The 1997 Pop Cola Sizzlers season was the 8th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known as the Pop Cola Bottlers in the All-Filipino and Commissioner's Cup.
Draft picks RoundPickPlayerCollege12 Nic BelascoNotre Dame-Maryland210 Romulo MarataAdamson
Notable dates February 22: Pop Cola stuns defending champion Alaska Milkmen, 96–88 in Lipa City, Batangas, for their first win in two starts.
September 20: Vergel Meneses tallied a game-high 36 points, and import Byron Houston added 29 points with 19 rebounds as Pop Cola gave their new coach Norman Black his first win at the start of the Governor's Cup with a 108–92 victory over Purefoods in the out-of-town game in Tarlac State University Gym.
Occurrences Starting the Commissioners Cup, coach Derrick Pumaren was replaced by Arturo Valenzona, whose last coaching job in the PBA was nine years ago. Valenzona chooses Alfrancis Chua as his assistant coach while Pumaren remain as a team consultant.
After Pop Cola's failure to reach the semifinals for the fifth straight time, a player-coach trade took place between the two teams that didn't make past the eliminations in the Commissioner's Cup, the Bottlers acquired Norman Black from Mobiline as their head coach along with Elpidio Villamin and Peter Martin in exchange for guard Ato Agustin and their former coach Derrick Pumaren, who has now moved over to the Mobiline camp. Upon Norman Black's entry at Pop Cola, Alfrancis Chua was retain as assistant coach while Arturo Valenzona was relegated to team consultant.
Roster
Transactions Additions NameDeal InformationFormer team Eugene Quilban Acquired Mobiline late last year in a trade with Eric ReyesMobiline Jack Tanuan Acquired from Mobiline late last year in a trade with Alvin Teng
Trades July 1997 To Mobiline#6 Ato Agustin To Pop ColaElpidio Villamin, Peter Martin October 27, 1997 To Alaska#19 Kenneth Duremdes, #14 Jack Tanuan To Pop ColaBoyet Fernandez, Dwight Lago
Recruited imports TournamentNameNumberPositionUniversity/CollegeDurationCommissioner's CupNorris Coleman 8 ForwardKansas State June 13 to July 18Governors' CupByron Houston 8 GuardOklahoma State September 20 to November 16
References