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1978 U-Tex Wranglers season

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1978 U-Tex Wranglers season
Head coachTommy Manotoc
All-Filipino Conference results
Record7–8
(46.7%)
Place5th
Playoff finishN/A
Open Conference results
Record18–5
(78.3%)
Place1st
Playoff finishFinals
Invitational Conference results
Record2–5
(28.6%)
Place4th
Playoff finishN/A
U-Tex Wranglers seasons
← 1977

The 1978 U-Tex Wranglers season was the 4th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Off-season transactions

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Signed Renato Lobo and Anthony Dasalla, formerly of Solidenims in the MICAA.

Championship

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The second conference of the season had U-Tex being given the option to use two imports simultaneously, the Wranglers were reinforced by the returning Byron "Snake" Jones playing at center and Henry Williams to quarterback and shoot. After four games, coach Tommy Manotoc decided to replace Williams in favor of Glenn McDonald, a member of the 1976 NBA champion Boston Celtics. The formidable combination of Jones, McDonald and Lim Eng Beng led the Wranglers to a 10-4 won-loss slate in the eliminations and breezed into the finals with a 5-1 record in the semifinal round and will play defending champion Crispa 400s in a rematch of last year's Open championship.

The U-Tex Wranglers won the Open Conference title and made history by surprisingly scoring a clean 3-0 sweep over Crispa 400s. After winning the series opener by a point in overtime, 95-94, U-Tex won games two and three, 100-93 and 104-96, to finally break the stranglehold of Crispa and Toyota for winning titles and becoming the first team outside of the two ballclubs to win a PBA crown. [1]

Roster

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U/Tex Wranglers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt.
G 5 Philippines Deles, Roy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) San Beda
G 6 Philippines Pineda, Ricardo 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Letran
F 7 Philippines Lobo, Renato 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Far Eastern
F 8 Philippines Noblezada, Jaime 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) San Agustin
F/C 9 Philippines Dasalla, Anthony 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Far Eastern
G 11 Philippines Hines, Rudolf 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Letran
F/C 12 Philippines Cabading, Romualdo 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Baguio
F/C 13 Philippines Kutch, Rudolf 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) UE
G 14 Philippines Eng Beng, Lim 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) De La Salle
F/C 25−15 Philippines Frank, Romeo 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
C 15 Philippines Camus, Edward 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
F 16 Philippines Mora, Alfonso 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) San Sebastian
F 3 United States Williams, Hank (I) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Jacksonville
F 20 United States McDonald, Glenn (I) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Long Beach State
F/C 33 United States Jones, Byron (I) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) San Francisco
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
  • Philippines Nap Flores

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (I) Import
  • Injured Injured

References

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