1992 Presto Ice Cream season

The 1992 Presto Ice Cream Kings season was the 18th and final season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Off-season transactions

Notable dates

February 9: In the opening game of the league's 18th season, Presto Ice Cream won over Swift Mighty Meaty Hotdogs, 120-118. Allan Caidic hit seven triples and topscored for 43 points while rookie Vergel Meneses, with the crowd screaming and chanting the top overall pick, banked in 21 points.

March 1: Allan Caidic topscored with 33 points as he join hands with import Derwin Collins to lead Presto to a come-from-behind 110-104 win over Purefoods for solo leadership in the First Conference.^[1]

March 8: Import Derwin Collins, retain by the Presto management despite the arrival of the taller Kenny Redfield, led the Ice Cream Kings to their sixth win in seven games by scoring the last six points in a 114-109 victory over San Miguel Beer.^[2]

October 4: Import Joey Wright scored 52 points while Allan Caidic added 39 points to lead Presto to a 139-135 overtime victory over San Miguel Beer for their first win after a 0-3 start in the Third Conference.^[3]

November 5: Presto Ice Cream Kings bid farewell and played its last PBA game without an import. Allan Caidic topscored with 37 points in a 113-129 loss to 7-Up.^[4]

Summary

First Conference: The impressive performance of import Derwin "Tank" Collins put Presto on top of the standings with 6-wins and 1-loss, while the team keeps on winning, management and coaching staff were in dilemma whether to replace Collins with the waiting Kenny Redfield. With the vote of confidence by his teammates and coach, Collins keeps his job and Redfield went to Pepsi instead. Going into the crucial stretches, the Ice Cream Kings failed to sustain its winning run, from a 7-2 won-loss card, they lost 9 of their last 10 games, winning only once in the semifinals, snapping a four-game losing streak with a 101-98 victory over San Miguel on April 5. Presto lost their last semifinal game to Swift and ended up fifth in the conference.

All-Filipino Conference: Won only two out of 10 games in the eliminations, coach Jimmy Mariano filed his resignation as early as Presto's last two matches, his departure was apparently due to the team's lackluster performance in the last three conferences despite lofty billings and the rumored rift with Presto top honcho Ignacio Gotao after the Ice Cream Kings lost a won-game against Purefoods in their June 28 outing.

Third Conference: Former Grandslam coach Tommy Manotoc succeeded Jimmy Mariano at the Presto bench. The Ice Cream Kings acquired the services of Jerome Harmon as their import, the Global Basketball Association slam dunk champion was highly advertised and there were protest by other teams that he was above the height limit of 6'2", Harmon was re-measured and met the ceiling at 6'1 7/8. The inaugural game of the Third Conference saw Presto bow to Shell, 95-104 on September 20.^[5] After three games, Harmon was replaced by Joey Wright, who led Presto to their first win, a 139-135 overtime victory over San Miguel Beer on October 4. Wright got injured in their game against Shell which they lost, 108-118 on October 11. He was replaced by Eldridge Recasner in their next match. Presto never won again and rumors were already widespread that the team, one of the only two remaining pioneer ballclub in the PBA, was headed for disbandment.

Roster

References