All-Star: Five Hotshots in starting cast

Mark Barroca emerged as the surprise top vote-getter and led five Star Hotshots named to the starting casts of the three PBA All-Star teams tangling with Gilas Pilipinas in the PBA All-Star Week in Cagayan de Oro, Lucena and Cebu on April 26, 28 and 30.

Barroca (32,793) and Star teammates PJ Simon (16,486) and Rafi Reavis (10,043) were voted to start for the Mindanao team that plays Gilas in Cagayan de Oro while Marc Pingris (11,079) and Paul Lee (8,163) made the starting five of the Luzon squad that takes on the national pool in Lucena.

Ginebra sophomore Scottie Thompson (18,793), meanwhile, led three Kings who found spots in the starting lineups through fan balloting, the others being Japeth Aguilar (11,159) and Joe Devance (10,758).

Perennial top vote-getter James Yap and Jeff Chan are two Rain or Shine players voted to start, with Alaska’s Calvin Abueva (11,538), TNT KaTropa’s Jayson Castro (6,627), San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajaro (18,042), GlobalPort’s Terrence Romeo (15,069) and Phoenix’s Cyrus Baguio (9,396) completing the cast of players gaining honors as All-Star starters.

Barroca, Thompson, Simon, Reavis and Baguio make the Mindanao first five; Yap, Fajardo, Romeo, Devance and Chan (9,419) compose the Visayan starting cast while Abueva, Aguilar, Pingris, Lee and Castro start for the Luzon team.

Making the reserve casts are Troy Rosario, Mac Belo, Jio Jalalon, RR Garcia, Sonny Thoss, Carlo Lastimosa, Glenn Khobuntin and Baser Amer for the Mindanao team, Alex Cabagnot, LA Tenorio, Marcio Lassiter, Stanley Pringle, Mark Caguioa, Arwind Santos and Ranidel de Ocampo for the Luzon squad and Chris Ross, Chris Ellis, Aldrech Ramos, Dondon Hontiveros, Ronald Tubid, Asi Taulava and Jericho Cruz for the Visayan side.

Coaches Chito Victolero, Leo Austria and Tim Cone call the shots for Mindanao, Luzon and Visayas teams, respectively.

Fajardo, Romeo, Abueva, Aguilar, Castro, Rosario, Belo and Jalalon are also set to play for the Gilas team in this All-Star spectacle.

The PBA has set this novel All-Star format to help Gilas in its preparation for the SEABA Championship slated May 12-18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.