Experts say Purefoods import the real deal
By Nelson Beltran
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 Experts in the business are pointing to Purefoods’ Darius Rice as the import to watch in the PBA Fiesta Cup opening Saturday in Panabo, Davao del Norte.
American conditioning coaches Kevin Barbosa and Kirk Collier are among those considering Rice the best in the start list of imports that includes three returnees in Wesley Wilson of Sta. Lucia Realty, Randy Holcomb of Alaska Milk and Jameel Watkins of Magnolia.
“Coach Kevin (Barbosa) couldn’t believe Darius Rice is coming. He said Darius is the real deal. He’s a legit NBA material,” said Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio on Barbosa’s comment on their import acquisition.
Gregorio said Collier said practically the same thing.
Gregorio was keeping his fingers crossed Rice shall have boarded his Northwest flight to Manila last night. Rice is expected to join the Giants in practice starting Thursday.
“He’s really a legit NBA material but we’re taking a lot of risk in signing him. Our contract has a clause that he’ll leave us if he gets a call from the NBA,” said Gregorio.
“We’re the only team without an import yet. We’ve been waiting for long. Hopefully, it’s worth the wait,” Gregorio added.
Rice, nephew of NFL future Hall of Famer wide receiver Jerry Rice, took some time to get his release papers from the Puerto Rican league where he’s the leading scorer and rebounder of his team.
“Before going to Puerto Rico, he was in China playing two games, scoring 53 and 58 points. A lot are after his services,” said Gregorio.
Rice was a McDonald’s All-American in his senior year in high school. Like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others, Rice, already 6-foot-10 then, was already an NBA prospect after high school but he opted to study and play college ball with the Miami Hurricanes.
Rice played four seasons at Miami (2000-04), averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals over the course of 116 games, 113 of them as a starter.
He’s fourth among Miami’s all-time leaders in scoring (1,865 points) and second in three-point field goals at 260.
He wasn’t drafted in the NBA but was the last cut in the Miami Heat roster for the 2005 campaign and in the Cleveland Cavaliers lineup this season.
Only at 25, his prospect of making it to the NBA, however, is big.
The other imports are Bobby Burries and Jason Dixon of Coca-Cola, Cory Santee and Jason Keep of Welcoat, Rahshon Turner of Ginebra, Aaron McGhee of Talk n Text, Adam Parada of Red Bull and Steve Thomas for Air21.
All are in except Rice with Wilson arriving Saturday and joining the Realtors in two practice sessions so far.
“He’s in a good condition. Pinagsususupalpal si Marlou (Aquino) at Dennis (Espino). I think we could go places with him,” said coach Boyet Fernandez whose team is in contention for a double championship in the season.