(CNN Philippines) — No Asian import, no problem for Alaska coach Alex Compton.
After all, Compton has locals – who are all Asian cagers anyway – at his disposal when the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup unfolds Tuesday (May 5).
The Aces will open the season-ending conference, which will see six teams parading imports from the continent who will pair with their regular reinforcements, opposite the Blackwater Elite at 4:15PM.
“We will just be focusing on developing our guys this conference,” the amiable mentor, who led the team to a runner-up finish in the Philippine Cup, told CNN Philippines via text message.
Related: The Asian imports of the 2015 PBA Governors’ Cup
Regardless of their performance, Compton stressed, “We don’t plan on bringing in an Asian import at any point of the conference.”
“We will play whoever wears a PBA uniform. Our focus really is on improving ourselves and competing to the best of our ability,” he said.
The Aces will be banking on their patented suffocating press that had the league teetering on its heels in the opening conference, and import Romeo Travis in their bid to seize their 15th franchise championship.
Travis, a 30-year-old baller who is coming off a stint in the Russian League, is a highschool teammate and childhood friend of National Basketball Association superstar LeBron James.
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“I think we will be out there to compete. I’m very curious to see how the significant height limit difference among some of the teams plays out. I don’t think we are favorites in anyone’s minds but we will play hard,” Compton said.
Meanwhile, GlobalPort and the Meralco Bolts take on each other at 7PM on the same day.
