WHO would not want a bigger Gilas Pilipinas national team training pool for the FIBA World Cup the country is co-hosting this year?
National coach Chot Reyes does, but he maintained the pool is limited due to the schedule of the PBA where most of the cagers are chosen from.
“May realities. Schedules, playing elsewhere, the PBA team as well. So as not to disrupt the PBA too much, we are keeping the players just among several teams for now before we open it up,” Reyes said last Saturday on Radyo5 92.3 News FM’s Power and Play program hosted by former PBA commissioner and PSC chief Noli Eala. “But at least, I hope nakikita ng mga kababayan natin na we are considering, we are constantly evaluating, assessing.
“People don’t know that I talk to the players all the time. I constantly talk to players,” he added.
Among the players that fans and armchair pundits are clamoring to be named to the pool is prolific San Miguel Beer guard Terrence Romeo, who has already donned the Gilas jersey in the past.
“There are certainly other names that we have been considering, other names we are looking at,” Reyes said. “I know maraming ingay about Terrence Romeo and I told Terrence myself, you are always part of the consideration. But we already know what Terrence can give. Let’s see what others can give and then, we will make a decision come World Cup time.”
Naturalized Filipino forward and Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee, along with Kings teammate Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of the Beermen, TNT’s Roger Pogoy and Calvin Oftana, Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort, and collegiate standouts Kevin Quiambao, Francis Lopez, Mason Amos, Schonny Winston, and Jerome Lastimosa lead the 24-man team.
The other members of the pool are Japan B. League campaigners and brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Jordan Heading, Carl Tamayo, and Dwight Ramos, and prized 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto, reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson of Ginebra, Meralco’s Chris Newsome, Jamie Malonzo of the Kings, the Bolts’ Raymond Almazan and naturalized center Ange Kouame.
