
October 27, 1997 [3] To Alaska
#19 Kenneth Duremdes, #14 Jack Tanuan		 To Pop Cola
Boyet Fernandez, Dwight Lago

Recruited imports

Tournament Name Number Position University/College Duration
Commissioner's Cup Norris Coleman 8 Forward Kansas State June 13 to July 18
Governors' Cup Byron Houston 8 Guard Oklahoma State September 20 to November 16

References

  1. ↑ "Pop Cola blasts Purefoods". Manila Standard.
  2. ↑ "Manotoc named Mobiline head coach". Manila Standard.
  3. ↑ "Duremdes debuts for Alaska against Sta.Lucia today". Manila Standard.
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