Where’s Caguioa? Mark the Spark missing from this year’s PBA all-star slate

Photo courtesy of James Yap’s Instagram account

The PBA on Monday released the players that will be participating in the league’s annual All-Star Weekend from April 3 to 6 at Mall of Asia Arena, but one name was conspicuously missing from the list.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel superstar guard Mark Caguioa was left off the all-star selection that will face off against Gilas Pilipinas in the weekend’s main event.

Three Ginebra players — Greg Slaughter, Mac Baracael, and Chris Ellis — were voted into the starting frontline of the team. But fans voted in San Mig Super Coffee Mixers guards Mark Barroca and James Yap.

Last year, Yap and Caguioa was voted by fans as the starting backcourt to take on Gilas. But both saw limited minutes because of injuries.

PBA coaches voted for the reserves of the all-star team, and selected reigning Most Valuable Player Arwind Santos and Marcio Lassiter of San Miguel Beer and last season’s Rookie of the Year Calvin Abueva and Sonny Thoss of Alaska, Peter June Simon and Joe Devance of San Mig Coffee, and KG Canaleta of Talk ‘N Text.

The team will be coached by Tim Cone, who piloted the Mixers to the Philippine Cup last month.

They will take on the Gilas training pool composed of Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Ranidel De Ocampo, and Larry Fonacier of Talk ‘N Text; Beau Belga, Jeff Chan, Paul Lee, and Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine; Japeth Aguilar and LA Tenorio of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel; Gary David and Jared Dillinger of Meralco; June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer; and Marc Pingris of San Mig Coffee; and naturalized center Marcus Douthit.

Caguioa was also left off the teams that will take part in the annual legends game.

Atoy Co, the league Most Valuable Player for Crispa in 1979, will serve as playing coach for the Greats Team that also includes 1995 MVP and Air 21 assistant Vergel Meneses, Air 21 coach Franz Pumaren, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel assistant Freddie Abuda, GlobalPort assistant Johnedel Cardel, and television commentator Jason Webb.

They will be backstopped by current players Rey Guevarra and Cliff Hodge of Meralco, Terrence Romeo of GlobalPort, Willie Miller of Barako Bull, and Jonas Villanueva of Air 21.

Bogs Adornado, a three-time MVP winner, will lead the Stalwarts team that will include Alaska executive Dickie Bachmann, San Mig Coffee assistant coaches Jeffrey Cariaso and Richard del Rosario, and Ginebra legends Noli Locsin and Bal David.

Ronjay Buenafe of Barako Bull, Chris Tiu of Rain or Shine, Sol Mercado of San Miguel Beer, Mac Cardona of Air 21, and John Wilson of Meralco round out Adornado’s crew.

But Caguioa is not the only prominent player not included in the weekend’s festivities. GlobalPort forward Jay Washington, a top five candidate for Best Player of the Conference in the Philippine Cup, and Air 21 veteran Asi Taulava, the second-leading rebounder last conference, were also left off.