Imports back Spring-NBC in Taiwan tilt

TWO imports - 6-f oot-5 American Michael Anthony McDaniel and 6-9 Australian Steven Broom - will reinforce the NBC (National Basketball Conference)-Spring Cooking Oil team when it competes in the annual Kwan Hu Invitational Cup tournament in Hua Lien, Taiwan on Oct. 3-8.

“We went out of our way to bring imports with good credentials in our desire to win the tough event,” said NBC president Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla, who’s helping bankroll the trip.

McDaniel, a veteran of Australian leagues, the USBL and the Los Angeles NBA Summer League, was MVP and defensive player of the year for the Nissan Islanders in the Pacific Basketball Association in 2005 after averaging 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

The 20-year-old Broom was a member of the All-Australianf team that won the gold medal in the Junior Olympic Games in Sydney in 2004. He has since joined the Brisbane Bullets.

McDaniel and Broom will join Marlow Kalaw, Don Villamin, Mar Reyes, Larry Rodriguez, Jeff Tajonera and ex-pros Niño Marquez, Marlon Legaspi, Nelson Asaytono and EJ Feihl.

“We came close to making the finals in 2005 with KG Canaleta and Samigue Eman leading the all-Filipino squad. With two imports as reinforcement, we hope to go all the way,” said NBC executive vice president and Tagaytay City Mayor Bambol Tolentino.

Former national coach Boysie Zamar will handle the team, which daily training was being supervised by Spring mentor Efren “Yong” Garcia until the recent arrival of Zamar from Indonesia.

The NBC-Spring team will be outfitted by champion.