THE quartet of CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Mo Tautuaa, and Jason Perkins will comprise the Gilas Plipinas 3x3 team to the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) made the announcement on Sunday, six days before the start of the 3x3 competitions in the biennial showcase.
PBA great and Hall of Famer Ronnie Magsanoc will call the shots for the team that aims to win the first ever gold as the event makes its debut in the SEA Games.
Blackwater big man Mac Belo was the last man cut from the team.
"With the aim of winning the country's first ever SEA Games gold in 3x3 basketball, while also making sure that it gets more attention from Philippine basketball fans, the SBP has put together a team that could accomplish both tasks," said SBP President Al S. Panlilio in a statement.
"We applaud the work that all of the players and the staff put in throughout their preparations and we wish them all the best in their upcoming competitions."
It will be the second straight stint for the national team this year for Perez, the proldigious Columbian Dyip rookie who was a revelation for Gilas Pilipinas during the FIBA World Cup in China.
Both Perkins and Newsome are donning the national colors for the very first time, while Mo Tautuaa is making his second appearance for the Gilas program after initially being part of the national team training pool in 2015 under former coach Tab Baldwin that competed in the Jones Cup.
"Our squad is composed of a versatile bunch and we're confident that their hard work will pay off," added Panlilio.
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