IF there's one thing Javi Gomez de Liano and the Ibaraki Robots have in common, it is that both have big chips on their shoulders.
The 6-foot-4 stud out of University of the Philippines is motivated to prove his worth as he begins his professional career in Japan after falling short of a championship in his UAAP career with the Fighting Maroons.
The older Gomez de Liano will also be looking for some tonic in Japan after becoming one of the last cuts for the Gilas Pilipinas team to the last Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade.
Meanwhile, Ibaraki is equally inspired to redeem itself from its bridesmaid run last year, where the Robots fell to the Gunma Crane Thunders in the best-of-three finals of the B.League's second division.
That's why it's easy to see the new partnership being a perfect fit for both parties as Gomez de Liano joins Ibaraki come the 2021-22 season.
Rebuilding Robots
But he's not the lone new face coming in.
Center Eric Jacobsen, who posted 17.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists for the Sendai 89ers, is set to join the Robots as well as Thirdy Ravena's former San-En NeoPhoenix teammate Takanobu Nishikawa.
Among the new additions are Asahi Tajima from the Levanga Hokkaido and Daichi Taniguchi from the Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Ibaraki is building up from last year's campaign as it brought back coach Richard Glesmann and eight players from last year's core, including Canadian center Marc Trasolini and American forward Chehales Tapscott.
Trasolini led the team with 18.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks, while Tapscott averaged 17.8 points, 7.6 boards, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals last year as Ibaraki went 39-16 in the regular season.
Also back in tow are Kohei Fukuzawa, Atsunobu Hirao, Tenyoku You, Keita Tsurumaki, Yuji Takahashi, and Kohei Nakamura.
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