ASIDE from Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto, Jordan Heading is the other player in the men’s national team training pool that has yet to practice with Gilas Pilipinas a month to go before the Fiba Basketball World Cup.
Apparently, a back injury has kept the 6-foot-2 shooting guard from coming over and joining the team now halfway through its training camp for basketball’s biggest tournament this year.
See Kai Sotto unsure of Gilas availability as he talks about injury rehab
The 27-year-old Fil-Australian is in the US getting treatment for his injury, according to Gilas coach Chot Reyes.
“I know he’s rehabbing his back,” he said.
Team manager Butch Antonio has been monitoring the progress of Heading’s health situation, although on when he’ll be able to come on board, Reyes remains clueless about it.
“I don’t know if he’s going to be able to join us,” said the Gilas mentor.
Heading, considered one of Gilas top outside shooters, last played for the country during the sixth and final window of the World Cup qualifiers held last February at the Philippine Arena.
He, Clarkson, and Sotto are the only three members of the training pool still in overseas and have yet practiced with Gilas, which just resumed its camp following its recent European training.
A total of 16 players from the 20-man pool showed up on the second day of practice at the Meralco gym over the weekend, including Dwight Ramos, who’s already been given clearance by doctors to resume training.
Only Scottie Thompson, out with a metacarpal fracture, has not shown up in training.
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