Reyes takes over SMB; Uichico goes to Ginebra

COACH Chot Reyes’ assumption of the San Miguel Beer head coaching duties is expected to be formalized Wednesday after the issue of the assistant coaches has been sorted out. Reyes is taking over the head-coaching duties of the Beermen, replacing multi-titled mentor Jong Uichico, who won all his five championships with San Miguel Beer. Uichico will take the helm at the Ginebra bench with former coach Siot Tanquingcen sliding down to the role of assistant. While details are still sketchy on how the assistants will be shuffled off, it looks like Art de la Cruz will also move to Ginebra as Reyes is expected to bring in his old assistants at Coca-Cola — Biboy Ravanes and Aboy Castro — with him to San Miguel. Reyes is still in Qatar coaching the national team in a four-team invitational tournament and could not be reached. Uichico was supposed to have arrived Tuesday from an overseas vacation but he still was not available for comment. With the Ginebra coaching staff full, San Miguel assistants Boybits Victoria and Richie Ticzon are likely to be transferred to Coca-Cola under Binky Favis, sources said. The issue of where the assistant coaches of the three teams under the San Miguel Corp. umbrella should go has prevented the early announcement of the coaching changes. Meanwhile, PBA commissioner Noli Eala said Wednesday it will only act on the Alex Cabagnot case depending on the recommendation of Sta. Lucia Realty, which is trying to handle the matter internally. “We are in the off-season so we really cannot act officially on this as an office until Sta. Lucia requests us to do so," Eala told the Inquirer. Sta. Lucia has already decided to sanction Cabagnot, who has gone AWOL (absent without leave) on the Realtors for the second time in his first full season in the league. Cabagnot surfaced in a summer league tournament in the US, where his team played against the Talk ‘N Text Phone Pals. Team manager Ariel Magno told the Inquirer Sunday that it was withholding Cabagnot’s salary until the cager reports back to the team. The Realtors opened up practice last Monday. On Monday, Sta. Lucia management officially suspended the cager after he failed to submit his explanation within the prescribed 72 hours issued by the Realtors management in a memo. - INQ7.Net