Photo by Jan Dizon
MANILA—San Sebastian star Calvin Abueva won’t be around when Topex Robinson debuts as Stags head coach at the start of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament tomorrow.
Abueva, one of the top MVP contenders last season, will serve a one-game suspension as penalty for infractions incurred last year.
“I told the players that it’s not an excuse [to play poorly] even if we don’t have Calvin,” Robinson, who replaced Turo Valenzona less than a week before tip-off, said yesterday.
Abueva committed three flagrant fouls last season, the last two during the championship series the Stags lost to the San Beda Lions.
“He should serve his suspension based on the rules,” said Management Committee chair Mike del Mundo of host Perpetual.
Abueva registered a league-best 12.6 rebounds aside from leading his team with an average of 16.3 points last season.
But he was slapped with a flagrant foul for elbowing San Beda’s Dave Marcelo in Game 1 of the Finals then got the same call in Game 2 for extra motion. He was also penalized for the same infraction during the eliminations.
The league automatically suspends a player who incurred three flagrant fouls, with the penalty taking effect in the team’s next game.