THE Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas disclosed Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone always keeps a short list of players as first-hand choice in case the regular pool members won’t be available in FIBA sanctioned tournaments or other major international meets.
SBP Executive Director Erika Dy such is the case of latest addition Rhenz Abando, who was tapped by Cone and his coaching staff for the coming fifth window of the World Cup qualifiers following the unavailability of Carl Tamayo and Calvin Oftana.
READ: Tim Cone insists now isn’t the time to gamble on Gilas roster
“Si coach Tim naman, would have a pool of players in his head, even if he always trains with a very limited number of players in his roster every window. He would always have these options in his head,” said Dy during the formal rebranding of the women’s national team as ‘Gilas Hiraya’ on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Abando is included among the list of Cone, so much he was taken in immediately when Tamayo and Oftana begged off from joining Gilas in the penultimate window of the qualifiers in Seremban, Malaysia from Nov. 27 to 29.
“This is why coach Tim thought about calling up Rhenz,” added the SBP official.
Tamayo is out for the window owing to a major ankle sprain, while Oftana’s wife is due to give birth at around the same time the games in Malaysia against Syria and Iran will be played.
This marks the first time Abando will be playing under Cone as Gilas head coach.
The high-flying, 28-year-old wingman, who currently plays for Anyang Jung Kwan Jang in the Korean Basketball League, last suited up for Gilas during the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila under former coach Chot Reyes. Cone was still an assistant under Reyes back then.
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