BUSY will be the next few months for Gilas Pilipinas as the national team braces for a grueling 2021 with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) deciding to go all-in on its cadets program.
And the groundwork has already started, with program director Tab Baldwin and coach Jong Uichico bringing in a throng of new faces inside Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba.
The early preparations should be valuable, with the young national team looking to compete in three international tourneys in three month's time.
Among those slated for Gilas are the third window of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Clark set in June, the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade in July, and the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup in Indonesia in August.
But before the Nationals dip their toes in those competitions, the SBP and the PBA are also studying the possibility of holding a pocket tournament to better prepare the Philippine team for those wars.
“That’s something that we will have to work with Comm. Willie (Marcial) on how we can do that," said SBP president Al Panlilio.
Staging tournaments to aid the national team's preparation is no stranger to the PBA.
Two tournaments in the past were held during the pro league's season to provide adequate exposure for the Philippine team in the past.
1998 PBA Centennial Cup
The first was in the 1998 when the PBA staged the Centennial Cup, in commemoration of the nation's century-long independence, which was held in-between the import-laced conference.
It was a short tournament which lasted five weeks and saw the Philippine Centennial Team test its mettle against the existing eight PBA clubs, all armed with two imports each.
The national team, then coached by Tim Cone, saw little success as it only mustered a 1-7 win-loss record and averted being the bottom team as it edged Sta. Lucia, 78-72, in its lone victory in the tourney.
Mobiline emerged as the champions of the tilt, besting Formula Shell, 67-66, in overtime in the one-game championship.
The Philippine Centennial Team, though, used that preparation to secure the bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, with Alvin Patrimonio, Johnny Abarrientos, Allan Caidic, Vergel Meneses, and Kenneth Duremdes leading the charge.
2003 PBA Invitational Championship
The idea was revisited five years later in the 2003 Invitational Championship, a month-long tournament which gave the platform for the Cebuana Lhuillier-RP Team armed with standouts from the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and coached by Aric del Rosario.
The Nationals faced off against the top five teams in the 2003 All-Filipino Cup, namely Red Bull, San Miguel, Coca Cola, Talk 'N Text, and FedEx, as well as Mabuhay Cup winner Alaska.
It also had to go against three international teams in Yugoslavian side Novi Sad, Korean team Yonsei University, and Chinese crew Jilin Yiqi Northeast Tigers.
Cebuana-RP's inexperience was evident as it stumbled to a 1-3 card in Group B and miss out on the playoffs.
Its lone win came against the Chinese, winning 114-91, as the Filipinos leaned on the likes of Gary David, Emmerson Oreta, Ricky Calimag, Celino Cruz, Bitoy Omolon, Willy Wilson, and Marc Pingris.
Alaska eventually ruled the Invitational Cup, besting Coca Cola, 2-1, in the best-of-three Finals with Aces forward Brandon Cablay taking home the Finals MVP honors.
Meanwhile, disaster soon followed the Nationals in the 2003 Fiba Asia Championship in Harbin as that Cebuana-RP team, already without PBA reinforcements, soon lost a super scorer in David and wound up 15th out of 16 teams, easily the Philippines' worst placing in the continental tilt.
2010 MVP Invitational Champions Cup
Seven years later, the SBP staged its own pocket tournament at Ninoy Aquino, hosting the 2010 MVP Invitational Champions Cup from June 24 to 27.
Smart Gilas was joined by Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) club Dongguan New Century Leopards and the Jordanian national team in the four-day tiff.
It's a unique format, with the three teams facing off against each other, and their last assignment against PBA clubs Ginebra and Talk 'N Text.
Marcus Douthit poured 26 points to drub Dongguan New Century, 74-64, in the opener, but fell to Jordan, 85-73. The Rajko Toroman-mentored Nationals did book their spot in the Finals with an 82-75 win over Ginebra, with Chris Lutz scoring 15, and end the eliminations with a 2-1 record.
Mac Baracael waxed hot in the championship game, going for 22 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep as Smart Gilas got back at Jordan, 91-80, to claim the crown.
The Filipinos also drew solid contributions from JVee Casio, Greg Slaughter, and Douthit in the finals against a veteran Jordanian crew led by Rasheim Wright, Sam Daghles, and brothers Zaid and Islam Abbas.
Unfortunately, the Philippines could not sustain its momentum from that championship heading into the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, losing to Korea in the quarterfinals before finishing at fifth place.
2015 MVP Cup
The last pocket tournament hosted by the SBP was the 2015 MVP Cup, with the Tab Baldwin-coached Gilas Pilipinas side using it as its final tuneup for the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship in Changsha.
Andray Blatche linked up with Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, and Jayson Castro as their side swept the four-team, three-day tourney.
Gilas first dominated Talk 'N Text, 93-77, escaped the Kiwi club Wellington Saints, 84-81, before wrapping it up with a 90-77 beatdown of Chinese Taipei where Blatche recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds in the finale.
That promising performance propelled the Philippines to a silver medal finish in the continental cup, losing only to China, 78-67, in the finals the following month.
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