Yap, Williams pace PBA 2008 All-Star balloting

MANILA, Philippines - Purefoods' guard James Yap and Sta. Lucia's forward Kelly Williams, two players who figured prominently in the last Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals, emerged as the leading vote getters in the balloting for the All-Star game on April 24-27 in Bacolod City. According to a PBA statement issued on Tuesday, Yap, a former league Most Valuable Player (MVP), has already amassed a total of 37,776 votes – tops among the players – gathered from the periods covering February 1 to March 23. The slam-dunking Williams, the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) in the 2008 All-Filipino meet, was at second place with 28,176 votes. Yap and Williams will suit up for the South All Star team seeing action in the annual mid-season spectacle, with Williams earning the top spot in the forward-center position and Yap as the runaway choice in the position reserve among the guards. The two also played major roles with teams in the Philippine Cup title series won by Williams and the rest of the Realtors in a thrilling, do-or-die Game 7 played last March 2. Joining Yap and Williams in the provisional status are Magnolia's Danny Seigle (27,768), Coke's Asi Taulava (26,250), and Talk 'N' Text's playmaker Jimmy Alapag (16,203). Yap's Purefoods teammates Mark Pingris, Kerby, Raymundo, and Romel Adducul also got considerable votes to show the way among the big men in the North All Star team. Pingris had the most number of votes among the North All-Star candidates with 26,712 votes, followed by Raymundo with 24,243, and Adducul with 18,120. Among the guards, Barangay Ginebra's Mark Caguioa shows the way with 20,751, followed by teammate JayJay Helterbrand with 18,198. Other cagers who are heavily receiving votes from the fans to make up the South All Stars are Magnolia's Dondon Hontiveros (13,662), Eric Menk of Barangay Ginebra (16,437), Purefoods' Jondan Salvador (13,710), and Roger Yap (11,616) and Red Bull's Cyrus Baguio (11,247). Lordy Tugade of Magnolia (13,212), Air21's Arwind Santos (12,237), the Alaska duo of Willie Miller (14,565) and Lewis Alfred Tenorio (7,134), and Sta. Lucia's Joseph Yeo (6,105) are among the players likely to comprise the North All Star squad. PBA fans can cast their votes until April 6 during game days at the respective playing venues or through the PBA official website. The South All-Stars will be targeting to avenge their heartbreaking 142-145 setback in the hands of their North counterparts in last year's edition held in Baguio City. - GMANews.TV