STRONG Group-Pilipinas will bank on six familiar faces when it chases a third straight championship in the 45th William Jones Cup set from August 8 to 23 at the New Taipei City Xinzhuang Gymnasium.
Returning to the squad are Dave Ildefonso, DJ Fenner, Angelo Kouame, Tajuan Agee, and young standouts Allen Liwag and Titing Manalili, all of whom played key roles in the team's back-to-back championships.
The six holdovers will be joined by Serbian giant Boban Marjanović.
"Just excited to have some of our core guys still there to help us go for our three-peat," said longtime Strong Group coach Charles Tiu. "It really helps having that familiarity, especially with a lot of new guys coming in and such a short preparation time. I love coaching this group of guys."
Agee, the 6-foot-9 forward, has been the team's cornerstone over the past two Jones Cup campaigns. In last year's tournament, he averaged 15.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Ildefonso and Fenner have likewise been mainstays of Strong Group's championship runs. Ildefonso averaged 8.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in last year's edition, while Fenner contributed 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per outing.
Kouame, meanwhile, appeared in four games during the 44th William Jones Cup before his campaign was cut short.
Liwag of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Manalili of Letran round out the returning core as the team's young prospects.
Strong Group president Jacob Lao also expressed his appreciation to Abra Solid North Weavers owner Rep. JB Bernos for allowing Ildefonso and Fenner to suit up for the national club once again.
Strong Group-Pilipinas has been drawn into a preliminary-round group with Chinese Taipei Blue, Korea, and Japan.
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