Magnolia Beverage Masters Basketball Games Updates

TESTED VET FOR MAGNOLIA BEVERAGE MASTERS, BIG-TIME SCORER FOR PUREFOODS: 6-11 Watkins and 6-10 Rice Latest Signees for Fiesta Conference

Magnolia Beverage Masters got a good reinforcement in Jameel Watkins. It's great that we were able to get him despite Red Bull's competition.

His previous stint in the PBA proved that he was a good defender - an element that the basketball team sorely needs. He will be a great addition as the team works hard on improving its defense for the next conference.

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TESTED VET FOR MAGNOLIA BEVERAGE MASTERS, BIG-TIME SCORER FOR PUREFOODS:
6-11 Watkins and 6-10 Rice Latest Signees for Fiesta Conference

Source: PBA.ph

Veteran PBA import Jameel Watkins and former top NBA prospect Darius Lashaun Rice signed up with Magnolia Beverage Masters and Purefoods, respectively, Saturday, two weeks before the Smart Fiesta Cup reels off with a road game in Panabo, Davao del Norte.

Magnolia Beverage Masters beat Red Bull in their tug-o-war for the services of Watkins while Purefoods was able to convince Rice to play for the team after his stint in the Puerto Rican league.

“We’d been in contact with Watkins’ agent since February. Hindi lang pumirma agad dahil buntis yung asawa. Finally, he agreed to play for us when his wife gave birth Friday,” said Magnolia Beverage Masters coach Siot Tanquingcen.

Tanquingcen is hopeful the former Shell import provides them help in departments where they fared badly last conference.

“Ang hina ng depensa namin noong All-Filipino. Doon ko inaasahan trumabaho ng husto si Watkins,” said Tanquingcen of Watkins – good for 27.3 points, 51.2 percent shooting, 18.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 blocks a game for Shell in 2005.

Red Bull was also interested on the services of Watkins. Beaten to the draw by the Beverage Masters, the Barakos were left as the only team still in search of an import with the tourney already about to start.

Others imports already signed are Bobby Burries and Jason Dixon of Coca-Cola, Cory Santee and Jason Keep of Welcoat, Rahshon Turner of Ginebra, Wesley Wilson of Sta. Lucia, Randy Holcomb of Alaska, Aaron McGhee of Talk n Text and Steve Thomas of Air21.

The 6-foot-11 Watkins is fresh from the Chinese league where he teamed up with former Ginebra import Chris Porter on the Fujian team. He has also played in Korea the last three years, winning one championship with the Dongbu ball club.

The 6-foot-10 Rice, 25, was a highly scouted NBA prospect while playing with the Miami Hurricanes from 2000 to 2004.

He made the All-Big East Second Team and First Team All-District 6 by the NABC in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons and finished his collegiate career as the fourth all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,865 points. He was the only player in school history to lead the team in scoring in four consecutive seasons.

He also ranked first in games started (113), 10th in games played (116), third in minutes (3,727), sixth in field goals (631), second in three-point field goals (260), and fifth in 20-point games (35).

A nephew of NFL receiver Jerry Rice, Darius led the Dakota Wizards to the NBDL championship in the 2006-07 season, firing 52 points in the final game. (NC)