Barako thrilled to get ‘Raging Bull’ Villanueva; Roger Yap now with team

AKTV/Paolo Papa

The Raging Bull is back where he belongs.

Barako Bull is happy to welcome Enrico Villanueva from Ginebra San Miguel to its fold, where the slotman will be wearing a familiar jersey.

Villanueva began his PBA career with Red Bull, where he became a Most Valuable Player candidate. Barako Bull is technically a different franchise from Villanueva’s original squad, but it is currently managed by the same Chua family that used to own Red Bull.

Barako Bull coach Junel Baculi said Villanueva, who won Best Player of the Conference honors with Red Bull in 2005-06, fills a need for the team. “We need muscle and rebounding, and that’s one of our problems before,” said Baculi.

But to acquire Villanueva, the team had to give up Willie Miller, Barako Bull’s second-leading local scorer last season. While the signing of Roger Yap, who left B-MEG last season to join the San Miguel Beermen in the ASEAN Basketball League, is expected to ease the loss of Miller, Baculi said the team will still look for more options.

“I know we will have a difficult time getting a scoring big guard from free agency, so we have to work on another trade,” said Baculi.

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